UPDATED: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 --- 8:00 p.m.

JANESVILLE, Wis. (AP) -- General Motors Corp. says it will lay off about 113 workers from its Janesville plant starting in April.

The announcement isn't surprising, since GM warned a few months ago that the plant would be shut down for good in May or June.

The company stopped building SUVs at the plant just before Christmas. That decision left about 1,200 workers unemployed.

At the time GM said a crew would remain to complete an order for Isuzu.

GM informed the state Department of Workforce Development of the layoffs in a letter dated Wednesday.

The letter says about 70 of the remaining workers will be laid off starting on or about April 23. The others will be retained for a few more weeks to help guide the plant's shutdown.

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UPDATED Monday, July 14, 2008 --- 4:35 p.m.

NOTE: NBC15.com plans to carry tomorrow morning's news conference LIVE.

According to Detroit News:

General Motors Corp. plans to announce a wide-ranging cost-cutting plan Tuesday, following a Monday meeting of its board of directors, sources familiar with the plan said.

The company announced that GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner would hold news conference Tuesday "to discuss actions the company is taking to align the business to current market conditions," but declined further comment.

The plan is expected to address some of the issues that have sent GM's stock to historic lows, including shifting more production to cars from trucks and responding to the sharp decline in U.S. auto sales this year amid a worsening economy.

The company's stock fell 5.4 percent Monday to close at $9.38 a share, its lowest close in more than 50 years. GM's sales are down 16.3 percent in the first half of the year, and analysts say the company could face a liquidity crunch as early as next year.

The Detroit News learned that the company's board of directors met late Monday to approve the plan, which is expected to include additional job cuts and measures to boost the company's liquidity. Analysts have suggested that GM might seek to raise funds backed by its profitable overseas operations.

They say GM is burning cash at a monthly rate of between $1 billion and $5 billion. The company reported in April that it had $24 billion of cash on hand and a $7 billion line of credit at the end of the first quarter.

Wagoner is expected to announce the plan publicly at GM's downtown Detroit headquarters at 9 a.m. EDT Tuesday after briefing employees. A conference call for financial analysts and the media will follow at 11:15 a.m. The call will be hosted by Wagoner along with other members of the GM senior leadership team including President Fritz Henderson, Chief Financial Officer Ray Young and Vice Chairman Bob Lutz.

Wagoner sought Thursday to quash speculation that the automaker was heading for bankruptcy and said it had plenty of access to cash to weather the current downturn. Speaking to reporters following a speech in Dallas, Wagoner said that the automaker has "no thoughts whatsoever" of bankruptcy. "Under any scenario we can imagine, our financial position, or cash position, will remain robust through the rest of this year."

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Posted: Monday, July 14 at 5:15
GM Job Preps
Reported by Chris Papst

Pat Thom has lived her entire life in Janesville. Both her parents worked at the GM plant. And now she will carry on the family tradition of working at the plant, but not in a way she wanted.

"Well my dad worked there his entire life. My mom worked there," said Pat Thom. "It is such an important institution for the community and then personally. I was sorry to see it go."

Last month, GM announced that its assembly plant in Janesville will close by 2010. The closure not only affects the plants 2600 workers, but also the entire city. In an effort help, the UW Rock County has created a class designed for the displaced workers.

Said Assitant Dean of Students Steve Ullrick, "We were just trying to offer up some opportunities for people if they wanted to go back and get a degree. If they did stay with GM it is a way for them to move up the ladder."

The class, which is worth three credits, is called Interpersonal Communications. Students will learn verbal and non-verbal communication, listen skills, conflict resolution, interviewing an more.

"It is something that is a good skill no matter what you get into and a good intro into what a college class is like," added Ullrick.

The course is offered on Thursdays starting in September from 5:30 to 8 in the evening. It will be held at the GM plant, and be taught by lifelong Janesville resident Pat Thom.

Added Thom, "My biggest goal is to instill confidence in these people, particularly people who have never taken a college course before. I want them to understand that they can do this."

The class costs about $500 plus books. Students not enrolled in the school will have to fill out a simple application.

"They will enjoy it. It will be a good experience for them," She added.

Any student at the UW can take the class. The GM tuition reimbersment program for this course is also open to company spouses.

This Friday, from nine in the morning until noon, UW Rock County will host a free session to help people who are considering going back to college.

Advisors, campus tours and career searches will be available.

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Monday, July 14, 2008 --- 4:25 p.m.

DETROIT (AP) -- General Motors Corp. is planning to announce some restructuring moves Tuesday in response to falling U.S. sales.

GM said Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner will discuss the changes at a news conference in the morning. The company released no further details.

GM has been hammered by high gas prices, the weak economy and a rapid shift in consumer tastes away from trucks and sport utility vehicles. The automaker's sales were down 16 percent in the first six months of this year, while its stock price has hit 50-year lows in recent weeks.

GM announced last month it would close four truck and SUV plants and boost production of several cars. But analysts have suggested the company needs to do more as sales continue to slide, including cutting more jobs and raising cash for a turnaround.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)