GM plant in Massena closing for additional week Dec. 15

MASSENA — The General Motors Powertrain plant here will be closing for an additional week, beginning Dec. 15, according to corporate officials.

The closure is standard practice in the auto industry and will help create a balance between supply and demand, spokeswoman Lynda A. Messina said. It happens more often in difficult economic times.

"There's a lot of down time being announced across the country," Ms. Messina said.

The closures also help the corporation reduce energy costs, savings that come in handy when GM could be bankrupt by the end of the year, according to corporate officials.

Workers at the Massena plant just came back to work Monday after a similar closing from Nov. 13 to Dec. 1. The 175 employees left at the plant will go back on temporary layoffs.

The plant will close for the holidays Dec. 22 and reopen after the New Year. Severance packages, which had to be accepted before the announcement was made to keep the plant open into next year, go into affect Jan. 1. Thus, Dec. 12 will be the last day at the Powertrain plant for many of GM's employees.

"Talking to people out there, we know the end is inevitable," said Randy G. DeLosh, GM worker and village mayor.

Massena workers are not worried just about themselves and their plant, which is scheduled to close in the middle of next year; they are worried about pension plans and the future of the American automobile industry, Mr. DeLosh said.

"All eyes are on the TV. We're all just worried what's going to happen now," he said. "A lot of people are very nervous, especially at this time of year. They're sitting on pins and needles waiting for some direction in their lives."