share. The North American auto industry was closed in mid-March after a wave of wildcat strikes and other job actions in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, along with Ontario, Canada, over the refusal of the automakers and the United Auto Workers union to shut the plants, despite workers falling ill. We'll see if FCA can hold to this May 4 date or if more social distancing will be in order. Over the past several weeks, as many as 15 deaths of hourly FCA plant workers have been linked to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Updated June 8: Nissan (Smyrna, Tenn.) and Volvo (Ridgeville, S.C.) resume production. AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said Monday that it intends to slowly restart its U.S. and Canadian manufacturing facilities, including its … FCA plans to reopen most of its US and Canadian production plants on May 18, though its facility in Belvidere, Illinois, will remain closed until June 1. The worker from Toledo Jeep denounced the UAW’s attempts to pose as defenders of workers’ health and safety. The $2.5 trillion stimulus bill is designed to delay your biggest monthly bills. The automaker has tentatively penned May 4 as the date to resume production across several of its brands in the Detroit area. “We need that. In opposition to the nationalism of the UAW, these committees should unite with workers in Mexico and Canada and organize cross-border struggles. ... Jeep Wrangler . Toledo Police are investigating an incident Tuesday morning where a woman was struck by a car as six Dodge Ram trucks were stolen off the lot of the Jeep Plant. “What really angers me is how the union tried to take credit for the shutdown in March. Also today on Speed Lines: Ford expects a $600 million hit in Q1 alone thanks to coronavirus. FCA says its Saltillo facility will resume manufacturing the Ram Promaster on April 20, and the Saltillo Truck Assembly plant resuming production of the Ram 1500 Classic and Heavy Duty the following Monday. Instead they plan to use the increasing economic disaster—with more than 26 million filing for jobless claims over the last five weeks—to stampede workers back to work. “We have to know what is going on. Before the pandemic, the company always keeps the line moving when workers are injured or drop dead. It also warned that several of its upcoming products would be delayed for at least three months, including the all-new Jeep Grand Wagoneer and next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee. Interestingly, however, the governor's reopening plan is a flipped script when it comes to Toledo's Jeep Assembly Complex. A shipping yard employee was hit by a vehicle stolen from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' Jeep assembly complex in Toledo, Ohio, on Tuesday. International Committee of the Fourth International. “We are going to have to look at the process of reengaging sectors of our economy,” Whitmer declared earlier this week. “The pandemic is far from over. Toledo North Assembly Plant – Jeep Wrangler/Wrangler Unlimited ; Warren Truck Assembly Plant – Ram 1500 Classic (Proposed May 18th Startup Dates): Belvidere Assembly Plant – Jeep Cherokee; Toledo South Assembly Plant – Jeep Gladiator; A Dodge Challenger SRT HELLCAT Redeye at the Brampton Assembly Plant. Tesla, for example, can't reopen its Fremont, California, plant until California and Alameda County lift their orders to halt nonessential businesses. Local union officials, however, have already sent out messages looking for “volunteers” to come to work as early as next week to prepare for the reopening of factories. The company doesn’t care whether you live or die. They didn’t close the plants even when Lear closed in the US. The government is incompetent, and [Democratic presidential candidate Joe] Biden is scary. Start-of-production for the vehicle-assembly plant here is set for late 2020, he says. As of this writing, Michigan has 35,291 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 1,325 new cases recorded on Thursday, the highest number since April 14 and the third day in a row that cases have risen again. This comes as a setback for two crucial products for Jeep, one of which is brand new offering resurrected on a once-dead nameplate for the automaker. “We are happy with the auto companies’ response and cooperation on working through the health and safety protocols we will need in the workplace when it is appropriate to restart,” UAW President Rory Gamble said Thursday evening. No! Dead corpses piled up in closets! After you put in your time in an auto factory, you’ve got medical problems. Governors in the Midwestern industrial states, including Michigan Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, have sought to present themselves as more cautious but have made it clear they will ease lockdown measures to accommodate the needs of the corporations. “If hospitals can’t get PPEs they need, how will autoworkers get it?” they continued. Last week, hundreds of workers walked out of the Lear Automotive factories in Ciudad Juárez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, after management and the CTM union concealed the deaths of workers. Watkins was terminated, with the complicity of the UAW, for posting warnings about the spread of the disease in the plant on a private Facebook page for workers after at least 10 workers were “walked out in medical carts and facemasks.”