2,450 auto workers at Stellandis NV’s Warren Truck Assembly Plant could be laid off indefinitely in early October as the plant’s general assembly transitions from two- to one-shift operations once production of the Ram 1500 Classic pickup truck ends, the automaker said Friday.
Stellandis was filing a worker adjustment and retraining notice with state and local governments and the United Auto Workers. The full layoffs mentioned in Warne’s letter are expected to begin Oct. 8 at the plant, which employs about 3,900 people, including about 3,700 workers represented by the UAW. The plant will continue to make the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer SUVs.
Stellandis is introducing an updated version of the Ram 1500 pickup truck for the 2025 model year at its Sterling Heights Assembly Plant. When it introduced the truck’s fifth generation for 2019, the company said it would continue to make the previous generation a “classic” for value-conscious buyers and expand its production beyond expectations.
“The Ram 1500 Classic is a great entry point for Ram and the Tradesman model has represented the needs of commercial truck customers well for years,” company spokeswoman Jody Tinson said in a statement. “We’re introducing the all-new 2025 Ram 1500 Tradesman with incredible value and features.”
Veteran employees who are laid off indefinitely will receive 52 weeks of company-provided supplemental unemployment benefits, 52 weeks of transitional assistance, and two years of health care coverage. This is in addition to state unemployment benefits.
Other activities outside of general assembly inside the plant to support vehicle production are done in two shifts. Stellandis sold nearly 30,000 railcars in the first half of the year, up 119% year-over-year, up 43% to 7,600 large railcars. Last year’s UAW contract, which expires in 2028, included $400 million in mid-cycle plant upgrades, range-extending models and all-electric versions of full-size SUVs in a $19 billion investment deal.
According to Stellandis’ website, the Ram 1500 Classic starts at $38,705. The ’25 RAM 1500 starts at $39,420.
Stellandis has updated the Hurricane inline-six turbo engine for improved fuel efficiency and lower cost of ownership, an enhanced electrical architecture and a platform for technologies that support commercial fleet monitoring and safety systems such as Forward Collision Warning Plus and Adaptive Cruise Control. It offers electrification opportunities with the all-electric RAM 1500 REV and generator-supported electric Ramcharger coming later this year and early next year, respectively. Those options would otherwise not be available to meet future fuel economy and emissions regulations, the company said.
Each auto assembly job has a huge ripple effect on jobs in its communities, from auto suppliers to downtown bars and restaurants. Bridgewater Interiors also filed a warning in late July, disclosing the layoff of 63 employees on Sept. 30 at a facility in Detroit. UAW Local 600 President Tony Richards said they were related to the job cuts in Warren.
With the plant closing, Stellandi’s Motor City Sports Bar & Grill across Mount Road from the plant is experiencing a 60% drop in business, said owner Maria Nukulaj. The layoffs are particularly bad news for business after fluctuations in production at the plant in recent months and customers cutting back on luxuries due to the rising cost of living.
“It affects every business,” Nukulaj said. “There is a domino effect. Everyone will feel it. It has been changing a lot lately, and not in a good direction. In the afternoon, when we used to have a counter full of people trying to get lunch, we used to have one customer here. Now there is no one.”
Less business meant he had to make his own layoffs and shifts, he said. All of that reflects the state of the economy, he said, and affects his thinking about the November presidential election.
“Free trade has to change,” Nukulaj said. “Jobs have to stay here. The people who made the cars couldn’t afford to do so because they were outsourcing to Mexico.
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