- Fiat Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford will suspend production at their plants, the Associated Press, citing an unnamed source familiar with the meeting between the UAW and the automakers, reports today.
- The UAW and the automakers had formed a task force on Sunday to deal with the spreading virus and protect workers from it.
- This is a developing story; we will update as more information becomes available.
Ford, Fiat Chrysler, and General Motors have agreed to suspend production at their factories due to concerns of COVID-19 spreading among employees, according to a report from the Associated Press. Details on the closure are expected to be disclosed later this afternoon.
An agreement to the closure of plants would be a surprise turn of events, as last night the United Auto Workers and the three automakers agreed to not shut down plants. Instead, the group opted for changes in shifts to avoid close contact and implementing deep cleans of factories, all of which would be coordinated through the task force put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the plants. Yesterday afternoon, UAW leadership demanded that the manufacturers close their plants in order to protect workers.
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The AP reported that the shutdown would impact roughly 150,000 workers. They would likely receive supplemental pay in addition to state unemployment, together equaling what the workers normally make.
As of yesterday, all three of the manufacturers have each had one employee test positive for COVID-19. Across the U.S., 5,881 people have tested positive for the virus and it has caused 107 deaths, according to the New York Times.
Colin Beresford, a born and raised metro Detroiter, has been surrounded by the auto industry his entire life. For most of his formative years, he didn’t know who in their right mind would drive anything but an American-made car. He’s passionate about all the ways that people get around, even if it doesn’t involve a car or a driver. What he looks for in a vehicle is simple: it needs to be able to get him where the skiing, climbing, backpacking, or fly fishing is.
