"The Escape's already gone, they've already announced that, and I think if they haven't already started to retool Louisville, Kentucky, it's close," Jeff Wright, president of the United Auto Workers Local 249 told DetNews.
The decision to move the Escape production will add to the problems the factory already has due to the phasing out of the Mercury brand. Escape's Mercury brother, the Mariner, is also produced here.
The move of production would mean that 4,000 workers employed by Ford in Missouri would be left to produce only the F-150, with the shutdown of the plant a real possibility, should a new model not be found to replace the Escape.
The state of Missouri is preparing a bill which will allow $15 million to be offered each year to the carmakers which maintain jobs in the state. In return for this money, the state is taking into consideration making the new state employees contribute 4 percent toward their pension funds. The retirement age for state workers will also be increased to 67.
"Some people don't realize that we're not competing just against other states for this plant, a lot of cases we're competing with other countries," Jim Hampton of the Clay County Economic Development Council tried to motivate the measures.
"Anyone would love to have a plant of this magnitude in their neighborhood. You create four or five thousand good paying jobs. Family sustaining kind of jobs. Everybody wants these kinds of jobs. We have it here, we just need to be competitive and keep it."
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