US workers laid off because of The Bully's trade war with the world

[Reepicheep]

Unless The Bully backs down, which doesn't appear to be likely at the moment, there will be many more stories like the following.

https://www.nprillinois.org/illinois...-by-stellantis

The maker of Ram trucks and Jeeps announced Thursday that it will temporarily lay off 900 workers at five U.S. facilities. The decision by Stellantis comes after President Donald Trump's tariffs were announced this week. As a result of pausing production at several of Stellantis’ Canadian and Mexican plants, there will be temporary layoffs at the Warren Stamping and Sterling Stamping plants (Michigan) as well as the Indiana Transmission Plant, Kokomo Transmission Plant and Kokomo Casting Plant (Indiana).

[Cow Poke]

Odd, then, that the United Auto Workers has weighed in favorably on the tariffs....

In a Victory for Autoworkers, Auto Tariffs Mark the Beginning of the End of NAFTA and the “Free Trade” Disaster

This afternoon, the Trump administration announced major tariffs on passenger cars and trucks entering the U.S. market, marking the beginning of the end of a thirty-plus year “free trade” disaster. This is a long-overdue shift away from a harmful economic framework that has devastated the working class and driven a race to the bottom across borders in the auto industry. It signals a return to policies that prioritize the workers who build this country—rather than the greed of ruthless corporations.

“We applaud the Trump administration for stepping up to end the free trade disaster that has devastated working class communities for decades. Ending the race to the bottom in the auto industry starts with fixing our broken trade deals, and the Trump administration has made history with today’s actions,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “But ending the race to the bottom also means securing union rights for autoworkers everywhere with a strong National Labor Relations Board, a decent retirement with Social Security benefits protected, healthcare for all workers including through Medicare and Medicaid, and dignity on and off the job. The UAW and the working class in general couldn’t care less about party politics; working people expect leaders to work together to deliver results. The UAW has been clear: we will work with any politician, regardless of party, who is willing to reverse decades of working-class people going backwards in the most profitable times in our nation’s history. These tariffs are a major step in the right direction for autoworkers and blue-collar communities across the country, and it is now on the automakers, from the Big Three to Volkswagen and beyond, to bring back good union jobs to the U.S.”

BRINGING BACK THOUSANDS OF GOOD, UNION AUTO JOBS

With these tariffs, thousands of good-paying blue collar auto jobs could be brought back to working-class communities across the United States within a matter of months, simply by adding additional shifts or lines in a number of underutilized auto plants. Right now, thousands of autoworkers are laid off at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis following recent decisions by auto executives to ship jobs to Mexico.

Across a dozen Big Three auto plants that have seen major declines, production has fallen by 2 million units per year in the past decade, while millions of vehicles sold here are made with low-wage, high-exploitation labor abroad. That means auto companies that have made record profits get to drive wages down further for both Mexican and U.S. workers while Wall Street and the corporate class get record payouts.

[Cow Poke]

And....

UAW optimistic Trump tariffs could quickly reshore U.S. jobs, sources say

As President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs on global trading partners Wednesday, sources familiar with the United Auto Workers’ stance said the new import taxes hold the potential to improve worker pay and rights and help the transition to less-polluting vehicles in other countries as well as the United States.

---

What You Need To Know

• Trump's tariffs could quickly bring back tens of thousands of U.S. jobs, according to the United Auto Workers

• Sources for the union on Wednesday said North American free trade agreements dating back to 1994 have caused thousands of factory closures and millions of job losses

• The group has called for a renegotiation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement Trump signed during his first term

• At midnight Wednesday, a 25% tariff on car imports will take effect

---

With a 25% tariff on foreign-made cars taking effect at midnight Wednesday and a 25% tariff exemption on goods from Canada and Mexico, including cars, expiring on what Trump has called “Liberation Day,” the union has called for a renegotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Trump signed during his first term, saying it’s prompted the loss of good auto jobs throughout the country.

“My entire life I have watched plant after plant after plant in Detroit and in the Metro Detroit area close,” retired autoworker Brian Pannebecker said at a White House Rose Garden event where President Trump announced his long-awaited reciprocal tariffs. “There are now plants sitting idle. There are now plants that are underutilized. And Donald Trump’s policies are going to bring product back into those underutilized plants.”

Since the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect in 1994, 90,000 factories have closed and 5 million durable goods industry jobs have been lost, according to the White House.

[Cow Poke]

And, from your own article...

With the new automotive sector tariffs now in effect, it will take our collective resilience and discipline to push through this challenging time. But we will quickly adapt to these policy changes and will protect our company, maintain our competitive edge and continue delivering great products to our customers.

Optimism, and testimony to the US Spirit of pushing past the doom and gloom of the left!

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Odd, then, that the United Auto Workers has weighed in favorably on the tariffs....

