STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Stellantis is laying off nearly 200 workers at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, citing "intense external market conditions."
According to United Auto Workers Local 1700, the layoffs take effect on Sept. 28.
This comes as the company also plans to lay off more than 2,000 workers in Warren and as the union threatens to strike over the delayed reopening of a plant in Illinois
At a rally held last month outside the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, Stellantis workers threatened strike action over the delayed reopening of a plant in Belvidere, Illinois. UAW President Shawn Fain continued to put the pressure on Stellantis last week during a Facebook Live.
Watch coverage of the rally held last month in the video player below:
“We all, every plant, are at risk if the company can violate these agreements, and we all have a responsibility to stick together to force this company to keep the promise,” Fain said on the Sept. 17 livestream. “We are prepared to take strike action to make Stellantis keep the promise.”
You can watch the Facebook Live in the video player below:
It was almost a month to the day after that rally that nearly 200 workers from that Sterling Heights plant were laid off. UAW Local 1700, which represents workers in Sterling Heights, sent out a letter following the layoffs which read in part:
“This is another slap in the face to our entire membership. This shows that the company having a heart or any respect is out the window. It's just a business decision for them. One robocall to fire 177 people for no wrongdoing of their own. Our prayers are with those who's (sic) lives have just be (sic) harshly affected by this decision.”
Stephanie White is a UAW Stellantis employee at a different plant and says she feels for her colleagues who were laid off and worries about the future.
“It sucks. It really sucks,” White said. "I would not want to have very little time to know that... To be able to figure out how you're going to be taking care of your home and your bills and the things that are normal for us in life is kinda scary.”
The layoffs include 177 supplemental employees and 14-full time employees, according to the UAW Local 1700 letter. The letter also says at least two other plants are going through similar layoffs.
Stellantis released a statement about the supplemental employees:
"Seasonal supplemental employees hired to support production by covering for increased vacation usage during the summer months will be separated from the Company effective Oct. 1, in accordance with the 2023 UAW collective bargaining agreement."
Stellantis released a second statement "about the employees who will be place on indefinite layoff":
"Stellantis is in full execution mode focused on both protecting the company from the continued intense external market conditions and, at the same time, offering customers vehicles they can afford.
"As such, we are continuing to take the necessary actions to improve operations across our facilities; this includes on-going assessments of our manufacturing processes to improve efficiency. While that effort continues, the Company will be implementing indefinite layoffs of represented employees across its footprint."
During his Facebook Live last week, Fain said the Stellantis council is meeting this week and a strike vote could take place soon.
“The working class all across this country is fed up with seeing corporations make out like bandits while our families fall further and further behind,” Fain said during the livestream. "Either we allow an out-of-control CEO and his billionaire backers who have enjoyed years of record profits to close plant after paint and continue to destroy our country, or we stand up.”
