GM’s Third Shift Announcement

The old saw has it “every cloud has a silver lining.”

But GM’s announcement of its adding a third shift to three assembly plants, thereby “adding” 2,400 jobs, may be a case of a silver lining that just so happens to have a cloud inside.

The Fairfax, KS, plant will add the Buick LaCrosse to its production of the Chevy Malibu and the Saturn Aura. Remember that Roger Penske is expected to buy Saturn any day now, and that GM is expected to provide him with cars including the Aura through 2011. So that one has a clock running on it. The Fairfax plant will become the exclusive producer of the Malibu—because they’re going to be taking it from the Orion, MI, plant, which will be retooled next year for small-car production.

The Fort Wayne, IN, truck plant will get heavy-duty pickups—Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra—because the Pontiac, MI, truck plant that presently produces them will close next week. This third shift won’t start until April, 2010.

The Lansing Delta Township, MI, plant will add the Chevy Traverse to its lineup because the somewhat legendary Spring Hill, TN, plant (legendary in the sense that back in the day, when it was Saturn’s center of gravity, they drew thousands of people there for Homecoming events) is being shuttered in November, but is going to “remain on standby capacity.” The third shift will start in April, 2010.

We’re all for adding shifts. But we’re saddened and dismayed about the closing of plants.