Ford's announcement that it will close 14 auto plants and lay off 25,000 to 30,000 workers by 2008 means a lot more to a lot more workers than just the Ford employees and their families.
And nowhere is that more obvious than in the biggest of the plants to be shut, in the St. Louis suburb of Hazelwood, Mo.
"We're not going to give up by any means," said UAW Local 325 President Ken Dearing when Ford announced that his plant's 1,900 UAW union jobs would get the ax. But Dearing's workers aren't the only ones who will suffer.
Electrical Workers, Laborers, Operating Engineers, Sprinkler Fitters, Sheet Metal Workers and Painters are all among the trades who perform varying tasks at the sprawling factory. So they'll lose work, too, when the Ford plant shuts.
That multiplier impact is one reason economists calculate that every auto industry job supports 4.6 jobs in other industries -- from the building trades to auto parts to delis and stores that serve the auto plant workers, shift by shift.
And that's why closing of the Hazelwood Ford plant will eliminate thousands of man-hours each year for building trades workers, said Jerry Feldhaus, secretary-treasurer of the St. Louis Building Trades Council -- an impact that will be felt at other plants and cities nationwide, too.
"This (plant closing) is going to affect every craft out there to some extent," Feldhaus said. "This will have a big impact on the building trades."
"There are anywhere from five to 300 building tradesmen in that plant at any given time. They're always in there for maintenance work or annual model changeovers or renovations or additions. We've always got people in there."
Ford officials said the company will idle the plant now and permanently close it by 2008. That would throw 1,900 members of UAW Local 325 out of work and cause a devastating ripple effect on stores, bars, restaurants, suppliers and taxes in the area. Other communities nationwide will feel a similar effect.
Hazelwood Mayor T.R. Carr said the plant accounts for 7 percent of the city's $1.45 million annual operating budget. He joined St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley and Gov. Matt Blunt, R-Mo., in saying they would continue to work with Ford to reverse its decision.
Meanwhile, Bob Soutier, president of the Greater St. Louis Labor Council, partially blamed Blunt for the loss of the Hazelwood plant. He said the governor apparently didn't offer the corporation an adequate incentive package. That's in direct contrast to the success of former Democratic Gov. Robert Holden -- Blunt's predecessor -- when Ford threatened to close Hazelwood in its last round of cuts.
The Building Trades' Feldhaus tried to be optimistic despite Ford's announcement. "Even though they're closing the Ford plant, DaimlerChrysler is going to spend $1 billion to upgrade its two assembly plants in Fenton," he noted. Almost 6,000 UAW members are employed in those plants.
The $1 billion investment -- to install state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities -- will be split between the St. Louis North and St. Louis South assembbly plants in Fenton. Variations of the Dodge Ram truck are built at the north plant, while Chrysler and Dodge minivans are assembled at the south facility. And Feldhaus added ConocoPhillips will spend another $1 billion to upgrade its oil-refining facility in Wood River, and that building trades on both sides of the Mississippi River would get a lot of work there.
But after 2008, there will be no work, for UAW or the building trades, at Ford.
Kevin Madden writes for the St. Louis Labor Tribune. This article was distributed by Press Associates, Inc., news service and used by permission.
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Ford’s announcement that it will close 14 auto plants and lay off 25,000 to 30,000 workers by 2008 means a lot more to a lot more workers than just the Ford employees and their families.
And nowhere is that more obvious than in the biggest of the plants to be shut, in the St. Louis suburb of Hazelwood, Mo.
“We’re not going to give up by any means,” said UAW Local 325 President Ken Dearing when Ford announced that his plant’s 1,900 UAW union jobs would get the ax. But Dearing’s workers aren’t the only ones who will suffer.
Electrical Workers, Laborers, Operating Engineers, Sprinkler Fitters, Sheet Metal Workers and Painters are all among the trades who perform varying tasks at the sprawling factory. So they’ll lose work, too, when the Ford plant shuts.
That multiplier impact is one reason economists calculate that every auto industry job supports 4.6 jobs in other industries — from the building trades to auto parts to delis and stores that serve the auto plant workers, shift by shift.
And that’s why closing of the Hazelwood Ford plant will eliminate thousands of man-hours each year for building trades workers, said Jerry Feldhaus, secretary-treasurer of the St. Louis Building Trades Council — an impact that will be felt at other plants and cities nationwide, too.
“This (plant closing) is going to affect every craft out there to some extent,” Feldhaus said. “This will have a big impact on the building trades.”
“There are anywhere from five to 300 building tradesmen in that plant at any given time. They’re always in there for maintenance work or annual model changeovers or renovations or additions. We’ve always got people in there.”
Ford officials said the company will idle the plant now and permanently close it by 2008. That would throw 1,900 members of UAW Local 325 out of work and cause a devastating ripple effect on stores, bars, restaurants, suppliers and taxes in the area. Other communities nationwide will feel a similar effect.
Hazelwood Mayor T.R. Carr said the plant accounts for 7 percent of the city’s $1.45 million annual operating budget. He joined St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley and Gov. Matt Blunt, R-Mo., in saying they would continue to work with Ford to reverse its decision.
Meanwhile, Bob Soutier, president of the Greater St. Louis Labor Council, partially blamed Blunt for the loss of the Hazelwood plant. He said the governor apparently didn’t offer the corporation an adequate incentive package. That’s in direct contrast to the success of former Democratic Gov. Robert Holden — Blunt’s predecessor — when Ford threatened to close Hazelwood in its last round of cuts.
The Building Trades’ Feldhaus tried to be optimistic despite Ford’s announcement. “Even though they’re closing the Ford plant, DaimlerChrysler is going to spend $1 billion to upgrade its two assembly plants in Fenton,” he noted. Almost 6,000 UAW members are employed in those plants.
The $1 billion investment — to install state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities — will be split between the St. Louis North and St. Louis South assembbly plants in Fenton. Variations of the Dodge Ram truck are built at the north plant, while Chrysler and Dodge minivans are assembled at the south facility. And Feldhaus added ConocoPhillips will spend another $1 billion to upgrade its oil-refining facility in Wood River, and that building trades on both sides of the Mississippi River would get a lot of work there.
But after 2008, there will be no work, for UAW or the building trades, at Ford.
Kevin Madden writes for the St. Louis Labor Tribune. This article was distributed by Press Associates, Inc., news service and used by permission.