"It's scary" -- Union frustrated as Stellantis temporarily lays off 900 workers due to tariffs

Record ID: 1988153

  • Title: "It's scary" -- Union frustrated as Stellantis temporarily lays off 900 workers due to tariffs
  • Date: 4th April 2025
  • Summary: KOKOMO, INDIANA, UNITED STATES (APRIL 3, 2025) (REUTERS) DRONE SHOT OF STELLANTIS TRANSMISSION AND CASTING PLANTS (MUTE) VARIOUS OF DENNY BUTLER, VICE PRESIDENT OF UNITED AUTO WORKERS (UAW) LOCAL 685, WORKING IN HIS OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (English) DENNY BUTLER, VICE PRESIDENT OF UNITED AUTO WORKERS (UAW) LOCAL 685, SAYING: "I agree with the intent and what they're trying to d
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Chrysler Dodge Jeep Stellantis U.S. President Donald Trump auto workers autos tariffs union
  • Location: KOKOMO, INDIANA AND WARREN, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES
  • City: KOKOMO, INDIANA AND WARREN, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Lawmaking,North America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001413604042025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Workers at auto production facilities in Indiana are worried for their futures after auto manufacturing company Stellantis said on Thursday (April 3) it was temporarily laying off 900 workers at five U.S. facilities and pausing production at one assembly plant each in Mexico and Canada following U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff announcement.
    "We've got a group of 470-some people out there that are starting to worry," said Denny Butler, vice president of the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 685, which represents Stellantis workers in Kokomo, Indiana. "They don't know if they need to go find another job or not. That's the frustrating part because it's our job to be able to help and reach out and guide those people and give them an honest opinion on what they need to do and we can't. That's frustrating part."
    Trump broadened the tariffs to a 10% baseline on all imports on Wednesday (April 2), with higher rates for some countries. These levies followed 25% duties on all auto imports announced last week, which sent shock waves through the global auto industry.
    The five facilities affected by the layoff include Stellantis' Warren Stamping and Sterling Stamping plants as well as the Indiana Transmission Plant, Kokomo Transmission Plant and Kokomo Casting Plant, the company said.
    Stellantis also temporarily paused production at some Canadian and Mexican assembly plants, affecting jobs at several of Stellantis' U.S. powertrain and stamping facilities.
    Shares of Stellantis, which locally makes only half of its U.S.-sold vehicles including Ram trucks and Jeeps, closed 9.3% lower in New York on Thursday. Shares of Ford, General Motors and Tesla also fell sharply.
    Nearly half the cars sold last year in the U.S. - the world's largest importer of cars - were brought in from abroad, according to research firm GlobalData.
    (Production: Eric Cox, Rebecca Cox, Jane Ross)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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