GM to idle two plants

General Motors Corp. said today that it plans to idle two assembly plants, including a plant in Detroit, for one week due slow car sales.

GM said it will shut down its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant for one week beginning Nov. 24 and plans to shut down its plant in Bowling Green, Ky., beginning Dec. 1, said GM spokesman Chris Lee.

GM employs 1,700 at the Hamtramck plant that makes the Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS sedans. GM employs 800 at the Bowling Green plant where it makes Chevrolet Corvette and the Cadillac XLR sports coupes.

The shutdowns are in addition to previously announced plans to idle the Hamtramck plant for one week beginning Jan. 5, followed by an indefinite layoff for 500 employees beginning Jan. 12. The layoff will occur because GM plans to slow production of an assembly line to adjust to slower automotive sales, Lee said.

Through September, sales of Lucerne and DTS are both down 32%, while sales of Cadillac XLR are down 26.3% and sales of Corvette are down 9.5%, according to Autodata Corp.

source:Freep.com