Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005 | 9:34 a.m.
DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. expects that about 400 of the 2,750 salaried jobs it plans to eliminate this year will be forced layoffs, according to an internal memo to workers from the automaker's chief operating officer, which was obtained by the Free Press.
Ford employs 35,000 salaried workers in the United States -- most of them in Michigan -- and the Aug. 19 memo from James Padilla was the first time anxious employees were given a glimpse into how many of them might be forced out at Ford, where involuntary dismissals remain uncommon.
The memo underscores the environment American automakers and their workers face as U.S. consumers purchase more foreign vehicles and blockbuster incentive programs, such as those that promote employee pricing, eat into profit.
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