UAW: Ford Closing Plants in Minn., Va.

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April 13,2006 | DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co., which is closing plants and cutting jobs in an effort to improve results from its North American auto business, plans to close plants in Norfolk, Va., and St. Paul, Minn., union officials said Thursday.

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The nation's second-biggest automaker announced in January that it would close 14 plants by 2012, but only identified five of them. It said at the time that it would name two more plants later in the year.

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The Twin Cities assembly plant in St. Paul makes the Ranger pickup, which has seen sales decline sharply in recent years. It employs about 1,750 hourly workers and 135 salaried.

In Norfolk, Chris Kimmons, president of United Auto Workers Local 919, said the Dearborn-based automaker was to inform the plant's employees of the closure Thursday afternoon. He said the plant, which makes the popular F-150 pickup, would close by 2008.

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Ford shares rose 4 cents to $7.32 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

http://www.salon.com/wire/ap/archive.html?wire=D8GV871G0.html

[Selatius]

1. Hmm, trucks and SUVs, huh? Answer me this:

Was it the workers or the senior executives who decided these plants should produce trucks and SUVs?

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2. That kind of talk is seditious. Please report to a re-education center.

[NickB79]

3. The MN state gov was trying to convince Ford to make hybrids in St. Paul

Conventional and possibly plug-in hybrids. I guess the incentive program we offered wasn't enough for them. How sad.

[phantom power]

4. There are none so blind as those who will not see.