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As the UAW strike entered its 25th day Monday, local automotive parts supplier Sodecia Automotive Detroit filed notice that it laid off 62% of its workforce while General Motors and Ford Motor Co. also trimmed back.
Sodecia Automotive Detroit in Center Line, a metal stamping facility, laid off 143 employees of its total workforce of 232 people at that location due to the United Auto Workers ongoing Stand Up Strike, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filing posted Monday.
The filing said the company gave notice on Sept. 25 of the layoff citing “reduced business/work” as the reason for the temporary layoff of 129 union members and 14 salaried employees at the business. It lists the layoff lasting to Nov. 25.
The company did not respond to a request for comment, but this is the third company to file a notice with the state about jobs being trimmed in relation to the strike against the Detroit Three car companies.
GM and Ford lay off more people
GM said Monday that it has laid off an additional 155 people across its Toledo Propulsion Systems, Lansing Regional Stamping and Marion Metal Center in Indiana facilities, bringing the total number of employees affected by the strike to about 2,300.
On Oct. 3, GM said it had to begin laying off 163 employees at its Toledo Propulsion Systems. It had previously laid off 358 employees there. On Monday, an additional 72 workers had to be idled, bringing a total of 430 laid off at that facility. GM manufactures transmissions at Toledo for the midsize pickups and cargo vans made at Wentzville Assembly plant in Missouri and the SUVs made at Lansing Delta Township Assembly.
GM laid off 70 people at its Lansing Regional Stamping plant on Friday due to a lack of work because of the strike. At Marion Metal, an additional 13 people were laid off on Friday for a total of 50 people idled at that facility. There are other GM facilities that have experienced layoffs, including nearly 2,000 at its Fairfax Assembly in Kansas.
On Monday, Ford said in a statement that it asked 71 employees at Livonia Transmission Plant to not report to work beginning then. Ford said it was not a lockout, but a layoff as a result of the strike at Chicago Assembly Plant. Livonia Transmission supplies parts used at the Chicago plant. Ford has 1,800 total workers laid off due to the strike, after cutting nearly 500 on Friday.
“While we are doing what we can to avoid layoffs, we have no choice but to reduce production of parts that would be destined for a plant that is on strike,” said Bryce Currie, vice president, Americas Manufacturing and Labor Affairs, Ford Blue. “Strike-related layoffs are an unfortunate result of the UAW’s strategy.”
The UAW’s strike started after the labor contract expired on Sept. 14 and nearly 13,000 UAW workers across the three automakers walked out at three plants that were the first wave of shutdowns. The UAW expanded its strike to include 38 GM and Stellantis parts distribution centers across the nation on Sept. 22, shutting down the facilities that deliver the parts that car dealers need to make repairs to customers’ cars. About 5,625 workers walked out in that wave.
Then on Sept. 29, the UAW took strike action at Ford’s Chicago Assembly and GM’s Lansing Delta Township plant. This past Friday, the union did not extend the strike, saying it is making progress with all three automakers, though gaps remain. It also announced that GM agreed to the demand to include battery plant workers in its master agreement.
Strike cost:UAW strike has cost GM $200 million — but could plunge into billions if strike continues
More supplier layoffs
On Sept. 18, CIE Newcor filed a WARN saying a temporary closing “is possible, but will be determined by the length of the potential UAW — Detroit 3 strike.” CIE Newcor makes components for tier 1 suppliers out of its two plants in Michigan: One in Owosso and another in Corunna. That notice said the layoff was expected to start Oct. 2 and last one month. CIE Newcor has not responded to requests for confirmation on whether the layoffs happened.
Wixom-based automotive supplier Eagle Industries on Sept. 25 announced it may need to lay off a substantial portion of its 171 hourly workers, citing “unforeseen business circumstances.” At the time, Eagle Industries President John Bull said his company filed the paperwork as a precaution. It employs about 171 hourly workers, but he said any possible layoff would likely affect 55 to 60 employees.
One analysis from the University of Michigan predicted 150,000 people in Michigan could lose their jobs if the strike lasts four weeks.
As the Detroit Free Press has reported, layoffs at parts suppliers are expected to ramp up as the strike against General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis continues.
Auto sales:Why UAW strike puts GM most at risk — and Toyota in position to win
Free Press staff writer Phoebe Wall Howard contributed to this report.
Contact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
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