More than 1,100 General Motors employees have already volunteered to transfer from plants where the automaker is cutting jobs to other GM factories, the company said Friday.
GM has about 2,700 job openings at U.S. manufacturing plants in several states, including Michigan and Ohio, the company said. It will also be providing training and tuition assistance for affected employees as part of its plan to cut roughly 14,000 North American jobs, GM said.
"Strong U.S. and Canadian economies enable us to provide these opportunities now as we position General Motors for long-term success," GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said in a statement. "Our focus remains on providing interested employees options to transition including job opportunities at other GM plants. We remain committed to working with local government officials, our unions and each individual to find appropriate opportunities for them."
The news comes as GM files layoff notices with federal regulators. GM recently said it will cut up to 14,000 salaried and hourly jobs at facilities across the U.S. and Canada. The decision was viewed by some in the industry as a necessary step for GM to stay competitive in the short term and make investments to grapple with disruptive businesses and technologies such as ride sharing and automated driving technologies. However the move has also drawn criticism, particularly from labor leaders, politicians in the affected regions, and President Donald Trump.
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