Employees at VW’s Chattanooga plant got March 16 off to sort out childcare issues related to recent school closures.
As auto plants in China closed by COVID-19 struggle to re-open, car plants in the U.S. and Western Europe are beginning to shut in face of the spreading virus, which in less than three months claimed thousands of victims around the world.
Volkswagen of America said it had shut its assembly plants in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The move came in response to a decision by local officials in eastern Tennessee to close schools, creating childcare issues for hundreds of workers.
“We are providing paid time off to production and maintenance employees as well as production support staff for Monday, March 16,” a VOA spokeswoman said in an e-mail.
(UAW, Detroit automakers set up coronavirus task force.)
“This is in response to the decision last week to close schools, so that these employees can take time to plan, to assess childcare needs and make any arrangements necessary. Our office areas will continue normal operations on Monday. Regular production will resume Tuesday, March 17.”
Ford is getting increased pressure from workers at its Kentucky Truck Plant to close.
Ford also said it was closing a plant in Valelncia, after three employees tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) within a 24-hour span, a spokesman for the automotive company said Sunday.
In addition, Ford also has come under pressure from workers at the Kentucky Truck plant to shut after local authorities also in Kentucky began to close up public activities in face of the virus.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. also said that the its assembly plant in Windsor, Ontario, across the river from Detroit, is expected to operate as scheduled, starting Monday, after employees expressed concern about a possible outbreak of the virus.
(Fever pitch: Coronavirus pandemic taking increasing toll on auto industry.)
The virus has become an issue among blue-collar workers, many of whom are more than 50 years age and thus at greater risk from infections, according to health experts, even as carmakers have begun giving workers permission to work from home if they can.
Fiat Chrysler’s Windsor, Ontario plant that produces the Chrysler Pacifica will remain open.
General Motors, Ford, FCA, Nissan and Toyota are now allowing salaried employees to work from home as the concern over the spread of the virus continues to mount and schools, entertainment and sporting even shut to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The United Auto Workers, GM, Ford and FCA also announced they were setting up a task force are organizing a COVID-19/Coronavirus Task Force to study and implement enhanced protections for manufacturing and warehouse employees at all three companies in the face of virus outbreak across the U.S.
UAW President Rory Gamble, GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra, Ford President and CEO Jim Hackett, Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Michael Manley will lead the task force.
“Workplace health and safety is a priority for us every day, all three companies have been taking steps to keep the COVID-19/coronavirus out of their facilities and during this national emergency, we will do even more working together,” said the UAW’s Gamble, who convened the leaders of all three companies.
(GM tells employees, contractors to work from home.)
“We are focused on doing the right thing for our people, their families, our communities and the country. All options related to protecting against exposure to the virus are on the table,” Gamble said.