Although Chrysler is targeting 10,000 hourly workers for its latest round of buyouts, the Michigan-based automaker could fall short of its goal, a new report finds. The combination of an uncertain economy and the still rather well-paying jobs at Chrysler have many UAW workers thinking twice about accepting the buyout package.
“I don’t think we will get quite 10,000,” UAW Vice President General Holiefield, who heads the union’s Chrysler Department, told the Detroit Free Press. “With the economy the way it is, people are trying to hang on to what they have.”
Chrysler has a minimum goal of 8,500 buyouts, but it remains unclear if the automaker will even meet that targ
Chrysler’s cross-town rivals — Ford and General Motors — are planning similar buyouts. Ford hopes to reduce its workforce by 8,000 employees but GM has yet to announced a target for its buyout program.
In all, Chrysler could eliminate 21,000 jobs by 2010.
