Ohio communities fear impact of GM layoffs
1,327 views · Published 5 December 2018 · 3:41 · Indexed 6 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(29 Nov 2018) General Motors' major restructuring plan includes the possible closing of a plant in an Ohio industrial corridor where just last year President Donald Trump promised manufacturing jobs would be coming back. GE now faces a high-stakes decision on whether to shut down the Lordstown assembly plant, which makes the Chevy Cruze. Officials announced they would stop manufacturing the car on March 1. "I went through a few layoffs," says Tommy Wolikow, a former GM employee. "This layoff is totally different, this is like an indefinite layoff … it's just a very serious situation compared to the other ones, and it's a different feeling." Albert Sumell, Youngstown State University economics professor, says GM shares saw a 10 percent bump in share prices the day after the announcement. "But what serves the bottom line of GM and these companies is not necessarily what is best for these communities and certainly what's not, not what's best for the workers," he says. Wolikow says he's worried about being able to buy his daughters gifts this Christmas. "Financially, we're hurting really bad," he says. Wolikow is calling on GM CEO Mary Barra to bring a new product to the plant instead of closing it. "If you take that away from us, what are we gonna do?" Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/b1cfa34a6c03043ebcffc878d571cf9c
