General Motors is ending production at its Lordstown, Ohio plant Wednesday — two days earlier than previously expected.
A GM spokesperson said that’s when the plant will churn out its last Chevy Cruze sedan. At that point, the factory will be unallocated, which means no vehicles will be assigned to that facility.
GM planned to idle the 6.2 million-square-foot plant on Friday, but the spokesperson said production was slightly ahead of schedule.
The automaker announced a major restructuring in November, including the closure of five plants in North America and the reduction of its salaried workforce by 15%. GM laid off 8,000 salaried workers, and 6,000 hourly workers will either lose their jobs or be reassigned to other plants.
The decision has led to blowback across the political spectrum. But General Motors says it’s necessary so the company can invest more money in the cars of the future.
Last week, the United Auto Workers union sued General Motors over its plans to shutter three of the plants, including Lordstown. The union claims that the decision violates the union’s labor contract.
It’s asking the court to order GM to reverse the closures. It’s also seeking damages for affected employees, including back wages and benefits.
GM said in a statement last week that the company has not violated the provisions of its labor contract with the union.
