Ford workers to start getting engine plants up to speed

Unifor Local 200 president John D’agnolo confirmed Friday 187 Ford workers will return to work Monday at the company’s two Windsor engine plants to start preparing the facilities for an anticipated restart in May.

“It’s a cold start, something we haven’t done, and we have to make sure the machinery is ready to go for a restart coming as they hope in early May,” D’agnolo said.

“We’ve never had these machines down for more than three days in a row. We don’t know what the reaction will be, but we’ve got to get the fluids flowing through them.”

The Windsor Annex and Essex Engine plants have sat idle since March 20 after Ford shut down its North American operations because of the COVID -19 pandemic.

There will be 90 workers returning to the Annex plant, evenly split between skilled trades and production, and 97 recalled at Essex Engine. There will be 52 production workers and 45 skilled trades at that facility.

Workers will be canvassed on their interest in returning to work based on seniority. The 187 workers will join the 28 employees

Normally these machines are running around the clock.

making plastic face shields at the Windsor engine plant since early April.

“(Workers) have an option, if they’re not confident and comfortable, of not going back,” D’agnolo said. “The company recognizes the situation. Those that do will see all the safety measures that have been put in place.”

The new measures include thermal temperature checks, health-related questions, masks, plastic face shields and gloves. Individual work areas will also have cleaning stations allowing employees to wipe down their machines when they wish.

“They have a playbook for everything from going to the cafeteria to the bathroom,” D’agnolo said.

“Social distancing won’t be a problem because so few workers will be in the plant. Now that the company can produce its own masks and plastic shields, PPE isn’t going to be a problem either.”

D’agnolo admitted a lot of what will happen beyond the certainty of Monday’s return, remains unpredictable.

“The new Godzilla program, the 7.3-litre engine, hasn’t even been run yet,” D’agnolo said. “We don’t know for sure we’re restarting in May, but we have to be sure we’re ready. Normally these machines are running around the clock.”

Ford is particularly eager to get its truck-producing plants, its most profitable operations, back online. The Windsor engine plants service those plants in Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri and Michigan.

D’agnolo said based on his conversations with local workers, they largely share that eagerness to get the company back on its feet.

“Most workers I’ve talked to recognize the importance of selling vehicles because of their future,” D’agnolo said.

“They’re worried about the future of the company — if things keep going down, nobody buying vehicles and the economy is struggling. They’re not worried about this layoff — it’s a bigger, permanent problem in the future they ’re really worried about.”

D’agnolo added if the industry does restart next month, Ford hasn’t detailed what that restart will require in terms of shifts and the numbers of employees immediately recalled.

“Whether those plants restart in early May is going to be up to the governors of those states,” D’agnolo said. “When they do restart, (the provincial government) knows they don’t have a choice, but to allow us to follow. They know how integrated the industry is between us, the U.S. and Mexico.”