Stellantis SHAP workers face job losses

Over 200 people have been recently selected to lose their jobs at the Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Sterling Heights as a result of indefinite layoffs or ending seasonal employment, according to the UAW and the automaker.

According to a Sept. 26 email from Stellantis spokeswoman Ann Marie Fortunate, the personnel situation involves two separate actions.

 She said, as of Oct. 1, Stellantis is separating itself from seasonal, supplemental workers whom the company hired to cover shifts over the summer, when other workers’ vacation time is used. She said Stellantis’ move to let go seasonal workers is “in accordance with the 2023 UAW collective bargaining agreement.”

Fortunate also gave a statement about additional indefinite layoffs.

“Stellantis is in full execution mode focused on both protecting the company from the continued intense external market conditions and, at the same time, offering customers vehicles they can afford,” she said. 

“As such, we are continuing to take the necessary actions to improve operations across our facilities; this includes on-going assessments of our manufacturing processes to improve efficiency. While that effort continues, the Company will be implementing indefinite layoffs of represented employees across its footprint.”

On a UAW Local 1700 Worker 2 Worker Facebook page, the union posted a Sept. 24 letter it sent out to its members. The letter, which says its from the Local 1700 leadership, stated that as of Sept. 28, Stellantis would terminate all supplemental employees at SHAP, tallied at 177 union members. The union said the workers learned of the news via a call that had been sent out, and the union called that “another slap in the face to our entire membership.”

“This shows that the company having a heart or any respect is out the window,” the letter states. “It’s just a business decision for them. One robocall to fire 177 people for no wrongdoing of their own.”

The union also said that, as of Sept. 28, 14 full-time union members would also get an indefinite layoff.

“This news caught us by total surprise since we are currently adding jobs in the plant,” the letter said. “We immediately challenged this decision, and all the details were immediately sent up to the International Union to inform them of this new direction that Stellantis is trying to go in.

“Immediately the language was discussed to ensure no wrongdoing or illegal actions were being implemented. … Management has been forced to deliver accurate numbers to support the claim that 14 fulltime Union members need to be indefinitely laid off over population of the plant.”

On Oct. 2, the union’s Facebook posted another letter dated on that same day, this time saying that 42 full-time union members would be getting indefinite layoffs effective Oct. 7, bringing the total recent number to 56. The letter called the development “no surprise at all.”

“This news is heart breaking and with the direction that Stellantis is currently going, we could possibly be looking at more layoffs in the immediate future,” the letter said.

Neither UAW Local 1700 President Michael Spencer nor Vice President Eric Watters responded for comment by press time on what the union plans to do going forward. 

Learn more about Stellantis by visiting stellantisnorthamerica.com. Find out more about UAW Local 1700 by visiting www.uaw1700.com.

Call Staff Writer Eric Czarnik at (586) 498-1058.