Flex-N-Gate workers stunned as Effingham plant lays off employees

EFFINGHAM (WCIA) — A Central Illinois plant is laying off workers for the foreseeable future.

Flex-n-Gate in Effingham announced it’s shutting its doors because of the United Auto Workers strike in Kentucky. Nearly 9,000 employees left their jobs at Ford’s Kentucky truck plant in Louisville Wednesday night. The news came nearly four weeks after the union began walkouts against ford, general motors and stellantis on September 15.

The Effingham plant is fairly new and opened in 2021. About 400 workers are employed at that site.

A statement from their corporate office said:

Understandably and regrettably layoffs of hourly workers have resulted due to the UAW strike. We all hope for a timely resolution.

Jim Woodcock, Flex-N-Gate Spokesperson

We talked to two employees at the Effingham location who wished to remain anonymous. They are now faced with the reality that their jobs are gone. One person…