Chrysler wants to rehire white-collar workers

After two years of brutal slashing that left the company unable to produce new vehicles, knowledgeable sources say Chrysler Group now plans to bring back some of the salaried workers it had cut and ask its current employees to start putting in overtime.

The driving force behind the change is CEO Sergio Marchionne’s desire to get some fresh and refreshed product to dealers. Among the targeted vehicles are the Belvidere trio: the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Patriot; the Town & Country and Caravan and the PT Cruiser, which Marchionne saved from the chopping block in one of his first product moves after taking over the Auburn Hills automaker. The Fiat SpA CEO wants to get the job done in 18 months instead of the usual 24-36 months.

To make this happen, employees working in the design, engineering and product development groups will be asked to begin working overtime and a small number of workers who were laid off or accepted buyouts late last year will be asked to return.

The plan must be approved by Chrysler’s board and the federal government.