TOLEDO, Ohio — In a significant blow to the Ohio workforce, FCA US LLC (formerly Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) has announced that over 1,000 employees at the Toledo South Assembly Plant will lose their jobs early in the new year. The layoffs are part of a shift from a two-shift to a single-shift operation, driven by production efficiency improvements and the removal of tag relief at the Toledo Assembly Complex on Chrysler Drive.
The job cuts, affecting 1,134 employees according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, are expected to begin on January 5, 2025, with the process concluding by mid-January. While these reductions are permanent under the terms of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), they will impact specific positions rather than the entire plant, which will continue to operate.
The affected employees, represented by UAW Local 12, have been informed of their rights under the collective bargaining agreement, which includes “bumping rights” that may allow some to assume other roles based on seniority.
This news comes as a stark reality for the Toledo workforce ahead of the holiday season, as many employees and their families face uncertainty heading into 2025. The layoffs are a reminder of the broader shifts in the automotive industry, where automation and efficiency measures continue to reshape job structures, impacting local economies heavily reliant on manufacturing jobs.