GM Hires 437 for Plant Here

December 17, 2011

GM Hires 437 for Plant Here

By Lisa Brown

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

The General Motors plant in Wentzville has completed the hiring of 437 employees who will work a second shift that's set to begin in early January, which will mark the first time in two years that the plant has run more than a single shift.

GM, which builds the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans in Wentzville, will add a second shift of van production on Jan.3, bringing the total employment at the plant to 1,940 hourly workers and 155 salaried employees.

Of the 437 hourly employees added for the second shift, 235 are new hires, said Tom Brune, UAW communications coordinator for Local 2250, which represents hourly workers at the plant. GM also recalled 38 employees to the plant and transferred 164 GM employees from across the country.

"It's a long time coming," Brune said about the second shift, which was announced in September as part of a new labor contract.

Plant manager John Dansby said many of the transferred employees planned to move their families to the St. Louis region over the holidays.

"We've gotten them familiar with the plant and have them working side by side with current employees to understand how we work and how the plant works," he said of the new employees.

Recalling laid-off workers and preparing for a second shift has "been a great boost to morale," Dansby added.

The second shift isn't the only new development at the Wentzville plant. GM also plans to build the next generation of its Colorado midsize pickup there, which will bring an additional 1,260 hourly and salaried jobs in 2013.

To prepare for the line, the automaker plans to invest $380 million in the plant, including the construction of a 500,000-square-foot addition to the current 3.7 million square feet.