Paccar plans layoffs, shift reduction for Washington plant

Paccar Inc., the parent corporation of Kenworth Truck Company, said November 27 that it plans to lay off workers and reduce production shifts from two to one at the Kenworth plant in Renton, Wash. The moves would be effective January 3.

The company didn't specify how many workers it plans to lay off.

According to an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper, Bernie Philips, a business representative with Machinists District Lodge 160, said the reduction could amount to 160 to 170 workers out of 480 in his bargaining unit alone. But the layoffs could also affect workers in other units, represented by another Machinists local as well as by the Sheet Metal Workers and Painters unions.

Earlier this month, Paccar reported that the Kenworth Renton plant had about 1,100 employees. No layoffs were announced for Kenworth's other major manufacturing plant, in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Paccar also issued layoff warning notices at another of its divisions, Peterbilt Motors Company in Madison, Tenn., for 667 workers, according to The Tennessean of Nashville. That's more than half of the plant's hourly work force, the paper said. Layoffs there are effective January 29.