Sheet Metal Stamping Simulation

Maryland is benefitting. In January, the automaker announced electric motors will be produced at its transmission plant in White Marsh, creating hundreds of jobs. GM says it will invest $23.5 million more so the plant can also manufacture a new electric component, and that will add 11 jobs.

"Now these new jobs might seem small in number for the big financial investment, but this is the beginning, the downpayment. This is not about jobs today, it's about jobs tomorrow," said Senator Barbara Mikulski.

"We've got to work every single day to save jobs, create jobs, improve the conditions that allow us to make the transformation into this cleaner, greener economy," said Governor Martin O'Malley.

GM says it's making the investment here because it has a good relationship with the union and the plant remains competitive.

A worker who survived two GM shutdowns says he loves his current work environment, where worker input is respected.

"We stop the line, fix it immediately if something is wrong. The people have more hands-on control of the product as it comes out so they have much more pride in what they do," said GM worker Dave Ruppert.

When GM's new Equinox, which runs on a fuel cell, starts production, Maryland hopes it can get in on that action, too.