OEMs

Ford Makes Layoffs in Ohio and Illinois on UAW Strike

Written by Ethan Bernard

October 3, 2023

Ford Motor Co. announced layoffs in Ohio and Illinois on Monday, citing the ongoing United Auto Workers (UAW) strike.

The Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker asked ~330 workers not to report work starting Sept. 30 at its Chicago Stamping Plant in Illinois and on Oct. 2 at its Lima Engine Plant in Ohio.

“Our production system is highly interconnected, which means the UAW’s targeted strike strategy has knock-on effects for facilities that are not directly targeted for a work stoppage,” a Ford spokesman said in a statement emailed to SMU.

“In this case, the strike at Chicago Assembly Plant has directly impacted some operations at Chicago Stamping Plant and Lima Engine Plant,” the spokesman added.

The UAW announced the expansion of its strike to the Chicago Assembly Plant last Friday, among work stoppages at other targeted plants at Ford and General Motors as well.

The spokesman stressed, “these are not lock-outs.” He said the layoffs are a result of the strike at Chicago Assembly Plant. According to the spokesman, these two other facilities must reduce production of parts that would normally be shipped to that plant.

He noted that these 330 layoffs are in addition to 600 laid off from the Michigan Assembly Plant beginning Sept. 15. This brings Ford’s total to 930 employees affected by strike-related layoffs, the spokesman said.

The UAW did not return a request for comment by the time of this story’s publication.

The strike against specific plants at all three Detroit-area automakers began on Sept. 15. It has expanded because no new labor agreement has yet been reached.

Ethan Bernard

Ethan Bernard is a reporter and editor for Steel Market Update. He previously worked for American Metal Market as a copy editor in the New York office for two years starting in 2008. Later, he copy edited AMM’s monthly magazine on a freelance basis from 2015 until 2017. With experience in financial copywriting and textbook publishing, he holds a BA in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA. in Creative Writing from New York University. He can be reached at ethan@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7871.

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