NORFOLK - The 2,275 union employees of Ford Motor Co.'s assembly plant here may have the option of five severance packages, including those offering college tuition and a $100,000 lump-sum payment.

The automaker stunned the city Thursday by announcing that the 81-year-old Norfolk plant will shut down in 2008 . The facility makes the popular F-150 truck.

As for what workers at recently closed Ford plants - such as th e facility in Lorain, Ohio - have received, Hoyt and others from Ford said Friday they did not have access to that data because they were out of the office for Good Friday. Union leaders in those communities also could not be reached.

n Workers wishing to upgrade their education could receive up to $15,000 for college tuition for four years if they have at least one year of service. Those enrolled in this program could receive half their pay and keep their health insurance while in school.

n Workers 55 and older with more than 30 years on the job could receive a $35,000 check along with full retirement benefits including health insurance.

n Workers 55 and older with 10 or more years of experience could receive a fixed income for life, depending on how long they have worked for Ford.

n Workers with at least 28 years of service could go on leave with 85 percent of their pay for two years until they reach 30 years of service, at which point they could retire as normal.

"I just hope we get as much as other plants get," said Chris Kimmons, president of United Auto Workers Local 919, which represents the Norfolk Ford workers.

His members receive between $19.50 and $26 an hour in base pay, not counting premiums such as for working different shifts, according to Local 919.

Employees could turn down the offers and stick with Ford in the hope of being transferred. However , with Ford planning to trim around 30,000 jobs and close 14 plants, such moves appear unlikely.

The current contract between Ford and the UAW calls for employees who are laid off to receive nearly full pay. However, that contract expires next year, leaving some uncertainty for the Norfolk workers.

The next labor agreement will likely be less generous to workers, given the financial troubles of Ford and General Motors Corp., said William R. Johnson, an economics professor at the University of Virginia.

Whatever Ford doesn't provide, spokesmen for the state and city say, those governmental units will do what they can to help the workers begin new careers. Yet, they also say, it's too early to be making plans.

The state spends $62.5 million annually on training programs and other employment services, according to Kevin Hall, spokesman for Gov. Timothy M. Kaine. About half of that amount is federal dollars that the state controls, he said.

Factory workers who lose their jobs are typically paid up to 20 percent less at their next job, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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