General Motors to Lay Off New Jersey Plant Workers in Early 2005, Months Ahead of Original Plans

TRENTON, N.J. November 30, 2004; David Porter writing for the AP reported that General Motors Corp. will lay off most of the more than 1,000 workers at its Linden, N.J., assembly plant early next year, months ahead of its original plans to stop making two vehicles there, a company spokesman said Tuesday.

GM is in the process of notifying employees and union officials about the planned layoffs, which is required under federal law, said spokesman Dan Flores.

The company had initially planned to end production on the Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Jimmy next summer due to slowing sales of the two sport-utility vehicles. The Linden plant has assembled the two vehicles since 1995.

The layoffs will affect most of the approximately 900 to 950 hourly workers and 110 salaried employees at the plant, Flores said.

Decreasing sales of the two vehicles have led to frequent shutdowns at the plant. GM cut the second shift at Linden two years ago, leading to about 1,000 layoffs.

"GM, like any other company, is driven by the marketplace and we're faced with the fact that there really isn't a market for the products any more," Flores said.

The Detroit automaker will seek to find other positions at the company for salaried employees at Linden, Flores said. Hourly workers will be protected under terms of their contract with United Auto Workers Local 595. A message left by The Associated Press at the union's office was not immediately returned Tuesday.

Flores said the Linden plant will not close completely, but said the company has no plans to assign any additional production to the plant, and was not studying any investment that would introduce any other products there.

In September 2003, GM and the national United Auto Workers union reached an agreement to keep the plant open until 2007.

Sen. Jon Corzine, D-N.J., called GM's decision Tuesday "unfortunate, unexpected and a breach of faith with its workers and the community."

With the closing of a Ford plant in Edison, N.J., in February, the 67-year-old Linden plant became the last auto assembly line in New Jersey.