GM to add third shift at FW plant

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE/AP) - General Motors has announced plans to add a third production shift at its pickup truck assembly plant in Allen County.

GM made the announcement during a conference call early Tuesday afternoon.

The third production shift is expected to begin operation in April of 2010.  It's part of an overall production ramp up by the company.   The Fort Wayne plant, which began production in late 1986, has never had a third shift before.  The plant's second shift was added in 1987. The move will require the hiring of approximately 700 additional workers.   The plant currently employs about 3,000.

Tim Lee, group vice president for global manufacturing, said GM will not hire new workers to staff the additional shifts. Instead, the company will first offer the jobs to workers at the plants that will be closed. After that, they will be offered to workers in the region and then across the nation. GM, under its contract with the United Auto Workers union, will pay to move workers from other cities, Lee said.

The production increase is intended to build up inventory of pickups, even though GM admits the market is still soft.  However, demand for the Silverado and Sierra pickups has allowed GM to command a 40 percent market share for pickups in North America.

GM's September sales have been slow following the end of the government's Cash for Clunkers program according to Mark LaNeve, vice president of U.S. sales.  The company, though, predicts an increase in total U.S. sales from 10.5 million this year to 11.5 to 12 million next year.

The Fort Wayne plant will take over production of  heavy duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups currently made at a Pontiac, Michigan plant set to close this month.

Besides Fort Wayne, GM announced plans to add a third shift to its Fairfax plant in Kansas City, Kan., in January. That will be followed in April by a third shift at a factory in Delta Township, Mich., near Lansing.

The Fairfax plant makes the midsize Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn Aura and Buick LaCrosse, while Delta Township makes the GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook large crossover vehicles.

The company says about 2,400 workers will be recalled at the three plants because of the production increases.