What happended to the 200 series?

Here's an article from the Wilmington News-Journal:

By LULADEY B. TADESSE Staff reporter

05/21/2004

General Motors Corp. will lay off 872 workers at the Saturn plant near Newport next month, nearly three-quarters of its assembly line work force.

GM said the "permanent reduction" of workers will begin as early as June 7, according to a letter the company filed with the state Department of Labor. On Thursday, GM officials called the layoffs "indefinite" and said they will take place in mid-June.

Some workers could be called back to make the Pontiac Solstice, scheduled for production at the plant next summer, and an unnamed Saturn sports car the following year, said Dan Flores, spokesman for GM Manufacturing. But he did not disclose how many might be called back or when.

David Myers, president of United Auto Workers Local 435, did not return phone calls Thursday.

Laid-off employees receive unemployment benefits and pay equal to 83 percent to 95 percent of their base wages for up to 42 weeks, after which they join the company's jobs bank. Employees in the jobs bank are paid their full salary. The average wage of an assembly line worker at the plant is $26 an hour.

Workers in the jobs bank are eligible for transfer to other GM plants. If an employee refuses four transfer offers, he or she is no longer employed by the company. Workers can remain in the jobs bank until the union contract expires in the fall of 2007.

The layoffs come as GM moves to discontinue the Saturn L-series sedan and wagon this summer, a year earlier than planned. Last year, the plant was shut down for 12 weeks because of weak sales. Also last year, the plant laid off 400 workers as it went to one shift. Some of those workers have since been transferred to other GM plants, including in Baltimore.

The Newport-area plant now employs 1,200 assembly workers and 645 others, including about 500 already in the jobs bank.

"Ultimately, we couldn't justify continuing the product because the market didn't want the product," Flores said.

The end of the L-series and the upcoming idling of the plant for more than

10 months is expected to have an impact beyond plant employees. The Saturn plant contributed about $315 million to the state's economy in direct and indirect jobs last year, according to the Delaware Economic Development Office.

Five companies supply the plant and employ a total of about 260 workers. Some already are laying off workers because of the discontinuation of the L-series. One supplier, Johnson Controls Inc. in New Castle, plans to lay off its 42 employees by July and shut down.

Still, state officials and some workers remain optimistic about the future of the Newport-area plant because GM is investing nearly $50 million to prepare the plant for a set of niche cars based on a new platform called Kappa. Besides the Solstice, the company has said it will build the new Saturn sports car at the plant in 2006.

"We have been left with a strong sense that they are going to bring back workers for the Solstice and more workers for the following model," said Judy McKinney Cherry, of the Delaware Economic Development Office.

Earl Benningfield of Smyrna was among the 400 plant workers laid off last year. He has transferred to a GM plant in Baltimore, but hopes to return to work at the Delaware plant.

"They are getting new products," Benningfield said. "I think it is very promising to Wilmington."

Reach Luladey B. Tadesse at 324-2789 or snipped-for-privacy@delawareonline.com.

the L series was refined to only a 300 designation (er - I believe in 2003, someone correct me here if Im wrong). It is now L300 sedan and L300 wagon only. There is a level 1 2 and 3.

marx404

The older LW200 designation has been replaced by "L 300 Series 1 Wagon" - how's that for GM simplification?? If you liked your old one, these have been upgraded with rear discs and side curtain airbags, which is nice. The downside is that it has NO options. You can no longer get leather or a manual in the 4 cyl. configuration, but otherwise, it is well loaded and a GREAT value. Unfortunately, the demand is so poor that it loses half of its value when you drive it off the lot. I don't think you can get more car for your money, but plan on driving it into the ground.

Seems like a good value to me also if you drive your cars into the ground. All safety equipment included such as side air bags, ABS and traction control.

They are also discontinueing it this summer. No one is buying them.

Too bad,

Dave

Dana Rohleder wrote: