chicagotribune.com

Ford cuts shift at area plant, resulting in 600 fewer jobs

By Wailin Wong

Chicago Tribune reporter

September 4, 2008

Ford Motor Co. will drop one of the two shifts at its Chicago assembly plant by Nov. 3, a move that will result in the loss of jobs for about 600 temporary part-time workers.

Ford spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari said Wednesday that the company is still "working through what the impact would be" on other employees. About 2,200 people work at the plant at 130th Street and Torrence Avenue.

The future of at least one shift has been uncertain over the past year. In March, as part of a cost-cutting effort, Ford said it would eliminate one shift at the Chicago plant and others elsewhere.

But in June, the company said two shifts would continue because United Auto Workers Local 551 approved a contract that included altering the production schedule to four 10-hour shifts a week instead of five eight-hour shifts.

The plant makes the Ford Taurus, the Ford Taurus X crossover and the Mercury Sable. It also started producing the Lincoln MKS sedan over the summer, Gattari said. Production at the plant fell 15 percent last year, to 131,646, roughly half of the facility's capacity for two shifts.

On Wednesday, Ford said sales of its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars tumbled almost 9 percent in August from a year ago. Ford's overall U.S. sales were down 26.5 percent compared with a year earlier.

Officials of United Auto Workers Local 551 could not be reached for comment. Employees were informed of the decision last week.

Tribune news services contributed to this report.