Events set for Lordstown's plant final week

By GRAIG GRAZIOSI

ggraziosi@vindy.com

LORDSTOWN

Members of the United Auto Workers Local 1112 and the Drive It Home campaign are asking the community to go “True Blue” this week by wearing blue and taking photos with their GM-built vehicles to show their support for the plant.

During a news conference Monday afternoon, Local 1112 President Dave Green said the photos will be sent to GM CEO Mary Barra to show her how much support the company has in the community.

Individuals who take photos can send them to info@driveithome.com to be included in the delivery to Barra.

“Any corporation would be proud to have the workers we have here in Lordstown,” Green said. “We’ve supported GM for 53 years, now we want GM to be true blue with us.”

Blue and white are the colors of GM’s logo.

In addition to wearing blue and taking photos with their GM vehicles, Green also invited the community to participate in support events during the plant’s final week of production before entering “unallocated” status – meaning no product to make.

Today, community members are invited to attend a rally at Lordstown High School at 3:45 p.m. The rally will be held in the school’s parking lot, and attendees are asked to wear blue and drive their GM vehicles to the meet-up.

For Wednesday, Green asked the community to join the vigil that has been ongoing outside the plant since the closure was announced in November.

Participants will meet in front of the plant on Bailey Road at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, which will likely be the plant’s last full day of operation.

Each of the plant’s departments will shut down as the last vehicles move through the production line.

The stamping department’s last day of operation was Friday.

The final Cruze will likely be completed on Wednesday. Pictures purporting to be of the final car’s production taken by employees have been appearing on social media.

On Friday, churches and faith communities are asked to ring their bells at 3 p.m. to show support for the workers on the plant’s last day.

Operations will continue in a limited state for several weeks for the production of replacement Cruze parts. The replacement parts will be built by approximately 200 workers.

The plant will likely remain in an unallocated state until the international UAW renegotiates its contract with GM this September.