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Jun 1, 2009 6:13 pm US/Central
GM Road To Bankruptcy Bypasses Arlington Plant
Selena Hernandez
ARLINGTON (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
The General Motors road to bankruptcy will detour and bypass the plant in Arlington. That's good news for the 2,500 employees who work at the plant and the city that supports it.
While the plant sat quiet Monday, in the middle of a two-month long furlough, some local employees were very vocal after learning there would be a plant to return to in July. "It is in a way, you can say it may be surreal, but in another way we also knew that it was eventually coming," Arlington worker Evelyn Davis said of the closings.
Davis has 32-years invested in a company that's seen better days. "It'll be a new GM," she said. "We'll just have to abide by what we're supposed to do as far as trying to make things better."
The Arlington plant employees are relieved the plant survived the bankruptcy cut and will remain in production.
The Arlington plant is the only one in the country that makes GMC and Cadillac SUVs. "We build big SUVs," explained local UAW President Enrique Flores. "I believe, and General Motors believes, there will be a market for these vehicles."
Despite the marketability of the vehicles from the Arlington plant, Flores admits that uncertainty remains and it could be a rough road as GM streamlines its finances and production. "Bankruptcy is a very uncertain process – its complex, it's a lot of variables. So we're just anxious to get the process over with and get back to building vehicles."
GM officials say the restructuring will help them maintain a strong presence in the form of dealerships in North Texas. "Part of that [bankruptcy] filing was to make sure we're still paying the incentives to the dealerships, paying for advertising, telling people we're still open for business," explained Craig Eppling with GMs South Central Region. "[And] the government will back the warranties – even on the products that are going away."
For local retirees, like Billy Barr, the concessions come at a price. Come July 1st he, along with all other GM retirees, will lose their dental, vision and hearing benefits. "I'm not going to let myself get upset about it, because it happened," said Barr. "I just have to cut back on some things and try to maintain."
As the ailing automaker proceeds with Chapter 11 protection, with the government in the driver's seat, those at the plant in Arlington are focused on the road ahead.
"I think the government oversight in the process will ensure the tax payers will get their money as quickly as possible so that's probably a good thing," said Flores.
Meanwhile, Evelyn Davis just hopes for the best. "We're a little more fortunate than the other plants – but it's just kinda one of those things. We have to take it as we go."
Officials at GM corporate said they could not comment
specifically on the future of the Arlington plant, but did say the plant must remain flexible and adjust production if needed.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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