General Motors says 1,300 workers will be laid off at two Michigan plants
General Motors will lay off about 1,300 workers from two of its Michigan plants, according to WARN notices the company has filed with state regulators.
The job cuts at GM's Orion Assembly and Lansing Grand River Assembly, which will take place in the new year, come after the automaker said in October that it would be delaying electric pickup truck production into 2025.
The layoffs at GM's Orion plant will affect 945 workers, while 369 employees will be cut from the Lansing assembly plant.
The Orion plant produced the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV crossover, and GM is planning to produce additional electric vehicles, namely the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV at the plant. But the company announced in October that it would be delaying the start of production, sealing the fate of workers while the plant remains idled.
GM said in October that the delay was not the result of the recent United Auto Workers' strike, which was the longest US auto strike in 25 years.
"GM anticipates having job opportunities for all impacted team members per the provisions of the UAW-GM National Agreement. Lansing Grand River Assembly will continue producing the Cadillac CT4 and Cadillac CT5," the company said in a written statement
UAW members who were laid off at the Orion plant will "be offered other opportunities in Michigan, including positions at Factory ZERO in Detroit-Hamtramck. Orion Assembly salaried employees will also be placed in other internal opportunities in accordance with GM policy," GM said.
The layoffs at GM reflect the growing uncertainty facing the electric vehicle market. Discounts for EVs have been increasing, according to Edmunds.com, as they remain unsold on dealer lots for longer than gas vehicles. That indicates a decline in demand in what was in recent years projected to be an up-and-coming market.
Other automakers have been cutting costs, as well. Ford in October said it would lay off 700 employees who build the F-150 Lightning, the electric-powered edition of its best-selling vehicle. The company said it will rotate the layoffs among three shifts at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn.