Big Ram Grows Jobs
On a recent Friday morning, about 300 workers took a break from the first shift — and others from midnight even hung around after their shift ended — to hear the news: Starting in July 2003, Chrysler will add an unprecedented third shift to the Warren (Mich.) Truck Assembly plant, along with 1,000 jobs.
The plant makes Dodge Ram 1500 series Quad Cab models and Dakota pickups.
“If it means more people working, it's great for all of us,” said Chris Fiebig, a UAW Local 140 member who has worked on the chassis line putting motors on decks for nine years.
The company will invest $35 million for the additional production, which will increase the plant's capacity by 21 percent, or 60,000 units annually, to a total of about 338,000 units a year.
Built in 1938, the facility employs 3,700 workers from Locals 140, 412 and 889. They produced about 275,000 pickups last year. With the launch of the redesigned Dodge Ram pickup in fall 2001, sales were up 82 percent this September and 18 percent so far this year.
UAW Vice President Nate Gooden, a member of Local 140 who hired in at the plant in 1964, spoke at the Oct. 4 news conference.
“The passion our customers have for these trucks is matched by the enthusiasm our work force has when they build them,” said Gooden, who directs the union's DaimlerChrysler Department. “The additional jobs will be good for our members and the Detroit area. This is another result of the UAW and the Chrysler Group working together to benefit the work force, the company and the customer.”
UAW Local 889 member Arlene Duncan, a six-year employee and former line worker who is now a production control analyst, couldn't agree more.
“More jobs — that's always good news.”
