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In Flint, Michigan the graveyard shift has returned at a General Motors plant, adding 750 jobs and giving hope that the auto industry’s turnaround will be long lasting.
The return of the third shift is underway in cities across the country. A Chrysler plant in Belvidere, Ill. recently announced plans to add a third shift by this summer.
Flint’s GM assembly plant has been emblematic of the rise and fall of one of America’s signature industries. In its heyday, the city of Flint had 80,000 auto related jobs. Today, there are just 7,000 auto related jobs. Still, experts say the return of the third shift is boosting support industries and Flint’s local economy.
“The Flint Assembly plant and the heavy duty trucks here are a real economic indicator of where we’re going. People are going back to work, companies are starting to buy pickup trucks for their businesses. This is all great news,” said Joann Muller, Detroit bureau chief for Forbes who has spent 20 years covering the auto industry.
NBC News correspondent Mike Taibbi talked to Dave Gray, Marcus Tyler and Anthony Pylant, all men who were 15 year veterans of General Motors when the plant they worked at in Spring Hill, Tenn. closed in 2009. For the past two years, they were pining for work. Then, they learned that the GM plant in Flint was adding a third shift. They didn’t hesitate to pack up their things, leave their families and head to work. The three men share an apartment and work in the middle of the night together.
“It's precious to me big time. I don’t take it for granted at all,” Pylant said. “There's a million people across this nation who would swap spots with us in a heartbeat.”
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i work at this plant and it really shows the world that in the beginning the lady just sitting there in the car going down the line now that to me shows the world that oh they still are lazy not saying she is but thats what people are gonna think why was it cut off at that and congrats to the three people from tenn for moving here but sorry ya had to leave your family if your gonna do a news report make sure ya show everything we do bust our ass and families do get relocated because its news reporters like yall showing people sitting around
Great to hear that some jobs are coming back to Flint. I lived there from 1955/1979. Had to move to Texas to find work. Back in MI again - thankfully retired.
Loved the piece about Flint - third shift back to work, Angelo's getting busier is great news about my hometown!! I just wish that, instead of profiling the three guys from Tennessee, we could have heard from a couple of second (or third) generation, native Flint GM "shoprats" who have lived through the painful demise of the Flint economy. My problem with the Tennesse guys is that no mention was made of any plans to move their families to Flint and even though they are contributing to the local economy, it seem that they are not truly committed to the Flint area because the majority of their dollars will continue to be spent in Tennessee. I'm just sayin'........ Go Flint!!!!!! Thank You NBC!