Chrysler LLC offered buyouts for 2,500 employees at the company’s Warren, Michigan, Dodge truck assembly plant yesterday. Though Chrysler hasn’t said just how many buyouts it wants to achieve out of the offers, the automaker has cut 1,100 hourly workers at the plant since 2007 thanks to buyouts offers.
The assembly plant builds the Dodge Ram and Dakota and the Mitsubishi Raider, which is essentially a rebadged Dakota. Not surprisingly, Chrysler said the buyouts are in response to soft market demand for the large trucks.
Chrysler has invested considerably in the Warren plant in the last few years to produce the Ram , so it’s unlikely the plant will close. Production of the new 2009 Ram began last month and in one week, 150 Dodge dealers will arrive at the plant to drive a new Ram back to their dealerships in a small publicity stunt.
