GM Bedford Casting Operations informed employees Tuesday that 35 seniority, represented employees will be laid off.
According to a statement from Kevin Nadrowski, senior manager of GM plant communications, "This adjustment to hourly staffing levels is based on operational changes at the plant. Impacted employees will be covered under the provisions of the UAW-GM national agreement and will be offered employment opportunities at other GM locations as they become available."
Derek Cronin, UAW Local 440 president, said in addition to the seniority employees, 30 temporary workers also are included in the indefinite layoff.
Cronin said the news was announced during plant-wide meetings with each shift. The jobs are being phased out as the plant is discontinuing its semi-permanent mold process. Cronin explained the process is used in the manufacturing of V6 and V8 cylinder heads. The Bedford plant has had the semi-permanent mold process since 2010 and Cronin said employees were told then that the program would eventually be eliminated after 10 to 15 years.
"We've known this for a while, but when we had the meeting Tuesday, we learned the specifics," he said.
The layoffs are expected to take effect by the end of September.
Cronin called the layoffs a bitter pill, but the Bedford plant remains poised for a bright future.
"There has been a lot of investment in this plant as General Motors turns to the electric vehicle market," Cronin said. "This plant is in a good position to continue to get investments in the electric vehicle world. There is still a place for foundries like ours and we're already seeing that General Motors is making those investments here today."
In July, GM announced it was looking to invest $47 million in the Bedford plant to convert a portion of the plant to focus on components for electric vehicles. GM representatives presented its plans to the Bedford City Council and asked the council for a 10-year 100% tax abatement on the investment, which the council granted.
In December 2021, GM announced a $51 million investment in the Bedford Casting Operations to make components for an all electric Chevrolet Silverado. The corporation did not seek tax abatement for that investment. Prior to the December investment, GM invested $7 million and $40 million in the Bedford plant with no local incentives.
Cronin said the Local 440 will work with the affected employees during the transition and employees looking to transfer to other plants will receive support from GM.
"Right now the union is trying their level best to put together things to help them with unemployment benefits, get them information about health care coverage," Cronin said. "We're tying to make this as easy a transition as possible given the detrimental news."
GM Bedford Casting Operations produces cylinder heads, cylinder blocks, transmission cases, structural components, and drive unit housings for multiple vehicle platforms.
Bedford Casting Operations employs about 575-600 UAW members.