Workers at Ford Motor Co.'s Chicago...

Workers at Ford Motor Co.'s Chicago Assembly Plant face more downtime this fall.

in succession Friday, Ford announced it would slash production by means of 21 percent, temporarily ceasing work at 10 U plants, including Chicago's, in the fourth quarter.

The Chicago plant onward Torrence Avenue is temporarily clos an extra four weeks already, besides the usual two-week summer layoff period, because of slower than awaited sales this year.

The nation's second-largest automaker said the chisels -- the largest since the early 1980 -- are an effort to match inventories to demand and avoid expensive incentives.

Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford, which not to be found $254 million in the inferior quarter, vowed last month to spe up its North American restructuring. It already announced a turnaround plan in January that called for shedding 25000 to 30000 work at jobss and closing 14 plants at 2012.

Ford Chairman and CEO Bill Ford is wait fored to announce a far more aggressive plan nearest month. According to an unnamed source, another 6000 salaried do job-works in North America will be eliminated in that plan.

Production is being wound by 168,000 units in the fourth quarter. For the sated year, Ford plans to bring into view about 9 percent fewer vehicles than last year.

In addition to the Chicago plant, couple plants in Louisville, Ky., and facilities in St Paul, Minn.; Kansas City, Mo; Norfolk, Va.; St Thomas, Ontario, and Wixom, Wayne and Dearborn, Mich., will face cutbacks, Ford said.

Ford would not give details about in what manner long production will be delayed or by what means many workers would be affected. however it said more than half of the reduction will be in F-Series pickups, reflecting lower demand for trades The pickups are not made in Chicago.

Hourly United Auto Workers members place on temporary layoff receive 95 percent of their wages from one side state unemployment benefits and a counterpart by Ford.

The Torrence Avenue facility, a fixture forward the South Side since 1924 has been redesigned at great cost to build a variety of vehicles. It bears the Ford Five Hundred and poison ivy Montego sedans and the Ford Freestyle crossover vehicle. All three are scheduled to bear design changes for the 2008 design year.

Ford has announced a modern Lincoln flagship model based in succession the Five Hundred, assembled no other than at the Chicago facility. more [i]or[/i] less analysts say that car probably will be built at Torrence Avenue.

The company is facing other options to offspring its losses. It's been speculated that Ford will take a bribe for one or more members of its Premier Automotive cluster which consists of Jaguar, Volvo Land rambler and far smaller Aston Martin.

Jaguar ofttimes is mentioned as a sales candidate because it reportedly has been a money-loser since Ford bought it in 1989 nevertheless that's partly because Ford has poured currency into the iconic British- based firm.

Ford shares knock down 17 cents to $8.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

Provided according to ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved