Group demonstrates against Workhorse in Lordstown

Staff report

LORDSTOWN

Members of a Lake Milton-based political organization called Our Revolution Mahoning Valley had a demonstration Monday near the huge Chevrolet Cruze picture on the GM Lordstown Assembly plant, criticizing last week’s announcement that GM is looking at a proposal to sell the massive plant to Cincinnati’s Workhorse Group.

Our Revolution member Werner Lange of Newton Falls called the idea that Workhorse will get the contract to build electric vehicles for the U.S. Postal Service at the Lordstown plant “a very cruel joke” on the people of this area.

He said it’s a “fraud” to suggest that Workhorse, a company he says has not turned a profit since it was founded in 2007 and lost $141 million over the last 11 years, could get a contract with the U.S. Postal Service to build a new fleet of vehicles.

And even if it did get the contract, the vehicles will be made at its facility in Union City, Ind., not Lordstown, he said. He cited an April 12 PRNewswire press release saying postal service manufacturing “is scheduled to begin in Workhorse’s Union City, Ind., plant in the third quarter of 2019.”

A call seeking comment from Tom Colton, Workhorse spokesman, was not returned Monday.

Chuckie Denison of Lake Milton, Our Revolution’s head organizer, said the group began one month ago when Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders came to Lordstown to have a campaign rally and urge General Motors to reopen the GM Lordstown facility. The plant produced its last Chevy Cruze one month earlier, and then was idled.

Denison said the group wants to empower people to run for office and support progressive ideas and “represent the people.”