Ohio Senate Candidates Divided on Electric Vehicle Subsidies

Electric vehicle (EV) creation is among the latest policy fissures to open up between Republican Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance and his Democratic opponent U.S. Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH-13). 

Vance emphasizes the disadvantage many auto workers could suffer if EV manufacturing — less labor-intensive than traditional car making — expands.

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Ohio, General Motors Reach Deal on Failed Tax Incentives in Lordstown

General Motors must repay $28 million in tax credits and invest $12 million in the Mahoning Valley following its closure of its Lordstown assembly place, the Ohio Development Services Agency said Monday.

GM received $60.3 million in tax credits in exchange for a commitment to retain 3,700 employees in Lordstown. The company closed the plant and did not maintain its commitment to retain the jobs through 2028.

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General Motors Sells Lordstown Assembly Plant to an Electric Car Company

Auto maker GM announced Thursday that indeed – as President Trump tweeted in May – the Lordstown facility in Ohio would be sold and reopened to manufacturer the Workhorse electric vehicle called the Endurance. GM declared their intent to idle the plant a year ago, and shut the lights out on March 6th after 52 years of business. 

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Department of Commerce Awards $600,000 to Help Northeast Ohio Address Economic Downturn

  The U.S. Department of Commerce recently announced a $600,000 investment to help Northeast Ohio address the economic downturn in the region caused by the closure of the General Motors Lordstown facility and the decline in the coal economy. In a press release, the DOC said its Economic Development Administration…

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Trump Announces New Occupant for Lordstown Plant

  President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday that he spoke with General Motors CEO Mary Barra, who said GM will sell the vacant Lordstown factory to Workhorse, an electric truck manufacturer. The president also mentioned that GM is going to invest $700 million into three separate locations in Ohio. Trump expressed his support…

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Sherrod Brown, Tim Ryan Attack Trump Over Falcon Transport Closure

  Sen. Sherrod Brown slammed President Donald Trump Wednesday during a speech on the Senate floor in response to Falcon Transport’s announcement that it would be closing its door. The company, which serviced Lordstown’s General Motors plant, told its workers in an email Saturday that it was “not able to…

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Ohio’s Unemployment Rate Drops to 4.4 Percent from February to March

Ohio’s state unemployment rate is at an 18 year low even after General Motors closing down its Lordstown factory. The Buckeye state’s unemployment dropped from 4.6 percent in February to 4.4 percent in March. The last time Ohio’s unemployment reached 4.4 percent back was in August of 2001. Despite this…

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Labor Union Representing Lordstown Auto Workers Rocked By Scandal

The labor union solely responsible for the future of Ohio’s Lordstown Auto Complex was blasted Wednesday in Tennessee for the myriad of scandals that have plagued the organization over the past several years. The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, commonly known as the United…

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Last of Lordstown Auto Parts Manufacturing Ends Two Months Early: More Layoffs to Follow

The last manufacturing orders left for the rapidly shuttering Lordstown Auto Plant finished up on April 5. The project – metal stamping replacement parts for the Chevy Cruze – was slated to last until June, ensuring work for those few employees still not laid off.  With the job wrapping up…

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Bernie Sanders Calls on Trump to End Federal Contracts for GM During Lordstown Campaign Stop

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) stopped in Lordstown, Ohio Sunday afternoon during his campaign swing through key battleground states, including Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. “Together, we are going to make sure that does not happen again. We’re going to win here in Wisconsin. We’re going to win in Indiana, We’re…

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Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan Announces 2020 Candidacy, Pledges to Send Trump ‘Back to Mar-A-Lago’

In an appearance on The View, Ohio Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH-13), announced Thursday his candidacy for the 2020 presidential election. The nine-term representative from Ohio’s 13th district (formerly 17th) pointed to the recent closure of the Lordstown Assembly Complex in his district as evidence that President Donald Trump is failing in…

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More Layoffs for Lordstown Auto Workers as GM Accelerates Closure

One of the primary service providers to the Lordstown plant in Ohio announced Thursday another round of layoffs for their beleaguered factory workers. Leadec Industrial Services is a German-based service provider of “janitorial, mechanical, and maintenance services” to GM’s Lordstown Auto Plant. In an initial letter, sent on Feb. 13,…

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Congressman Ryan Slams GM for Displaying Foreign-Made Car on Opening Day

General Motors is taking some heat after it decided to display a foreign-made car in center field of Comerica Park ahead of the Detroit Tigers’ home opener. Cranes were spotted lifting a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer RS onto an outfield display on Tuesday. Chevrolet is owned by General Motors, and its…

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Beto Slams Trump Over Lordstown Comments During Visit to Ohio

During his recent visit to Ohio, 2020 Democratic hopeful Beto O’Rourke slammed President Donald Trump for his criticisms of Lordstown union leader David Green. Green is president of United Auto Workers Local 1112, which represents the workers at Lordstown’s General Motors plant. After the plant was unallocated earlier this month,…

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Lordstown Union Leader: ‘President Trump Didn’t Unallocate Our Location Here, General Motors Did’

