CHICAGO HEIGHTS | The Ford Chicago Heights Stamping Plant put 160 of its 800 hourly workers on indefinite layoff Friday.

Bill Jackson, president of United Auto Workers Local 588, said the layoff was triggered by the production cut at the Chicago Ford Assembly Plant. The plant, at the intersection of 126th Street and Torrence Avenue, laid off 792 hourly employees, including about 600 temporary workers, on Friday as it cut one of its two operating shifts.

About 60 percent of the local stamping plant's production is for the Chicago plant that produces the Ford Taurus, Taurus X, Mercury Sable and Lincoln MKS. The stamping plant's remaining production is split between eight and ten other assembly plants, Jackson said.

The layoffs were done by inverse seniority, Jackson said. The seniority cut-off date was determined by the bargaining committee that has worked on the layoff plan since it learned in September that the Chicago Ford Assembly Plant was cutting production to one shift, he said.

"All will be on sub-pay and some form of (workman's) compensation," Jackson said.

According to the UAW contract, sub-pay lasts for 48 weeks and -- with unemployment -- provides workers with 90 percent of their take-home pay for a 40-hour work week, minus certain deductions including union dues, he said.

The plant also is losing about 25 hourly workers who elected to take one of the 10 buy-out packages offered at the two area Ford plants and at several of the company's other locations. Most of those taking the buy-out are workers with at least 30 years of service and are eligible for retirement, Jackson said.

The indefinite layoff won't end until we "make more cars, sell more cars, make other models on the line and turn around the economy," he said.

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealers reported total sales of 116,734 in September, a 34 percent drop from the same month in 2007. October sales are scheduled to be announced Monday.