In December, Ford will begin retooling its factory in Louisville, Kentucky. Even Todd Dunn, president of UAW Local 862, insists, “In the end, it’s going to be a great outcome.” But in the meantime, 2,000 workers will be laid off for at least 10 months.
These workers can expect higher unemployment benefits for the next four months. But they won’t have much money coming in for the final six months of their unemployment. And of course, the retooling could run behind schedule—or the automaker could change its plans.
Jim Fisher, the union’s benefits representative, said, “I encourage our members to go out and get gainfully employed into the community.” That’s easier said than done. If a Detroit factory lays off workers, those workers have a good chance of landing a shift at another nearby factory. In Kentucky, there are fewer options for this skill set—especially with a flood of other workers entering the same job market…