At UAW's Request, Detroit Three Sign on to Rotating Shutdowns

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

At the urging of the United Auto Workers to do more to protect U.S. Detroit Three autoworkers, Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler have agreed to new coronavirus-fighting measures.

While the UAW initially pressed for a two-week production shutdown, the result of Tuesday’s talks was a series of rotating partial shutdowns, the union announced late last night. The move comes after extra disinfecting and social distancing measures announced by the Detroit Three late last week. It also comes as two new coronavirus cases appear at product development centers in Michigan.

Those cases are at Ford’s Dearborn campus and GM’s Warren Technical Center — coming days after a Fiat Chrysler employee tested positive for the virus at an Indiana transmission plant. Employees who came into contact with all three individuals have been ordered into self-quarantine for two weeks.

As for the UAW-Detroit Three pact, more details are expected Wednesday, though the union did state that “all three companies have agreed to review and implement the rotating partial shutdown of facilities, extensive deep cleaning of facility and equipment between shifts, extended periods between shifts, and extensive plans to avoid member contact.”

The three automakers will also focus on shift rotation to further curtail viral transmission.

In addition to the new protective measures, the automakers have “agreed to work with us in Washington, D.C., on behalf of our members as we manage the disruption in the industry,” the UAW said.

[Image: Fiat Chrysler]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • JEFFSHADOW JEFFSHADOW on Mar 18, 2020

    I just ordered my 2020 Challenger GT Plus in the "Hellraisen" color yesterday so a slight delay in production is no problem. . .

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