In a Victory for Autoworkers, Auto Tariffs Mark the Beginning of the End of NAFTA and the “Free Trade” Disaster

Your article is dated 25 March 2025

And....
UAW optimistic Trump tariffs could quickly reshore U.S. jobs, sources say

A retired auto worker in the Rose Garden on 2 April 2025.

This from 5 April 2025. My emphasis

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/05/nx-s1...iffs-reactions

Job cuts at Midwest factories

Stellantis, which makes Jeep, Dodge, RAM trucks and Chrysler, announced a temporary halt in production at some of its assembly plants in Mexico and Canada. As a result, the company said that 900 people would be temporarily laid off at several Stellantis factories in Michigan and Indiana.

Stellantis' North American Chief Operating Officer Antonio Filosa said in an email sent to employees on Thursday that while the company continues to assess the medium- and long-term effects of the tariffs on its operations, the immediate layoffs and production pauses "are necessary given the current market dynamics."

The links from both Reepicheep and myself reflect the more recent situation.

[Cow Poke]

Your article is dated 25 March 2025




A retired auto worker in the Rose Garden on 2 April 2025.

This from 5 April 2025. My emphasis

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/05/nx-s1...iffs-reactions

Job cuts at Midwest factories

Stellantis, which makes Jeep, Dodge, RAM trucks and Chrysler, announced a temporary halt in production at some of its assembly plants in Mexico and Canada. As a result, the company said that 900 people would be temporarily laid off at several Stellantis factories in Michigan and Indiana.

Stellantis' North American Chief Operating Officer Antonio Filosa said in an email sent to employees on Thursday that while the company continues to assess the medium- and long-term effects of the tariffs on its operations, the immediate layoffs and production pauses "are necessary given the current market dynamics."

The links from both Reepicheep and myself reflect the more recent situation.

Cool - wait a couple days and it will change again. This is a very fluid situation.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Cool - wait a couple days and it will change again. This is a very fluid situation.

You might like to offer your words of comfort to the 900 temporarily laid off workers as well as all their co-workers as they also assess "the medium- and long-term effects of the tariffs on its operations, the immediate layoffs and production pause".

It is easy to be complacent sitting at home in comfortable retirement.

[firstfloor]

There are early indications that globalization will be rebuilt without the United States. Canada, European Union, UK, Japan, Australia, and others joining a free trade area without trade barriers.

[Cow Poke]

You might like to offer your words of comfort to the 900 temporarily laid off workers...

Key word - temporarily.

[Cow Poke]

....It is easy to be complacent sitting at home in comfortable retirement.

I'm still actively employed. Mrs. CP is comfortably retired.

[rogue06]

There are early indications that globalization will be rebuilt without the United States. Canada, European Union, UK, Japan, Australia, and others joining a free trade area without trade barriers.

So they'll be removing all of the tariffs they have against each other? Like the 45% one on Chinese EVs that the EU passed?

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Key word - temporarily.

You missed this section:

the medium- and long-term effects of the tariffs on its operations, the immediate layoffs and production pause.

No one actually knows how all this will develop and for ordinary working people in the USA the uncertainty must be very stressful. They still have their rent/mortgage payments to meet, they still have to consider their healthcare, and that of any family members, if they lose their jobs. They still have to pay their utilities, etc; and like everyone else will face higher prices on much of what they buy.

It is all rather a far cry from Mr Trump's promise of a new "golden age".

[Cow Poke]

You missed this section:

the medium- and long-term effects of the tariffs on its operations, the immediate layoffs and production pause.

Nope.

No one actually knows how all this will develop and for ordinary working people in the USA the uncertainty must be very stressful. They still have their rent/mortgage payments to meet, they still have to consider their healthcare, and that of any family members, if they lose their jobs. They still have to pay their utilities, etc; and like everyone else will face higher prices on much of what they buy.

It is all rather a far cry from Mr Trump's promise of a new "golden age".

It's still early. But the left will do all the fearmongering they can. It's who you are.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Nope.



It's still early. But the left will do all the fearmongering they can. It's who you are.

[sarcasm] Good to read that you are not overly bothered about the stress this causes for US workers or the impact of potential job losses.

What is occurring now is still remarkably different from Mr Trump's promise of a new "golden age" for US voters.

[rogue06]

[sarcasm] Good to read that you are not overly bothered about the stress this causes for US workers or the impact of potential job losses.

What is occurring now is still remarkably different from Mr Trump's promise of a new "golden age" for US voters.

The left didn't shed a tear when nearly 350,000 people lost their jobs under Clinton.

They actually cheered it on when many more lost their jobs and businesses due to lockdowns and vaccine mandates.

But now you suddenly feel overwhelming compassion and concern for those, many of whom only showed up for work once or twice a week and can't tell you five things that they did in an entire week.