GM: Job Cut In Georgia

DETROIT, Dec 19, 2002; Reuters reports that General Motors Corp. will temporarily shut three U.S. plants early next year to cut production of new cars and trucks as sales slow, a spokesman said on Thursday.

GM will also lay off an indefinite number of hourly workers next year at its Doraville, Georgia vehicle assembly plant, where it makes the Chevrolet Venture, Pontiac Montana and Oldsmobile Silhouette minivans, said GM spokesman Dan Flores.

The layoffs stem from GM's decision to cut daily production of minivans at the plant.

"There will likely be some layoffs as a result of the (assembly) line-speed reduction," Flores said.

Minivan sales have dropped faster than the overall market this year, and U.S. sales are widely expected to slip further next year.

The Doraville plant will also be closed for the first 17 working days in January to cut back on production, Flores said.

GM's Baltimore and Orion Township, Michigan, plants will also be closed the first seven days of January to cut back production. GM makes mid-size vans at Baltimore and large cars at Orion Lake.