General Motors, the automaker that sparked a political firestorm with recent plant shutdowns, reiterated its commitment Tuesday to offering new jobs to the 2,800 workers whose positions were eliminated.
“More than 1,300 have already accepted transfers to plants supporting growth segments like trucks, cross-overs and other high-demand vehicles,” CEO Mary Barra told investors after the Detroit-based company reported a 3.4% drop in sales, which totaled $34.8 billion during the first three months of the year.
GM has repeatedly highlighted its efforts to employ the hourly workers who lost jobs when Barra enacted a plan to save $6 billion by closing five factories including one in Lordstown, Ohio, after fierce pushback from Congress and President Trump. The real estate mogul’s 2016 victory was fueled by his promise to rejuvenate Ohio’s manufacturing economy, and he has been sensitive to shifts in its labor market.
[Related: Trump says Ohio auto plant needs to reopen, even if GM has to sell it]
The carmaker has also emphasized its investment of $22 billion in the U.S. since 2009, and Barra promised in March to invest an additional $1.8 billion in U.S. factories, one of which will build a vehicle originally slated for overseas production. The commitment, which includes a $300 million upgrade of an Orion, Mich., plant that will build a new electric Chevrolet, is expected to create 700 more jobs and support 28,000 current positions in six states.
GM is also adding a second shift and 400 jobs at a Bowling Green, Ky., plant that builds the next-generation Corvette. The remodeled sports car, which GM plans to introduce in July, features a mid-engine design in which the power plant is located between the front and rear axles rather than atop the front one, the most common placement.
“While we’ve done much of the foundational work to right-size the business and our portfolio, we know this transformation is far from over,” Barra said. “We also understand what’s at stake and, more importantly, the tremendous opportunity that is ahead of us.”
While Trump urged Ohio workers during a March campaign speech to drive to Lima, Ohio, and convince GM to keep its plant there open, Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent seeking the Democratic nomination for president, accused the carmaker of corporate greed.
