Detroit Free Press: Marick Masters on Ford shifting 1500 workers to different plants
Ford Motor Co. told factory workers Wednesday that it would shift more than 1,150 workers to different plants to meet demand for SUVs and trucks but would protect their jobs. No U.S. plants are being idled, Ford said. The decision, announced to workers around noon Wednesday, affects workers in Michigan and Kentucky. Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University, said President Donald Trump, who is angry at GM, is sure to praise Ford for its “no layoffs” announcement. “When people see GM make an announcement about cutting jobs, they think, ‘When is the shoe going to drop?’ If you’re going to make an announcement about moving product, you should make certain it’s coupled with an announcement that no layoffs will take place,” Masters said. “What Ford is trying to convey to the employees, and to the market, is that they are shifting their focus to the more profitable end of the market. And fortunately, especially at this time of the year, this announcement comes with no layoffs. It gives employees an opportunity to adjust to the transition that the company plans to make. I think it’s very consistent with their previously announced strategy and transformation and restructuring plan that’s in the works.”
