United Auto Workers officials from Ford truck plants nationwide are being called to Michigan for a meeting Friday that could determine the fate of their plants as fuel prices soar and truck sales plummet.

Roger Terveen, president of UAW Local 879 in St. Paul, said that he and union Chairman Jim Eagle leave today for the meeting and expect to return late Friday. UAW local Chairman Bob Morris from Menomonie, Wis., will also attend the meeting.

Industry observers speculate that Ford may decide to convert some truck plants into car plants because truck sales are down considerably as gas prices move closer to $4.20 a gallon nationwide. Ford's car and truck sales fell 16 percent in May and are down 11 percent so far this year.

Terveen said the union doesn't know what will come of Friday's meeting. "We have no idea right now if it has something to do with the plant. It's a general meeting between the UAW and Ford Motor Company. The basis of the meeting is about the sales drop because of the gas prices, and about certain plants closing up as previously announced," he said.

"If there are any big announcements, we will call and let the leaders here know and get [word] out to the membership right away," Terveen said. "We'll have fliers typed up and handed to the members as fast as possible."

The St. Paul plant, which makes the Ranger pickup and has about 980 union workers, has been expected to close in September 2009 after several years of steep sales declines. Union members are pushing for more time, Terveen said, noting that headquarters has yet to respond.

The Ranger plant is one of 16 factories Ford planned to close in an attempt to hold off financial hemorrhaging. Ford lost $12.7 billion in 2006 and $2.7 billion in 2007.

The Ranger plant was scheduled to close this year but got a one-year extension in November after Ranger sales from Canada jumped because the falling U.S. dollar and rising gas prices made the small truck more attractive than larger models.

Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., visited Ford officials in Michigan last week, requesting that they keep the plant open. Ranger sales fell 24.7 percent in May compared with a year ago, to 7,239 trucks. However, year-to-date sales are up 2 percent, to 36,421 units.

"After meeting with Ford officials, I was assured that they would take another look at the viability of the St. Paul plant. I am hopeful," Coleman said Friday. "Sales of the Ford Ranger are proving that folks want fuel-efficient vehicles."

Coleman's request, one of many efforts by state and city officials, comes as gas prices surged to $4.09 a gallon in the Twin Cities, goosing sales of subcompact cars and scooters.

Dee DePass • 612-673-7725