Pennsylvania truck company blames tariffs as it announces huge layoffs

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Raw Story

April 18, 2025 8:41AM ET


Mack Trucks will lay off between 250 and 350 workers at its Lehigh Valley Operations center outside Allentown over the next three months, due to economic uncertainty caused by U.S. tariffs, a company spokesperson said Thursday.

“Heavy-duty truck orders continue to be negatively affected by market uncertainty about freight rates and demand, possible regulatory changes, and the impact of tariffs,” spokesperson Kimberly Pupillo said. “Today we informed our employees that this unfortunately means we’ll have to lay off 250-350 people at LVO over the next 90 days,” Pupillo said. “We regret having to take this action, but we need to align production with reduced demand for our vehicles.”

Union leaders announced the company had confirmed layoffs Thursday afternoon. The plant in Macungie employs around 1,200 workers. “Due to the market being in decline, there will be a rate and line reduction. I have heard all the same rumors you guys have heard. This is the first time I have an official word from the company that there will be a layoff,” United Auto Workers Local 677 shop chair Tim Hertzog said in a letter posted on the union’s Facebook page Thursday.

State Rep. Josh Siegel (D-Lehigh) said the layoffs are “a clear signal of the dangerous economic instability being fueled by the Trump administration’s chaotic tariff policies.”

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/pennsylvania-truck-company-blames-tariffs-for-huge-layoffs/

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As a kid growing up in Philly, we used to compare getting the flu to like "being hit by a Mack truck". Never realized that for over a century, the company was headquartered here in PA (only recently moving to NC).

The location of that factory is in a reddish purple area that has switched back and forth between red/blue (they have a (D) State Rep). The town mentioned (Macungie) is in PA-7 that was once Susan Wild's seat and was flipped to red by Ryan Mackenzie in 2024. I expect he won't have any "in person" Town Halls and I just found this article about the "competing" Town Halls late last month - his being a "telephone" one and Democrats crashing the party with a People's Town Hall nearby - A tale of two town halls: 'People's Town Hall' in Bethlehem, Congressman Mackenzie's telephone Town Hall