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--> --> Freightliner restructure plan expected later this month By William McCall AP Busines Writer PORTLAND - After nearly 60 years in Oregon, the company that grew into the largest manufacturer of heavy commercial trucks in North America is shrinking fast in its hometown. Freightliner began laying off workers in the first half of last year, and it has been issuing a steady stream of pink slips ever since. The company now has about 3,000 workers at its Portland headquarters, an assembly line and a parts plant. In the summer of 2000, Freightliner employed about 5,000 people in Oregon. The subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler also has laid off workers at its truck plants in North Carolina, and at its Western Star Trucks plant in Kelowna, British Columbia and its Sterling Trucks plant in St. Thomas, Ontario. Layoffs have always been part of the up-and-down cycles of the trucking industry, usually the first to feel a downturn in the economy. But this time, Freightliner has plans for a major restructuring after several meetings with union representatives and state and local officials. Last month, the truck maker won concessions from the four craft unions in Portland which represent representing nearly 1,200 machinists, painters, teamsters and janitors who voted 762-227 to accept cuts in pay and benefits. Spokesmen for Gov. John Kitzhaber and Mayor Vera Katz refused to discuss their talks with Freightliner. Union leaders declined to comment, and company spokesman Chris Brandt said decisions are being made by DaimlerChrysler. A restructuring plan was expected to be announced later this month, but it was moved up to Friday. On Thursday, Stark's News Service Interactive cited an unnamed source at DaimlerChrysler headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, who said Freightliner would close its Western Star plant in British Columbia and shift that operation to Portland. The automotive industry news service also reported that Freightliner planned to slash its white-collar work force by 20 percent - many of them at the truck maker's Portland headquarters. One company official, who declined to be identified, told The Oregonian that Western Star production in British Columbia had dropped to 15 trucks a day. Portland's daily production is 35 trucks and has a capacity of more than 100, the official said. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing