Nissan Offers Voluntary Separation Package to Hourly Mfg . Employees in Tenn.

Photos: Nissan

Nissan North America, Inc. is offering a Voluntary Transition Program for its hourly production and maintenance technicians at manufacturing plants in Smyrna and Decherd, Tenn. The program includes a $45,000 lump sum payment and an additional $500 for each year of service. The program will not be offered to employees at other Nissan manufacturing locations in North America.

Productivity in Nissan’s Tennessee plants has always been high, and gains continue to outpace low employee attrition levels. Also, higher demand for passenger cars, such as the Altima sedan and soon-to-be-released Altima Coupe, combined with lower demand for trucks and sport utility vehicles results in a manufacturing mix that is less labor-intensive to build and that requires fewer assembly workers. Through this program, employment levels can be reduced in a way that benefits both the hourly employees and the company’s assembly requirements.

Because the program is offered on a voluntary basis, overall acceptance rates will depend on individual employee decisions. Employees will have until March 13 to decide whether they want to participate and, if they so choose, will resign or retire from the company by June 30.

“We will provide our hourly employees with as much information as they need to make an informed decision, and we expect around 300 will accept the program,” said Dan Gaudette, senior vice president of North American Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management. “If they choose to take advantage of this offer, we’ll do our best to help them make a smooth transition into the next phase of their lives.”