DORAVILLE, Ga. (AP) -- General Motors closes its Doraville (Georgia) assembly plant on Friday, idling some 1,000 workers --down from 3,100 a few years ago.
GM worker Ernest Jett was there when the first car rolled off the assembly line in 1947. He retired in 1990 but says he plans to be on hand to see the last vehicle roll off the line.
Regular GM workers, who now make up about a third of the plant's 1,000 workers, can choose to move to another GM plant, take a buyout or wait for a job in the automaker's job bank.
Mayor Ray Jenkins says losing the 61-year-old plant is the biggest thing ever to happen in Doraville, but city officials are optimistic about redevelopment of the 165-acre property.
