Senators to Meet with GM’s Barra Today in D.C.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Members of Ohio’s congressional delegation will meet today with General Motors CEO Mary Barra to discuss the fate of the GM Lordstown Complex.
The offices of both of Ohio’s U.S. senators – Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, and Rob Portman, a Republican – confirmed that the senators would be meeting with Barra in Washington.
“We expect other members of the Ohio delegation to be there,” said Portman spokeswoman Emmalee Kalmbach. Representatives of U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan, D-13 Ohio, and Bill Johnson, R-6 Ohio, did not respond to emails asking them to confirm whether they would attend the meeting.
“Our executive team regularly meets with policymakers on a variety of issues,” said GM spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan. GM doesn’t discuss the details of those meeting, she added.
The purpose of the meeting is to continue pressing GM to invest in the Lordstown plant, a spokesman for Brown said. The president of UAW Local 1112, which represents workers at the plant, and elected officials have said the top option remains the Detroit automakers assigning a new product to the 53-year-old plant.
The Trumbull County plant manufactured the Chevrolet Cruze until March, when production of the once-top-selling model ended and the plant was placed on “unallocated” status.
Last month, GM arranged for local elected officials and business leaders to meet in Columbus with representatives of Cincinnati-based Workhorse Group Inc., an electric vehicle manufacturer, and an affiliated entity. Workhorse and the affiliate are attempting to purchase the Lordstown plant, where they would build electric trucks.
Among those attending the Columbus meeting was James Dignan, president and CEO of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber. According to Dignan, no further discussions have taken place between Workhorse and chamber officials.
Related Coverage
May 8: GM in Talks to Sell Lordstown Plant to Electric Truck Maker
May 9: Union Chief, Elected Officials Mixed on Potential Lordstown Sale
May 22: Local Leaders ‘Meet and Greet’ with GM, Workhorse
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