Stellantis has fired some 341 workers at its Toledo Jeep plant, a local union official said Monday.
The Detroit News reported that workers at the Toledo Assembly Complex received automated calls from Stellantis Sunday informing them of their firing, effective immediately, Mike Sawaya, the United Auto Workers Local 12 shop chairman for the plant, told The News.
According to The News report, a transcript of the recording said the layoff focused on so-called supplemental employees – temporary part-timers – who make less money and get fewer benefits and help cover shifts for full-time workers at the facility. The Toledo plant makes the Wrangler SUV and Gladiator pickup.
“The call went out yesterday to terminate all but 50 (supplemental workers),” Sawaya told The News in a text message. “They plan to keep that 50 for a little bit then terminate them as well.”
The cuts at Jeep are part of larger moves by the company to slash its supplemental workforce following its new contract with the UAW last fall, according to The News. An unknown number of additional supplemental workers at other Stellantis plants in the U.S. were also terminated in recent days and, in January, the company announced 539 of the workers were being terminated across several plants.
“As part of our normal course of business, Stellantis regularly analyzes staffing levels at our manufacturing facilities to ensure they are operating as efficiently as possible,” a company statement said. “Following an operational review, and to ensure compliance with contractual commitments, the Company is reducing the number of Supplemental Employees across much of our U.S. footprint.”
