Residents Fear Ripple Effect If GM Plant Closes
Madison, Rockford, Beloit Could Be Impacted By Possible Closing
Posted: 9:07 pm CDT June 2, 2008
Related
SURVEY: Is GM Making The Right Move?SURVEY: Who Do You Blame?
TALKBACK: What Do You Think?
READ: Doyle: Janesville Plant Closing Is Like Death In FamilyREAD: State Officials Reviewing $10M Given To GMREAD: Janesville Looks Ahead to Retraining GM Workers for New JobsREAD: Residents Uncertain About Future After GM Plant's ClosureREAD: GM Plant Closing Difficult For Workers, Families
VIDEO: Auto Expert Dissects GM's Decision
General Motors Plant
SURVEY: Is GM Making The Right Move?SURVEY: Who Do You Blame?TALKBACK: What Do You Think?READ: Doyle: Janesville Plant Closing Is Like Death In FamilyREAD: State Officials Reviewing $10M Given To GMREAD: Janesville Looks Ahead to Retraining GM Workers for New JobsREAD: Residents Uncertain About Future After GM Plant's ClosureREAD: GM Plant Closing Difficult For Workers, FamiliesVIDEO: Auto Expert Dissects GM's DecisionJANESVILLE, Wis. -- The word of the possible GM plant closing has nearly everyone's attention in Janesville.VIDEO: Watch The ReportSeveral businesses and restaurants in town and found the topic was on nearly everyone's minds, WISC-TV reported."People who come in here are people who do work at GM," said restaurant owner Tim Saliu. "You get the GM retirees that come in every Tuesday morning.""I would pretty much say it's the heart of it because there are so many things that would be affected by it," said 20-year Janesville resident Joyce Griffin.Some say if the plant closes, the ripple effect would be felt much farther than Janesville."It's kind of like a domino effect," said Saliu. "The well-being of Janesville means the well-being of the town in one way or another. Like I said, everybody either works there or is connected somehow.""A lot of people at General Motors don't live in Janesville," said retired GM worker Bob Coon. "They are from a lot of surrounding communities -- Madison, Rockford -- all over. So, it's going to affect a lot of people all over."Coon worked at the plant for 30 years. He retired two years ago."This plant has provided generations of jobs for people here," said Coon.Rock County's economic development manager James Otterstein and Forward Janesville's John Beckford both declined said that there are too many unknowns to speculate.Otterstein and Beckford said they would be watching Tuesday's announcement very closely.Note: Check back Tuesday morning for livestream of General Motors news conference. The newsconference is scheduled to start at 7 a.m. Central time.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportSeveral businesses and restaurants in town and found the topic was on nearly everyone's minds, WISC-TV reported."People who come in here are people who do work at GM," said restaurant owner Tim Saliu. "You get the GM retirees that come in every Tuesday morning.""I would pretty much say it's the heart of it because there are so many things that would be affected by it," said 20-year Janesville resident Joyce Griffin.Some say if the plant closes, the ripple effect would be felt much farther than Janesville."It's kind of like a domino effect," said Saliu. "The well-being of Janesville means the well-being of the town in one way or another. Like I said, everybody either works there or is connected somehow.""A lot of people at General Motors don't live in Janesville," said retired GM worker Bob Coon. "They are from a lot of surrounding communities -- Madison, Rockford -- all over. So, it's going to affect a lot of people all over."Coon worked at the plant for 30 years. He retired two years ago."This plant has provided generations of jobs for people here," said Coon.Rock County's economic development manager James Otterstein and Forward Janesville's John Beckford both declined said that there are too many unknowns to speculate.Otterstein and Beckford said they would be watching Tuesday's announcement very closely.Note: Check back Tuesday morning for livestream of General Motors news conference. The newsconference is scheduled to start at 7 a.m. Central time.
Previous Stories:
- June 2, 2008: Analysts: GM's Janesville Plant Vulnerable To Cuts
- May 23, 2008: GM Says Parts Supplier Strike Costs $1.8 Billion
- May 19, 2008: UAW, American Axle Reach Deal That Could End Strike
- May 7, 2008: GM Layoffs Could Endanger Multimillion-Dollar State Grant
- April 30, 2008: Rock County Job Center Braces For Flood Of Ex-GM Workers
- April 29, 2008: GM Slashes Shift At Janesville Plant
- April 9, 2008: Janesville GM Workers Laid Off Due To Production Cuts
- March 19, 2008: GM To Temporarily Layoff Some Janesville Workers
- March 13, 2008: Janesville GM Plant To Temporarily Lay Off Some Workers
- March 6, 2008: GM: Janesville Plant To Shorten Shifts Next Week
- February 13, 2008: GM Offers Employees Buyout
- December 20, 2007: GM To Cut Production At Janesville Plant
- October 4, 2007: GM Workers In Janesville Vote To Ratify New Contract
- September 27, 2007: Autoworkers In Janesville Return To Work At GM Plant
- September 25, 2007: More Than 1,000 Workers Laid Off Due To GM Strike
- September 25, 2007: Negotiations Resume As GM Strike Continues
- September 25, 2007: Janesville GM Workers Begin Strike
- September 25, 2007: Hundreds Of Statewide Suppliers Affected By GM Strike
- September 24, 2007: Janesville Tense As UAW, GM Talk Contracts
- September 18, 2007: Contract Negotiations Continue Between GM, Union
- January 29, 2007: Janesville Representative To Head To GM, Union Contract Talks
- December 6, 2006: Janesville GM Plant To Cut Production
- June 27, 2006: Expert: GM Cuts Could Be Good In Long Run
- June 26, 2006: Over 900 Janesville GM Workers Opt For Buyout Package
- June 24, 2006: GM Offers Employees Buyout Deal
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