Chrysler lays off 250 workers at Detroit engine plant

The slow sales of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep trucks and SUVs in second half of 2006 are about to be felt at the Mack Avenue engine plant in Detroit. The plant builds the 4.7L V-8 engines used in Durangos, Dakotas, Rams, Grand Cherokees and others. At this time last year the plant was turning out 1,350 engines a day which had already been reduced to 850 units by the end of the year. Now Chrysler will be laying off 250 of 780 employees at the plant beginning next week. Chrysler truck sales were down 8.4 percent in 2006, but the union local is putting at least part of the blame for the reduction on Chrysler's promotion of the Hemi V-8s that are built in Mexico.

[Source: Detroit News]