Dozen More Workers Laid Off At Ford Stamping Plant In Chicago Heights

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL — Ford will roll out another 550 layoffs—including a dozen more laid off at a Chicago Heights stamping plant—amid an ongoing strike by United Auto Workers, according to reports.

With 243 laid off at the plant earlier this month, the new layoffs bring the total at the south suburban facility to 255. Ford has said the additional layoffs follow a union walk-out by 8,700 workers at the company's Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Workers at the Chicago Heights plant supply parts to an assembly plant in Chicago, according to the report, where thousands joined the strike late last month.

Ford has said that 16,600 of its UAW employees are on strike, resulting in the layoff of another 2,480 people, according to the report.

Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford made a rare comment on the ongoing rift, imploring the union to put an end to the strike, reports the Sun-Times.

"If we lose it, we will lose to the competition," Ford said during contract negotiations in Dearborn, Michigan. "Many jobs will be lost."

As the United Auto Workers’ strike against Detroit’s big three automakers passes the month mark, the work stoppage had led to nearly $4 billion in losses as of earlier this month, Patch reported.

The Sun-Times reports that the union has said Ford’s general wage offer is up to 23 percent over four years, and that it has reinstated cost of living raises. GM and Stellantis were at 20 percent.

Reportedly, union officials are not satisfied with the terms.