Associated Press
- General Motors is idling its Lordstown, Ohio plant as it undergoes a major, company-wide restructuring effort.
- Around 1,700 hourly jobs will be lost at the factory, where the final Chevrolet Cruze’s rolled off assembly lines on Wednesday.
- On Twitter, politicians, residents, and employees slammed the autoworker for what they say are broken promises.
Dozens of General Motors employees surrounded a white Chevy Cruze on Wednesday. The car, the last to be produced at GM’s Lordstown, Ohio facility, was draped with an American flag as the employees posed for one final photo.
In their arms, signs read "GM: We invested in you. Now it’s your turn to invest in us."
Dozens of emotional photos, Facebook posts, and tweets were shared Wednesday as the Lordstown plant got ready to sit idle after more than 50 years in action. The factory’s 1,700 workers, meanwhile, will be left without jobs.
The 6.2 million square foot plant will be placed into a "state of readiness," GM spokesperson Dan Flores told the Associated Press, meaning it will be heated and fully maintained to allow for a resumption of operations. The facility’s future awaits upcoming contract talks between GM and the United Auto Works Union, which are set to being this summer.
Still, the pain from the job losses is rippling through Northern Ohio. As protesters gathered outside, many residents — including politicians — shared photos online:
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Source: Business Insider – grapier@businessinsider.com (Graham Rapier)