January GM layoffs in Michigan will idle 1,314 workers at two factories

Dec. 15 (UPI) -- General Motors plans to lay off 1,314 workers in January at two Michigan factories related to electric truck production delays at the Orion Assembly plant.

"These layoffs are expected to be indefinite at the Orion Subsystem facility unless the affected employees receive an offer to work at a different company location," GM said in a legally required WARN notice to Michigan's Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

The notice said the Orion facility layoffs will start Jan. 15 or within 13 days after that date.

GM added that, "It is possible that placement opportunities in other local GM plants will be available for most, if not all, of the affected employees."

About 1,000 of the workers are expected to transfer to other GM Michigan plants.

The workers will be able to get state unemployment compensation and/or supplemental unemployment benefits from UAW union contracts.

The affected plants are Orion Assembly where 945 workers will lose jobs and the Lansing Grand River Assembly/Stamping plant where 369 will be laid off, according to GM.

Chevrolet Camaro production is ending at the Lansing plant.

A second WARN notice said the Grand River plant layoffs will start Jan. 1 and will be completed in four phases ending March 25, or within 13 days thereafter.

Chevy Bolt production at the Orion plant is ending and production of two new electric pickup trucks at the plant has been delayed for about a year.

GM said in October that delay in new planned production at the Orion plant was not caused by the UAW strike. GM will retool the plant to build the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra EVs with the plant expected to return to production in late 2025.

"This has nothing to do with labor negotiations or the strike," said GM spokesman Kevin Kelly in October when the production delay was first announced.

On Thursday GM said its Cruise driverless taxi startup will lay off 24% of the workforce there, "through no fault of their own."

That layoff followed the recall of all 950 of the Cruise self-driving systems and California's suspension of Cruise's permit to operate driverless taxis in the state.