LORDSTOWN - The General Motors Corp. Lordstown Complex will switch to a four-day, 10-hour work schedule starting Aug. 10, a week after production resumes, plant officials announced Friday.

Starting times have yet to be determined, they said.

The schedule will help trim costs for GM, said Jim Graham, president of United Auto Workers Local 1112 at the Lordstown East assembly plant,

"The (UAW) International and locals are committed to help GM through this period," he said.

Graham noted the schedule will be a little tougher because of the extra two hours in the plant, but he added workers will get three days off on the four-day week and two days off on a five-day week. He said workers might be called in for a fifth day if the plant runs overtime.

Complex spokesman Tom Mock said saving on utilities is the main reason for the four-day shifts. He added that officials are looking at options to boost production later in the year.

"Dealers say they need our cars. That's the first good economic news we've gotten this year," he said.

Except for general assembly production workers, the complex still is set to resume production Aug. 3 on a normal eight-hour, five-day schedule, plant officials said.

General assembly workers won't return until Aug. 5 to allow time for Chevrolet Cobalt small cars to work their way from the Metal Center fabricating plant through the paint shop and chassis to the assembly area, Graham said.

About 1,200 members of Local 1112's 3,400 members will be recalled in the assembly plant. Another 640 of 990 members of Local 1714 at the Metal Center are slated to be recalled.

Graham said the union hopes the complex can return to two shifts by year's end, partly because training will begin for the Chevrolet Cruze car the plant is scheduled to launch in April but also because Cobalt sales may start to rebound.

The supply of unsold Cobalts stood about 90 units at the daily sales rate; the number was 190 at the end of March, triggering the June 1 shutdown. It was Lordstown's first total production halt for economic reasons since the assembly plant opened in April 1966, according to union leaders.

lringler@tribtoday.com