GM Layoffs

General Motors announced that it is closing 5 factories in the United States and Canada and laying off 14,000 workers. The announcement caused a political firestorm in Washington, Ohio, and Michigan.

Instructors, click the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt and a debate question as well as other assessment questions.

Download the PowerPoint Lecture Spark for GM Layoffs

Links

“General Motors to lay off and halt production in North America”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/general-motors-lay-off-halt-135101052.html

“GM CEO Mary Barra to meet with lawmakers amid Trump threats”
https://www.foxbusiness.com/business-leaders/gm-ceo-mary-barra-to-meet-with-lawmakers-amid-trump-threats

“Ohio tried to stop General Motors from leaving Lordstown. It didn’t work.”
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2018/11/29/why-didnt-ohio-stop-general-motors-leaving-lordstown/2137873002/

“‘Corporate greed at its worst’: Ohio officials slam GM’s move out of an area Trump pledged to revive”
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/26/sherrod-brown-tim-ryan-slam-trump-and-general-motors-over-restructuring.html

“If you invested $1,000 in General Motors in 2012, here’s how much you’d have now”
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/30/if-you-put-1000-dollars-in-general-motors-in-2012-heres-what-youd-have-now.html

“Why Democrats’ response to GM matters”
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/11/democrats-respond-general-motors-layoffs/576955/

“Trump, GM awkwardly silent on new Cadillac presidential limousine”
https://www.foxnews.com/auto/general-motors-donald-trump-strangely-silent-on-new-cadillac-presidential-limousine

“Why the General Motors layoffs were strategic”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniedenning/2018/11/29/why-the-general-motors-layoffs-were-strategic/#42804b415d5e

“Trump says he’ll cut GM’s subsidies. He can’t do it without Congress.”
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/27/18115014/trump-gm-subsidies-tweet-kudlow-mary-barra

Assessment

Writing: Why did the announcement of layoffs and closings by GM cause such a political storm?
Debate: The federal government should not assist private companies experiencing financial difficulties.
Poll: Should auto manufacturers like GM be punished for laying off workers?
Short Answer: How has President Trump threatened to respond to the announcement by GM?

Current events quiz:

1) How much would your stock be worth now if you invested $1,000 in General Motors in 2012?

a. $500
b. $2,200
c. $3,400
d. $5,000

2) General Motors announced that they plan on cutting how many jobs in the United States and Canada?

8,000
10,000
14,000
20,000

3) Which U.S. representative from Ohio called on Congress to investigate General Motors?

Marcia Fudge
Tim Ryan
Jim Jordan
Steve Stivers

4) Donald Trump is worried that he will lose voters over the GM layoffs, since the company is closing plants in areas that he promised to revive. (T/F)

5) In response to GM’s announcement to cut jobs, Trump threatened to eliminate subsidies to the company and impose tariffs on all automobile imports. (T/F)

6) GM is worried that Trump will actually be cutting their subsidies, since this is something that the President has the Constitutional power to do all on his own. (T/F)