Some Freightliner workers worried about jobs ahead of temporary shutdown | Business

SALISBURY - In January Governor Bev Perdue and officials from Daimler Trucks touted the rebirth of the second shift at the Cleveland plant, and the company pledge to hire 1200 workers.

"We're bringing 1200 new jobs to North Carolina right here in this community," added Governor Beverly Perdue. "That's big news my friends."

Nine months later the company has hired around half the pledged number, according to Freightliner, and the plant will shut down for an unspecified number of days beginning on October 8th due to a shortage in orders for trucks.

When workers were told of the temporary shutdown, many began writing and calling WBTV to express their concerns.  Workers told WBTV that Freightliner "wouldn't put anything in writing," claiming that the company got bad press the last time there was a temporary shutdown.  One worker send WBTV a screen shot of an email the worker received from the company saying that the plant would shut down the second week in October.  That same worker told WBTV that there is concern about a second temporary shutdown set for the end of October.

On Monday night WBTV received a statement from Freightliner Chief Operating Officer Roger Nielsen:

In response to an industry-wide slowdown in truck orders DTNA has taken action to adjust the production schedule at the Cleveland plant to include a limited number of shutdown days. No layoffs are associated with this action.