The union leader for Lordstown, Ohio’s General Motors plant is speaking out after being called out by name by President Donald Trump over the weekend. The General Motors plant was officially “unallocated” earlier this month, meaning it’s not yet closed, but isn’t producing any cars. In a Sunday tweet, Trump…

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Congressman Ryan Makes Surprise Visit to Canton to Attack Trump Ahead of Fundraiser

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) made a surprise appearance Wednesday at an Ohio Democratic Party event organized in response to President Donald Trump’s visits to Lima and Canton. Trump spoke Wednesday afternoon to a crowd gathered at Lima’s Joint Systems Manufacturing Center, which nearly closed down five years ago but turned…

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Trump Touts Economic Success in Visit to Last Manufacturer of M1 Abrams Tank in Ohio

President Donald Trump spoke Wednesday to a crowd gathered at Ohio’s Joint Systems Manufacturing Center, the last remaining manufacturer of the U.S. Army’s main battle tank. The facility, based in Lima, Ohio, nearly shut its doors five years ago, but was saved in January when the Trump administration reinvigorated the…

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Beto Defends Late-Term Abortions, Slams Trump Over Lordstown Comments During Cleveland Campaign Stop

2020 Democratic hopeful Beto O’Rourke slammed President Donald Trump for his criticisms of Lordstown union leaders and defended late-term abortions during a campaign stop in Cleveland Monday. During one stop, O’Rourke was asked how he was “going to protect the lives of third-trimester babies.” “There’s really not a medical necessity…

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President Trump Pushes GM CEO to Reopen Lordstown Auto Plant

In a series of tweets from Saturday to Sunday, President Donald Trump made it clear that he was aggressively advocating for the reopening of the Lordstown Assembly Complex in Ohio. Because the economy is so good, General Motors must get their Lordstown, Ohio, plant open, maybe in a different form or…

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After 50 Years, Ohio’s Lordstown Assembly Complex Ceases Production

COLUMBUS, Ohio– On Wednesday, with dignity and uncertainty, the workers of Lordstown Assembly Plant assembled their last vehicle. The plant will still make certain parts but the Chevy Cruze, which had been produced and assembled at the plant since 2011, will no longer be produced in Ohio. As previously reported, in November of last year…

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What to Expect from Ohio Governor DeWine’s State of the State Address

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine is scheduled to give his first State of the State Address Tuesday, but don’t expect any major revelations from it. In an interview last week, the first term governor stated, “I don’t think you’ll find any great surprises,” adding: We’re going to talk…

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Is One Labor Union Killing the Ohio Lordstown Plant?

An ongoing feud between one labor union and an automaker may cost thousands of jobs in Lordstown, Ohio. The Lordstown Assembly Complex in Lordstown, Ohio has been the lifeblood of that town since 1966. Currently, the factory is owned and operated by General Motors, while the workforce is represented by the United Automobile…

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GM Pulls Trigger on Mass Layoffs Throughout the Country

General Motors announced Monday that the long-dreaded nationwide mass layoffs finally began. In November of last year, GM announced that they intended to significantly scale back their workforce. Most jarring for many was their plan to close five manufacturing plants across the country, including the Lordstown Assembly complex in Warren, Ohio. Since…

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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Continues Predecessor’s Fight to Save Lordstown Auto Plant

For many Ohio families, the fight to save the Lordstown Assembly Plant is about more than the roughly 1,500 jobs that will be lost; it’s a life-or-death struggle for their community. Thursday during a speech in Akron, newly-elected governor Mike DeWine announced that he had met with General Motors CEO Mary…

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Outgoing Governor John Kasich Asks Tesla CEO Elon Musk to Save Lordstown Auto Plant by Tweet

Thursday, December 20th, Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, gave his first public response to Governor John Kasich’s multiple attempts to reach him in the hope of saving the Lordstown Assembly complex in Warren, Ohio. On November 26th, General Motors announced that the 6.2 million square foot auto manufacturing facility, along with…

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Elon Musk Says it’s ‘Possible’ Tesla Would Buy Ohio’s General Motors Plant

Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk expressed interest in purchasing the five General Motors facilities that are set to close in 2019, including one in Lordstown. In a teaser for his upcoming interview with 60 Minutes, Musk was asked if he would “want to buy some of those plants.” “It’s possible that…

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Trump Shows Support for Senator Brown’s Auto Bill

After exchanging verbal jabs, President Donald Trump and Ohio’s Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) spoke one-on-one to find a solution to the impending closure of General Motors’ Lordstown plant. Trump threatened to cut GM’s subsidies if the company follows through on its plan to shut down five North American branches, including…

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Ohio Republican Warns Trump Against Cutting General Motors Subsidies

President Donald Trump recently tweeted that his administration is looking at “cutting all” subsidies for General Motors (GM) after it announced plant closures across the country, but Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) is advising the president against doing so. “Very disappointed with General Motors and their CEO, Mary Barra, for closing…

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Ohio Lawmakers Put Trump in the Hot Seat After GM’s ‘Disastrous Decision’

Ohio’s lawmakers are turning up the heat on President Donald Trump after General Motors announced Monday that it will be halting production at five facilities across North America, one in Lordstown. In what one politician is calling “Black Monday,” General Motors plans to stop production of three of its Chevrolet…

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