Freightliner Laying Off 130 Workers at Oregon Plant

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reightliner LLC said it plans to lay off 130 workers in Portland, Ore., citing the need to juggle the mix of trucks produced at its Swan Island plant there, the Oregonian newspaper reported.

Chief Operating Officer Roger Nielsen said the reduction, effective Thursday, was necessary because the company plans to build fewer Western Star Trucks and more Freightliner-branded trucks next year, the paper reported.

The plant makes Class 8 trucks. Nielsen said he expects no change in overall plant production, which currently churns out about 74 trucks a day over two shifts, the Oregonian reported.

Nielsen acknowledged that the timing of the layoff, three days before Christmas, was “unfortunate.” He said the company would pay workers through Jan. 2 so they can spend time looking for work over the holidays while they're still getting paid.

Freightliner, a unit of DaimlerChrysler-owned truck maker announced the move Wednesday afternoon in a meeting at the plant with union members, the paper reported.

The reduction represents about 7% of the company's work force in Portland, bringing total employment at the plant to 1,700, the Oregonian said.