GM Prolongs Production Halt, Resulting in Thousands Temporarily Jobless | Carscoops

      Production at Flint Assembly will remain halted until late January, leaving thousands of workers without work and no clear explanation beyond maintenance tasks.

      Employees at the facility will receive benefits during this production stoppage.

      GM stated that maintenance and project activities are being performed during the shutdown.

      The automaker has also paused operations at the Bowling Green plant where Corvettes are manufactured.

      GM has announced that its Flint Assembly workers will remain on temporary layoff until January 26, extending a production halt that started just before the holiday season on December 24. While the plant remains inactive, unionized employees will continue to receive benefits during this period.

      The Flint, Michigan facility primarily produces the Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD. The announcement of the shutdown was first made in mid-December, when GM revealed a four-and-a-half-week pause for what was characterized as “planned maintenance and project work.”

      A notice posted on Facebook by UAW Local 598, representing workers and retirees at the Flint Assembly site, confirms that both full-time and part-time hourly workers laid off during the holiday break will be eligible for benefits. The letter further states that GM will submit a benefits application on behalf of the workers.

      Details regarding the specific nature of the “maintenance and project work” have not been disclosed. However, there are suggestions that it may pertain to facility upgrades or upcoming changes to powertrains or products. One possibility includes GM preparing for the launch of the Gen 6 small block V8 engine, anticipated for the 2027 model year.

      The facility has a workforce of around 5,000 UAW workers, making the temporary layoffs significant enough to affect the local economy, including shops, restaurants, and small businesses.

      Flint isn’t the sole GM plant facing an extended holiday closure. The Bowling Green plant in Kentucky, which produces Corvettes, has been inactive since December 15 and is not expected to restart until January 12.

      GM has not provided a reason for this particular shutdown either, although the downtime may assist in reducing excess inventory at Chevrolet dealerships.