By Dale Jewett, Automotive NewsDetroit, Michigan-General Motors Corp. plans to cut 30 000 jobs, shut down four assembly plants and four stamping and powertrain plants, and cut production at several other plants by the end of 2008, CEO Rick Wagoner said Monday 21 Nov.The moves will help boost GM's total cost savings to about $7000 million, Wagoner said.The assembly plants to close are:* Oklahoma City. It will close in early 2006.* Lansing Craft Centre in Lansing, Michigan. It will close in mid-2006.* The Doraville, Georgia, minivan plant will close in 2008.* The Oshawa, Ontario, car plant No. 2 will close in 2008.GM will also close the following stamping and powertrain plants:* The Lansing, stamping plant will be closed in 2006.* The Pittsburgh stamping plant will be closed in 2007.* The St. Catharines, Ontario, Street West powertrain parts plant will be closed in 2008.* The Flint North plant in Flint, Michigan, which builds the 3.8-litre V-6 engine, will close in 2008.GM also will reduce production at these facilities:* Line No. 1 of the Saturn plant in Spring Hill, Tenn, will be shut down at the end of next year.* The third shift at the Oshawa, Ontario, car plant No. 1 will be dropped in the middle of next year.* The third shift at the Moraine, Ohio, truck plant will be cut in 2006.GM also will close a parts distribution center in Portland, Oregon, in 2006, while the parts distribution centre in St Louis will be converted to a crash parts warehouse.In 2007, GM will close a parts-processing center in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It will close another parts processing center that year, GM said, but the site has not yet been determined.Automotive News is a sister magazine to Urethanes Technology; it also offers Email News Alerts, visit: www.autonews.com"
