100 plus jobs to be cut in Middleville

MIDDLEVILLE, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - It's no secret that Michigan is struggling, on Wednesday we learned that the state's unemployment rate jumped again.

Michigan still leads the nation, now with 12.9 percent unemployment, and economists say it'll definitely get worse before getting better. They say it could average as much as 14 percent in 2009 and jump another point before the end of 2010.

The trickle down affect from the troubles of the big automakers is to blame for many of those who are losing their jobs, and now an additional 100 or more will soon be out of work in Barry County, where Metaldyne is closing down.

Metaldyne makes oil pumps and other parts for the auto industry.

For many, Metaldyne is just another peasant sent to the guillotine in a seemingly endless line of carnage from the auto industry, but for Steve Decker and 109 of his coworkers, it's much more.

"you spend more time with the people you work with than your family, so it's gonna be a little bit harder not to see a lot of the people, but you've gotta go on," said Decker.

For Decker and his wife, moving on to a new job is not just important, it's imperative. His wife was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis ten years ago.

"We have to have insurance," said Decker. "She's doing good compared to a lot of people with M.S., she just can't work."

The two of them depend on Steve's income, and medical bills are a constant struggle.

"She goes down to a specialty clinic in Ann Arbor, and every time she goes down, our portion of the bill is $200," said Decker.

When his insurance for Metaldyne expires in August, his wife's treatments will require payment in full, so Decker may have to swallow his pride for the sake of his wife.

"I'm going to have to find a job, even if it's barely able to make ends meet," said Decker, "I have to have the benefits."

Metaldyne spokeswoman Marge Sorge said Wednesday the plant will close by Aug. 31. Eighty-seven hourly and 23 salaried employees will lose their jobs.

Sorge says the Middleville facility is closing in response to extended assembly plant shutdowns by Chrysler, uncertainty surrounding GM's future and the overall downturn in the auto industry and economy.