P.M. BRIEFING : Auto Plants Downtime Extended

The new year will start off with a two-week extension on holiday vacations for about 41,650 auto workers as the Big Three auto makers continue a shutdown because of big inventories and low orders, officials said today.

General Motors Corp. and Chrysler Corp. will shut 17 assembly plants for the three-production-day week of Jan. 2. All Ford Motor Co. assembly plants will operate that week.

All the GM and Chrysler plants will remain closed through the week of Jan. 7 except for GM’s factory in Wilmington, Del.

No Big Three assembly plants will operate for the week of Dec. 24 because of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

Auto workers affected by the layoffs are eligible for United Auto Workers benefit packages designed to provide them with 95% of their wages while on layoff.