Craig Davison, For The News-Dispatch
LA PORTE - Fewer than four weeks after laying off 40 employees, Alcoa Howmet this week laid off 20 salaried employees.
The workers - spread through all three shifts - were supervisors in manufacturing, as well as other employees who support the manufacturing operation, said Jean Moorman, director of communications for Alcoa Power and Propulsion, the business unit for the La Porte plant.
The previous layoffs in mid-April and early March eliminated more than 100 hourly positions. The plant now has about 430 employees.
A decline in customer demand continues to be the reason for the reduction. The plant manufactures structural components for aerospace turbines.
"It's based all on this whole economic downturn," Moorman said.
All plants in the business unit are going through the same thing, she said, and production capacity with customer demands is being monitored.
"We adjust our employee head count accordingly," she said.
Future layoffs or hiring will depend on the number of orders from customers.
"This is still part of the adjustment of the capacity to customer demand," Moorman said.
When asked if there was any possibility of the plant closing, Moorman responded, "There's no discussion of the plant closing at this time."
In January, Alcoa announced a plan to reduce its global workforce by 13,500 employees, including 1,100 in the power and propulsion business. The detailed plan was intended to conserve money, reduce costs and make the company more competitive. In addition to workforce reductions, the plan included freezing salaries and hiring, reducing capital expenditures and curtailing production.
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