The car will be built in Lordstown, Ohio, but the transmissions will be built right here. More than 300 people will be called back to work to help build the new transmission.
Plant leaders tell me everyone who's laid off here in Toledo right now should be back on the job in a matter of months. New production lines will be up and running this summer, building the front-wheel-drive, six-speed transmission for the Chevy Cruze.
UAW Local 14 president Ray Wood says, "We have about 370 laid off and we have jobs for them. That's the great news and it's looking like everyone will be back this year."
Right now, workers here in Toledo build a six-speed, rear-wheel-drive transmission and they've recently increased production on that line. But this new work is part of a whole new market for Toledo.
Powertrain plant manager Joe Choate told us, "So now we're shifting from a traditional truck plant to more of an overall truck, SUV and car plant. It's exciting to get into that because of the growth potential that exists on that side of the market."
Right now, the plant turns out about 2,2000 transmisions a day. The plant manager says once they're building both the rear-wheel- and front-wheel-drive transmissions, they'll be up to about 5,000 a day by early next year.
Union and company leaders say this new work is the product of years of hard work. Local 14 shop chairman Steve Rupley says, "We're in a great place but we need to work harder and protect that."
The new front-wheel-drive production will run on three shifts. The workers will be brought back in waves starting in April. Production will be up and running in June.
The Powertrain plant in Defiance will be making the engine block for the new Cruze.
