ASSEMBLY PLANT SAFETY TOUR
Unifor workers gearing up for return
Unifor Local 444 president Dave Cassidy confirmed on Friday that FCA Canada will push back the final production day for the Dodge Grand Caravan three months and the union is lobbying for an extension of the third shift at the Windsor Assembly Plant.
FCA previously announced the last day of Grand Caravan production would be May 22, with the third shift ending on July 13.
Cassidy toured the plant with FCA executives for more than two hours on Friday to observe the health and safety measures the company has implemented in preparation for a May 19 restart.
“The change for (the end of production for) the RT Caravan is Aug. 22,” Cassidy said.
“We’re also pushing very hard on extending the third shift past July 13. We’ve already had five extensions and we’re going for a sixth. We’re not there yet.”
FCA Canada head of communications Lou Gosselin said the company had no comment on any changes to the production dates for the Grand Caravan, and its position on the third shift is unchanged at this time.
“FCA is adjusting the start date of the two-shift operation at the Windsor Assembly Plant to begin on July 13,” Gosselin said.
FCA Canada will restart all of its Canadian operations on May 19 and a day earlier in its U.S. plants.
Ford and General Motors are also intent on resuming their North American operations along similar schedules.
Ford Canada’s Oakville assembly complex will restart on May 25 after its two Windsor engine plants will return to production on May 19.
The first group of Windsor Assembly employees return to the plant next week to prepare the machinery and production lines that have sat idle since March 18.
“It will be all the skilled trades, so over 600 people, and 350 team leaders,” Cassidy said.
Cassidy said FCA hopes to gradually build production up to three shifts.
“That’s the $1-million question,” said Cassidy of how quickly production would be ramped up.
“They would like to bring back one shift the first week, have two shifts the following week, and three shifts after that. We’re still talking about how they plan to do that.”
Cassidy said cash flow is going to be key for automakers in their restarts, and he admitted to lobbying the FCA chief operating officer for the North America group to push the affordable Dodge Grand Caravan in the market.
“I asked him to push the Caravan on both the retail and fleet sales side to create some revenue for FCA,” Cassidy said.
On Friday’s tour, Unifor representatives went through the entire process workers will experience upon their return to the plant.
“The tour was very well done,” said Cassidy, who added Unifor and FCA Canada had worked together closely on the health and safety plan.
Cassidy lauded FCA for its transparency and communication throughout the planning process, along with all the area’s automotive suppliers where Local 444 has members.
When Windsor Assembly workers return to the plant, they’ll be greeted by a large white tent at plant entrances where they’ll have their temperature taken.
They’ll also have to answer questions regarding their health, travel history and potential exposure to COVID-19 in others before entering the sprawling facility.
In addition, the company has posted a large banner listing eight measures that have been enacted to keep everyone safe.
The measures include: increased cleanliness, sanitization, distancing, new certifications, restricting visitors, holding virtual meetings, providing cleaning supplies at work stations, and controlling numbers in washrooms and common areas.
“The biggest changes are the spacing of the work stations and they’ve created social distancing with Plexiglas walls,” Cassidy said.
“They’ve got footprints on the floor to guide people where to walk.”
Despite all the company’s efforts to protect employees physically, Cassidy concedes there’s a mental side of returning to work that will also require attention.
“There are going to be concerns and anxieties among our members,” Cassidy said.
“There are concerns from our members with underlying health conditions because COVID-19 is still around. With schools still being out, we also have to look at the childcare issue.
“We’re going to work through things with people.”