Local DMAX workers return to work today
A select group of DMAX workers will return to their jobs today for the first shift, according to a General Motors spokesman and an employee at the plant.
DMAX, a producer of die- sel truck engines in Moraine, is among a trio of General Motors plants planning to restart production today
“The DMAX employees will begin to return to work tomorrow,” GM spokesman Dan Flores said Sunday. “Employees who need to return have been notified via normal communication channels.”
Once arriving at the plant, employees will have to go through our safety protocols and then complete a comprehensive safety orientation before production resumes, Flores added.
“Flint Assembly will resume production next Monday, 5/18 on one shift,” Flores also said. “As you probably know, DMAX engines largely go to Flint Assembly for our heavy duty Silverado and Sierra pickups.”
Two other plants that support vehicle assembly are also slated to start back today, according to the Detroit Free Press: a components operation in Lockport, N.Y., which makes radiators, condensers, heater cores, HVAC assemblies and oil coolers; and the St. Catharines Propulsion plant in Ontario, Can- ada, a plant that produces engines and a transmission for various vehicles.
The DMAX pla n t on Dryden Road sends diesel engines to a GM plant in Flint, Mich., where the engines are to be built into the new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra HDs (heavyduty) trucks.
GM has been targeting May 18 as a general restart date for a variety of facilities.
“Considerable planning is underway to restart operations in North America,” GM said in its May 6 earn- ings report. “Based on con- versations and collaboration with unions and government officials, GM is targeting to restart the majority of man- ufacturing operations on May 18 in the U.S. and Can- ada under extensive safety measures.”
GM says it has never ceased construction on a $175 million DMAX plant in Brookville, which will supply the older Moraine DMAX plant. The newest GM-DMAX plant will have more than 100 employees making components for Duramax diesel truck engines when construction is complete by the end of 2020, GM has said.
The newplant will operate concurrently with the original DMAX plant in Moraine, sending the older plant machined engine components for assembly.
Honda announced last week that it will gradually restart Ohio and other U.S. and Canadian plants beginning today. A Honda spokesman said Friday that all Ohio Honda employees will report in this week.