GM CEO Mary Barra said that all workers who lost their jobs in the automaker’s recent plant closures have a position waiting for them elsewhere at GM. But there’s a catch. The CEO revealed during an interview with Axios on HBO that these people will need to consider relocating to a different city or state.
We’ve recently reported how the change has impacted some GM employees who relocated from the GM Lordstown plant in Ohio, former home to the discontinued Chevrolet Cruze, to the GM Toledo transmission plant. Relocating for a job, especially for families, implies selling the house, finding another one, and relocating the kids to a new school. For young families, relocating to a different city for a new job can have a significant impact on the future of their children.
GM Toledo Transmission plant
During her interview, the GM CEO stated that the plant closures were inevitable for the company to “remain alive for the next fifty years, not just the next five.” Barra claimed the decision came at a time when the economy was strong, giving birth to entirely new job opportunities for GM employees. Though she admits that some of these new jobs are in a different location, she also said that “GM wants all of its employees to stay at GM”.
The final Chevrolet Cruze to be produced at the GM Lordstown plant
Back in November of 2018, the 6.2 million-square-foot Lordstown factory, previously responsible for assembling the Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan, was shut down as part of an ongoing GM restructuring plan, as the automotive industry undergoes what has been referred to as the biggest shift in history. The plant’s closure resulted in the loss of 4,500 jobs as North American car buyers shift toward utility vehicles like CUVs and SUVs from sedans. At the same time, GM is investing heavily in electric vehicles and plans to release 20 new EV models by 2023, despite demand for such vehicles being very low.
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Source: WXYZ Detroit