Obama to Give Speech About American Auto Workers in Shut Down Hybrid Car Plant

Katie Pavlich | January 07, 2015 8:45 AM

President Obama officially kicks off his pre-State of the Union Address tour today with travels to Michigan and Phoenix to tout what the administration calls an economic recovery.

While in Michigan, Obama will visit a Ford hybrid car plant and will give a speech about the resurgence of the American auto-worker. There's just one problem, it's shuttered. More from the Detroit News:

The White House confirmed Monday that President Barack Obama will visit Ford Motor Co.’s Michigan Assembly plant on Wednesday — a factory that is closed this week because of lagging demand for its small gasoline-powered and hybrid cars.

The visit — Obama’s ninth to a U.S. auto factory since taking office and 14th trip to Michigan — is expected to herald the dramatic turnaround of the U.S. auto industry. Automakers sold about 16.5 million vehicles in 2014 — the best annual sales performance since 2006 — as U.S. auto production topped 11 million for the first time since 2005.

The White House said Obama’s speech will highlight “the workers in the resurgent American automotive and manufacturing sector now that the auto rescue has been completed and the decision to save the auto industry and the over one million jobs that went with it.”

the Wayne factory that employs about 5,100 and makes the Focus gas-powered car and C-Max hybrid gasoline-electric car is shuttered this week because of falling demand caused in part by plummeting fuel prices. Autoworkers on temporary layoff get most of their pay.