PORTLAND, Ore. -- Freightliner announced Tuesday it will end production at its plant in Portland by 2010.

About 900 workers in Portland will be impacted by the move, which is part of the company's strategy to deal with lower demand.

The Portland plant, where heavy duty trucks are built, will close in June 2010, when current labor contracts expire.

Freightliner workers said Daimler Trucks North America is greedy and they blame the free trade agreement for shipping jobs to Mexico.

"It's tearing America apart, we've got to repeal it," said Delbert Greer, who stands to lose his job. "We've got to keep good jobs in America -- you ain't gonna raise your sons and daughters on Starbuck's and McDonald's."

The company will end production of one truck line and will move production of its "Western Star" line to a plant in Santiago, Mexico. Freightliner's military vehicle production will be moved to the Carolinas.

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski said the closure is "disappointing news, particularly at such a challenging time for our state and national economy."

The end of production at the 39 year-old manufacturing plant will not affect the location or operation of the company's Daimler headquarters in Portland.

"We are very mindful of the effects these decisions will have on the lives of many of our employees and on our Sterling dealers' businesses," said Chris Patterson, President and CEO of Daimler Trucks North America.

The company recently relocated sales, marketing and customer support staff to Fort Mill, S.C. About 2,200 employees remain in Portland's Swan Island location and neighboring satellite offices.

In addition to Portland, Daimler Trucks will also close a plant in Ontario, Canada. In all, about 2,300 workers in Canada and Portland will be affected by the mid-2010 change.

Patterson said the company is committed to "taking measures to ease the transition for all those affected."

Freightliner Plans To Close Portland Plant In 2010