Washington: The Ford Motor Company has laid off an additional 330 workers at the Chicago stamping plant and the Lima engine plant amid the ongoing United Auto Workers (UAW) union strike, bringing the total number of laid off workers to 930, Ford spokesperson Dan Barbossa told Sputnik.
“Approximately 330 employees have been asked not to report to work, with layoffs taking effect beginning September 30 at Chicago Stamping Plant and October 2 at the Lima engine plant,” Barbossa said on Tuesday. “These 330 layoffs are in addition to 600 laid off from the Michigan assembly plant beginning September 15, bringing Ford’s total to 930 employees impacted by strike-related layoffs.”
Barbossa said that UAW’s strike strategy to target specific facilities unintentionally obstructs operations at additional plants, attributing this to Ford’s intricately woven production frameworks. Thus, the strike has initiated a cascade effect through other, non-directly targeted location, he said.
“These are not lockouts. These layoffs are a consequence of the strike at Chicago assembly plant, because these two facilities must reduce production of parts that would normally be shipped to Chicago Assembly Plant,” Barbossa added.
Some 19,000 US auto workers at various Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis facilities are striking due to unsuccessful negotiations, with the UAW seeking a 46% pay raise and a 32-hour work week, among other terms.
