(Baltimore, MD) GM to close Astro, Safari plant (1100 jobs)

[UpInArms]

http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B78D1E0FB%2D002C%2D43F8%2DBBCA%2D369C9B208077%7D&siteid=mktw

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - General Motors on Tuesday said it plans to shutter its Baltimore assembly plant sometime in 2005 in a move that will affect about 1,000 hourly and 100 salaried employees.

The plant manufactures the Chevrolet Astro and the GMC Safari, two makes that have outlasted market demand, the company said.

"These vehicles are at the end of their lifecycle," said GM spokesman Stefan Weinmann. "As a consequence, there's no longer a business case to continue building these vehicles."

In October, General Motors sold 2,568 Astros vs. 2,351 in the same month a year earlier and sold only 858 Safaris, down from 1,001. Overall, the world's largest automaker sold 346,058 new cars and trucks during the month, down 5 percent from a year ago.

...a bit more...

[mhr]

1. Damn, Those Jobs Are Just Popping Up All Over

eom

[UpInArms]

2. guess those workers

will just be making "concept" cars from now on. :eyes:

[mhr]

3. Well Now, Some Would Claim We Are Living In "The Matrix"

Or at least transitioning to that state soon.

[Zerex71]

4. Look at that Bu$hCo job machine just rev up!

[Divernan]

5. A fat lot of good GOP Governor Ehrlich did for Maryland here!

Is this a bolt from the blue? Was he involved in negotiating with GM to convert the plant to another production line? Or has he been too busy sucking up to his neo-con & right-to-life supporters? What do you Maryland DUers think about him?

[Stinky The Clown]

6. Hey Ehrlich ... wake the fuck up!

This plant has been on GM's hit list for at least the past 10 or 15 years. The local dems have always managed to get GM to relent and leave it open. It builds (as far as I know) a good product simply because its workers care.

Now that we have a Repub governor (a Nazi/Newt Gingrich protegee) the plant closes?

Oh yeah ..... its in Baltimore ........ no repubs live in *that* area.

Fuck you Ehrlich
Fuck you Steele (LT Gov, black, who they're hoping will make the masses here locally vote repub next time).

[BeatleBoot]

7. At least we have a man of morals in the White House...

Praise be.

:dunce: