Fremont NUMMI plant closure to have ripple effect Tim Daly 7 days ago
TRACY, CA - When an East Bay auto plant closes at the end of March, the impact will go well beyond the Bay Area. It could mean a loss of about 3,000 jobs in San Joaquin County as well.
That's because an estimated eight businesses in the county make parts that are delivered to NUMMI - the Toyota-General Motors plant - in Fremont.
"That's 3,000 (more) unemployed countywide. We already have 51,000 (unemployed). This compounds the problem and pushes it up over 19 percent unemployed countywide," said Mike Locke with San Joaquin Partnership, a group that promotes local business.
NUMMI's closure means means 127 workers at Pacific Coast Industries in Tracy will be losing work soon. That's a company that builds brake and fuel lines for Toyota cars and trucks. Long-time employees are trying to figure out their next steps.
"There's going to be lots of competition, from (the Toyota plant) and other suppliers, all looking for that job. I'll be OK. I'm not depressed or anything. Just have to keep going," said 25-year-veteran Sandra Cerda.
Mark Cordero started working at the plant while in high school. "I've been looking. A lot of my friends are unemployed with the recession. I might go back to school, if there aren't a lot of jobs out there," said Cordero.
An estimated 38,000 workers statewide are expected to lose work when the Fremont plant's various suppliers go out of business.
