Mar 30, 2009 5:30 pm US/Central
Ford Temporarily Shuts Down Chicago Plant
Plant Will Sit Idle For Next 3 Weeks
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Workers put some final touches on newly-built cars at the Torrence Avenue Ford Assembly Plant on June 22, 2007.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Ford has temporarily shut down its plant at 126th Street and Torrence Avenue on the city's Far South Side. The Torrence Avenue plant and numerous other Ford plants will sit idle for the next three weeks, as demand for cars and sport-utility vehicles continue to lag. Production is exceeding projected vehicle sales by about $1 million vehicles.
CBS 2's Jim Williams reports that the temporary layoffs are bad enough, but longtime workers are really nervous about what's down the road.
David Schoenecker is one of those longtime Ford workers. He's been at the Chicago Ford plant for more than 30 years. He's now one of the employees out of work for the next three weeks.
"Our people will be stressed out on a regular basis because of the actual everyday life that it's affecting - our homes being paid for, cars being paid for, children being taken care of - it's all pretty stressful," Schoenecker said.
Stressful for the 1,400 Ford workers who make the Taurus, though they will get a fraction of their salaries from Ford, and can apply for unemployment benefits.
It's a more difficult time for employees like Chris King, who has less seniority. He was laid off two months ago and still has not gone back to work.
"It's hard times right now so you try to maintain the best you can," said Chris King, Ford worker.
The number of Ford employees at the Chicago plant has steadily gone down. In the 1970s, more than 3,000 men and women worked there. Ten years ago, it was about 2,500. Now it's below 1,500.
About six months ago, Ford eliminated a shift at the Torrence Avenue plant, resulting in the elimination of 792 jobs.
Yet, there is little bitterness among this union workforce that's building cars in a bad economy.
"They understand the position that the auto industry is in," said Local 551 President Carlo Bishop. "It's a strain right now. Sales are not there."
Chris King remains loyal to the company that's put many family members to work.
"I'm a Ford guy. My dad works for Ford. I got uncles who've been at Ford for years," King said. "It's a family affair."
David Schoenecker, who's also a union official, is trying to keep up the spirits of his fellow members.
"I've got members that are hurting on a regular basis on the inside, and I've got members that I can't allow to let them see the hurt that I had in years past," Schoenecker said.-
Those union members could soon get some encouraging news. The Chicago Ford plant may end up producing the Explorer SUV, according to published reports - though a Ford spokesperson would not confirm that.
We don't know whether making another vehicle there would cause Ford to bring back workers who were laid off months ago – since the plant is also going to stop building the Mercury Sable.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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