Springfield truck workers laid off; Roshel has no set rehire date

International Motors workers in Springfield, Ohio, were laid off September 30, the Associated Press reported. Roshel, which agreed to acquire International’s facilities, has outlined plans to build up staffing in phases over the coming years. For former workers, those plans have yet to become a dated offer of employment.

The scale is substantial. International’s July 27 notice to Ohio counted approximately 1,314 employees at its Springfield Assembly Plant and 27 at its Truck Specialty Center—about 1,341 across the two sites. That was a July workforce count, not a confirmed final tally of layoffs. The notice projected that virtually all remaining International employees would be terminated when the proposed sale closed, with an exception for certain employees on leave.

A sale plan and a separate hiring question

International announced the sale agreement March 30 and said its contract-manufacturing agreement would expire September 30. Roshel described plans to produce commercial, specialty and armored vehicles at the sites. International’s July notice projected an October 2 closing; the notice itself does not establish that the sale closed on that date.

Roshel said it aimed to protect the workforce and more than double staffing over the coming years through a phased process, according to AP. AP also reported that some workers expected to be rehired in six to 12 months. That is the workers’ expectation, rather than a hiring schedule or an offer from Roshel.

President Donald Trump was scheduled to rally nearby on October 3, AP reported. The layoffs preceded that event, but the sale agreement and contract-expiration date had been announced months earlier. The next concrete workforce milestone is a start date and hiring terms from the new operator.