Michelin considers layoffs
Company will make temporary changes in wake of COVID-19.
Michelin will be scaling back production at its plants in Nova Scotia including its site in Granton, Pictou County as it responds to the business changes caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Michelin has started partial shutdowns at our three Nova Scotia plants,” spokesperson Nicolle Vuotto confirmed in an email earlier this week. “Each plant will have different partial shutdown situations. Because of the complexity involved, we are not sharing detailed information on how each individual plant will be affected.”
Last Friday the tire company had announced it would begin “temporary, phased shutdown of some of its tire production facilities in the United States and Canada due to the broad effects of COVID-19.
“This phased suspension of some manufacturing will begin immediately and, based on the current outlook, will last for at least two weeks.”
The affected production excludes “vital and critical tires for the country’s economic continuity and distribution and logistics operations will continue for existing inventories, Michelin said.
Michelin’s Nova Scotia operations in Bridgewater, Granton and Waterville employ more than 3,000 people. The Pictou County plant has been in Nova Scotia for almost 50 years – they made their first tire in 1971.
At a news conference for COVID-19 on March 20, Business Minister Geoff MacLellan said he spoke with Andrew Mutch, president of Michelin’s Canadian operations, earlier that day.
“With respect to Michelin directly, they are obviously following all the health protocols while maintaining a certain amount of their operation in the near future,” MacLellan said.
“So, Andrew and his team understand the impact of COVID-19 and how it’s hitting our economy, hitting his workers and their families and they’re going to do the best to keep their employees whole, make sure as many as possible can be a part of the continuing production, but at the same time follow the public safety messages first and foremost and make sure we keep people safe.”
Michelin said it “remains focused on the health and well-being of its employees and communities and the company is developing plans and revising policies to mitigate the financial impacts of this temporary shutdown on its employees.”