The Stellantis stamping plant in Sterling Heights, Mich., will begin laying off an indefinite number of workers next week, the automaker has confirmed. Stellantis said the layoffs will allow it to operate the plant “in a sustainable manner” as supply-chain problems continue to stress manufacturing programs.
The United Auto Workers union local 1264 posted a letter to Facebook detailing that the layoffs will begin as soon as June 20 and will continue indefinitely.
The automaker offered the following statement on the layoffs to Reuters: "Stellantis continues to work closely with our suppliers to mitigate the manufacturing impacts caused by the various supply-chain issues facing our industry. As the situation continues to be very fluid, we are making production adjustments as necessary to minimize additional production impact."
The Detroit-area plant is said to be the world’s largest automotive stamping operation, with about 2,000 hourly workers. It manufactures stamped components and assemblies including hoods, roofs, liftgates, side apertures, fenders, and floor pans for the Dodge Durango; Chrysler Pacifica, Chrysler Voyager and Chrysler Grand Caravan; Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee; and Ram Truck programs.
In a separate move, the Stellantis Windsor (Ont.) Assembly Plant will be idled starting June 20 due to parts shortages.
Stellantis, along with Ford, General Motors, and Honda initiated a range of layoffs during 2021, mainly due to a shortage of silicon chips.
