Nissan Offers Buyouts to Tenn. Workers

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Nissan North America says its Tennessee hourly employees are eligible for a buyout offer that it hopes will slim its ranks.

The company, hit by slowing sales worldwide in 2006, will give $45,000 plus $500 for each year of service for eligible employees at the company's Decherd, Tenn., engine plant and its sprawling Smyrna, Tenn., assembly plant. The voluntary package is not being offered to workers at the company's Mississippi factory.

Though Nissan says its Altima sedan and coming coupe will boost sales, the vehicles are less complex to build. Its trucks - Titan, Armada, and Pathfinder - have been hit more by sales drops.

Nissan is giving employees until March 13 to decide whether they will resign or retire from the company under the package deal.

“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.”

Nissan says it employs 5200 hourly employees at its vehicle assembly plant in Smyrna, and 1000 hourly employees at its powertrain assembly plant in Decherd.

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