Production at GM 36th St. ends in May

WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) - Production at the General Motors 36th Street stamping facility will halt by the end of May.

Two major factors have decreased demand for what the plant produces: low demand for vehicles and the resulting nine-week shutdown of GM assembly plants.

Tool-and-die workers and those tied to ramp-down operations still will remain until the end of the year, GM spokesman Chris Lee told 24 Hour News 8.

The automaker slowly has moved up the end date for production. First, it was slated for the end of 2009, then moved to the end of the third quarter in September and most recently to the end of June.

But low volume has allowed the automaker to move stamping work more quickly to other facilities. Fewer than 800 hourly workers remain at the plant that once employed thousands. Nearly 600 workers left at the end of March as part of General Motors' "Special Attrition" program.