WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderMore temporary layoffs at Belvidere Chrysler Plant

More temporary layoffs at Belvidere Chrysler Plant

By Samantha Ptashkin

BELVIDERE (WREX)- Workers weigh their options after another series of layoffs hits the Belvidere Chrysler Plant. For the next two weeks those workers will find themselves temporarily out of a job again. Chrysler workers came back from a month long layoff this past week, only to find that beginning February 2nd, second shift production workers will be laid off for one week. First shift workers will get off the following week.

"It's something different. I've never seen them do this in the 14 years I've worked there," said Troy Moran.

Moran is a first shift material handler. When he came back to work this week, he found out he'd be laid off for another week. "The one shift for the two weeks is to prevent any more surplus of cars out there that we don't really need."

The layoffs come as workers who were let go from other Chrysler plants transfer to the Belvidere plant. "We have some people coming from St. Louis and therefore, they're offering these severance packages to get people to take it and leave. That will create openings for these people," Moran said.

"We just realize in this economy we have to do some things we don't want to do, but we all understand," said Tim Benson, who also works at the Chrysler plant in Belvidere.

But with this latest layoff annoucement and the possibilty of more in the future, some say those severance packages look more and more appealing. "I think things are changing to where people are weighing in on leaving now," Moran said.

This latest layoff, and the possibilty of more downtime in the future, concerns some workers because while they will get unemployment for the week, they're worried about the time it will take to get that check.