Navistar’s Springfield plant builds medium-duty trucks on its main line as well as cutaway vans for General Motors on its other assembly line.
The production increase that was announced by local union representatives this month will impact the main line and production will go from 70 units per day to 115 units per day starting in July.
Navistar production workers and those in skilled trades are represented locally by UAW Local 402.
Navistar is working with OhioMeansJobs Clark County to fill open positions as the truck manufacturer hires production associates and stock keepers.
Starting wages are $17 per hour plus benefits, said Virginia Martycz, the director of the Clark County Department of Job and Family Services, which oversees the county’s OhioMeansJobs office.
Martycz said that her agency is screening applicants for Navistar and has provided a space for in-person interviews, which started April 13 and will last until May 7.
So far, OhioMeansJobs has scheduled nearly 200 interviews. Martycz said that her understanding is that Navistar is looking to hire up to 350 new employees. But, she added that may happen in stages over time and not all at once.
Representatives of Navistar did not share with the News-Sun the exact number of new employees the company is hiring. However, a spokesperson with the company said that Navistar will hire additional employees to support its increase in production.
“The increase is due to our order board being up and (we are) adjusting our production schedules according to demand,” said Breana Whalen, who is with Navistar.
“All previously laid off employees will be given the opportunity to return to work. We are looking to hire additional employees to support the increased production,” she added.
The increase in units at Navistar’s Springfield plant follows a series of layoffs between 2019 and early 2020 as the plant reduced production on its main line.
More than 300 workers were placed on indefinite lay-off status starting in 2019 as the company gradually scaled back truck production in Springfield from 117 per day to 70 per day to align with customer demand.
In August, at least 124 call-back letters had been sent to workers who were previously laid off as the company began bringing them back to fill jobs that became open through attrition.
However, there were still 106 UAW Local 402 members on indefinite layoff as of earlier this month, according to a union bulletin.
Those who are interested in applying for jobs at Navistar’s Springfield plant can do so by visiting clarkdjfs.org/246/OhioMeansJobs or by going on Navistar’s website at navistar.com.
By the numbers:
350 - Number of people Navistar could be hiring in the near future
200 - Number of job interviews scheduled for Navistar by OhioMeansJobs Clark County
106- Number of local union members on indefinite layoff expected to be called back by Navistar
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