Fort Wayne Foundry lays off all 186 workers at two plants

By TJ HEMLINGER, Columbia City Post & Mail Staff Writer
tj@thepostandmail.com

    Fort Wayne Foundry workers on Cardinal Drive and in the Fort Wayne facility are at least temporarily out of work after being told by company officials not to report to work today and until further notice.

    The local facility makes aluminum sand castings for the automobile industry. There are approximately 186 hourly workers locally.

    Dave Moore, vice president of Local 2242 of the United Auto Workers, said workers received the notice Thursday and that it was effective "immediately."

    Fort Wayne Foundry's director of human resources did not return phone calls seeking information.

    Fort Wayne labor union leaders said the work stoppage is tied the restructuring that General Motors is undergoing. According to WPTA-TV's Web site, the automaker is widely believed now to file for bankruptcy sometime after Monday's federal government-mandated deadline to restructure.

    Fort Wayne  Foundry is an auto part supplier and reportedly had been planning to lay off workers anyhow.