State Representative Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, issued the following statement in response to Friday’s announcement by Stellantis that upwards of 1,641 employees at the Belvidere Assembly Plant could face layoffs in July:
“I am discouraged to learn about the anticipated layoffs at the Belvidere Assembly Plant this summer. I hope this decision will not be permanent. We will do everything we can to support these jobs staying in our region. We also need to support the workers already impacted by recent shut downs at the plant by making sure their unemployment applications are processed quickly and securely, an area where the state has fallen short throughout the pandemic.
“I continue to push for immediate re-opening of IDES offices for in-person services to help expedite the process of assisting local families in need. My bill (HR 226) has 32 bipartisan co-sponsors who believe like I do that we need to help these workers and their families NOW.”