Navistar truck center in Springfield temporarily laying off about 40 workers

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Some workers at Navistar’s Truck Specialty Center in Springfield will be temporarily out of work starting Monday due to the impact of a parts shortage caused by the nationwide General Motors strike, according to a supervisor at the center.

The specialty center is separate from Navistar’s assembly plant in Springfield that builds both its own trucks as well as vehicles for General Motors. Trucks built at the plant are modified for customers at the specialty center.

About 40 workers will be temporarily out of work, Mike Willis, a supervisor at the specialty center, told WHIO reporter Molly Koweek.

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“If Navistar, if the assembly plant can’t run production and produce vehicles then we don’t get vehicles to work on,” Willis said.

Willis said he expects those workers to be off the job for two to three weeks.

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“After the strike, once the assembly plant gets back to work, then we’ll be able to resume our normal production,” Willis said.

Navistar made the decision last month to cease production on both of its assembly lines that make trucks and vans for GM in Springfield. The company resumed production on its main line on Oct. 7 to focus on its international medium-duty commercial trucks but only operated for a week before shutting down again.

General Motors and the United Auto Workers reached a tentative contract deal last week that could end the strike.