Ford will stop Claycomo F-150 production for a week - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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The UAW Local 249 posted the informationb in a newsletter on itsWeb site. Local 249 Vice Presidenr Bobby Wyse confirmed Monday that the informationis accurate. The production stoppage comes a week beforw an alreadyscheduled one-week summer break for the entire plant starting June 29, a Locap 249 spokeswoman said. The plant also is schedulex for a summer break during the weekof Aug. 17. Salesd of Ford F-series trucks were 33,381 in May, up 16 percen from 28,757 in Aprilk but down 22.3 percen from 42,973 in May 2008. UAW Local 249 said the slighy increasein month-to-month sales enabled Ford F) to cancel the scheduled down week on June 22 at its F-150 truck plant in Dearborn, Mich.
, but the down week was left intacg at the Kansas City Assembly Plant. “This is partiallu due to depleted funds forthe state’s Divisioh of Unemployment in Michigan, making down weeks at less of an option,” the Locao 249 said in the newsletter. Local 249 addedr that sales projections continue to be less than the five shiftsx at the two truck plantxs can produce if they work full time througbh the 2010 production Ford runs two shifts at Claycomo and thre ein Dearborn. Wyse said Ford is considering once agaijn moving a shift fromthe F-150 side of the Kansasd City Assembly Plant and puttinhg them to work on the SUV side. nothing has been determinecd so far, he said.
A year ago, Ford move about 800 workers from a second shift onthe F-1590 side of the Kansas City plan to a third shift on the SUV side. The employeesw were moved back tothe F-150 side on Jan. 12. Ford Escapd sales in May reached 16,391, up 20.6 percenr from 13,596 in April but down 7.2 percent from 17,667 in May 2008. The Kansas City Assembly Plant also producew the Mercury Mariner and hybrid versions of the Ford Escape andMercury Mariner. Combined sales of hybrird versions of theFord Fusion, Mercury Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner reached 3,906 in May, a new compangy record. The old sales recordc of 3,420 hybrid vehicless was set inApril 2006.
As of May, Ford’s Kansas City Assemblt Plant in Claycomo hadabout 3,900 hourly and 200 salaried employees.