By Bill Zeeble, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-848911.mp3
Dallas, TX –
The General Motors assembly plant in Arlington has re-opened after a 2 month closure. Workers are returning to the so-called "new" GM, that just emerged from bankruptcy. KERA's Bill Zeeble has more.
About a quarter of the plant's 2400 workers showed up Monday to get the machinery up and running again. After 2 months in mothballs, Lonnie Morgan, who chairs the retired workers group, says the restart is a monumental task.
Morgan: This is what they call a cold shut down where everything was moved out of thet plant 37 It takes a lot of coordination, a lot of work to get it up and running agan.
Morgan said the rest of the workers come back today. UAW local president JR Flores says workers are confident the new GM will benefit everyone, from the biggest shareholder - the U.S. Government - to workers, customers, and management.
Flores: Of course they'll make some big cuts on salary side and on the executive side. It's supposed to move faster on concept design and on production. It's a smaller company with less facilities, less workers.
GM spokesperson Chris Lee said the corporation is excited the plants running again.
Lee: I'm sure employees are anxious to get back to work. Our focus is on their safety and to continue to produce high quality products for the car customers.
Lee says now it's just a matter of meeting buyers needs with new GM products.