. They claimed they did it. GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler have made record profits since the 2009 restructuring based on slashing the jobs and wages of workers, and have squandered billions on stock buybacks, dividend payments and executive pay. The Toledo South Assembly Plant is the original Jeep CJ assembly factory. He’s a murderer and pushing drugs that haven’t been properly tested. KAISER JEEP BUYS STUDEBAKER UNIT; ldle lndiana Plant to Reopen for Truck Production. “Even though there is fear of retaliation and there is deprivation at home,” one Matamoros worker told the WSWS, “what matters is our health and the security of our families.” Referring to the deaths in Ciudad Juárez, she added, “We are the most unprotected class; it’s as if we were disposable for the employers.”. They would like us to quit or die so instead of paying me $29 an hour they can pay someone else $15 an hour. As of Sunday, ODH reported 15,360 confirmed and 603 probable cases of coronavirus, making 15,963 total in the state. … best. Although she is reportedly considering an extension of her stay-at-home order until mid-May, she said it would largely be up to businesses “to enhance your protocols, whether it’s the cleaning of your workspaces or the wearing of cloth masks that you can procure now.”. This gives the plant the opportunity to restart in a "safe, secure and sanitized" workplace in order to protect employees, which is more important now than ever. They won’t even fight a grievance, so how can we depend on them to fight for our lives? It also is believed to ride on Alfa Romeo's Giorgio platform, meaning subtle heritage shared with the sporty Giulia and stylish Stelvio. “It is ridiculous to try to force us back to work,” an FCA worker at the Toledo, Ohio Jeep plant told the World Socialist Web Site. Some choice we’re being given—either you go to work and possibly die, or you lose your job.”, GM’s attitude to the safety of workers has been demonstrated by its decision to keep open its Customer Care and Aftersales warehouse near Flint, Michigan, despite the infection of at least six workers, and by its firing last month of a local union shop chairman, Travis Watkins, at the GMHC axle plant in Wyoming, Michigan. FCA joined the Ford Motor Company and General Motors (GM) shutting production down in the United States … Well aware that the reckless rush back to work would provoke a wave of opposition, including against the UAW, Gamble said, “We strongly suggest to our companies in all sectors that an early May date is too soon and too risky to our members, their families and their communities,” and backed Whitmer’s talk about an extension of the lockdown. Several other plants in the U.S. and Canada are slated to resume production on May 18th, while the dates for FCA's powertrain and stamping plants have not yet been determined. The three counties that make up metro Detroit—Wayne, Oakland and Macomb—which are also the center of state’s auto industry, account for 75 percent of the cases and 82.5 percent of Michigan’s nearly 3,000 deaths. “Many of my coworkers have asthma, diabetes, and other underlying health conditions. As for the union, it doesn’t tell us what is going on. (FCA). Ford Performance has expanded its catalog, adding tunes for the Mustang and Ranger that should make mashing the right pedal a tad more exciting. 6 comments. Sort by. Any info on Jeep plant reopening? Bruce Baumhower, president of UAW Local 12, which represents around 11,000 workers, including about 6,000 at a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV Jeep plant in Toledo, said he was relying on the UAW's health and safety department to negotiate terms for reopening. The UAW and the Democratic and Republican Parties will do nothing to encroach on the profit interests and economic stranglehold of the corporations and Wall Street. Workers must reject the false choice of dying on the job or starving. “The company sees us as expendable. The delay has cost the lives of at least two dozen Fiat Chrysler and Ford workers. Instead of workers paying for the crisis, they must instead assert their own class interests, fighting to transform the corporations and banks into public enterprises, collectively owned and democratically run by workers, based on production for human need, not private profit. They just want to start production.”. The estimated return date for Jeep Wrangler production in Toledo, Ohio, as well as all Detroit-area plants, is May 4th, with Jeep Cherokee production in Belvidere, Illinois tentatively slated for May 18th. At least sixteen Lear workers have died at two facilities in the city. That means one thing: delays of much-anticipated new models, including at Jeep, where two major debuts are on pause. In recent years, basic assembly and painting of the Jeep Wrangler … The Grand Wagoneer is perhaps the biggest hit, as a delay to the highly anticipated three-row family hauler rumored to be based on the same underpinnings found in the Ram 1500 means that Jeep will face even more months without much-needed sales. Plants in Mexico are reportedly targeting next week to resume production. Such committees must oppose the reopening of nonessential production, and instead demand a massive expansion of free and universal testing and full income protection for those affected by shutdowns, along with the oversight of any return-to-work plans by workers’ committees in consultation with medical experts. Even as the death toll has reached 190,000 around the world and nears 50,000 in the US, automakers are reopening plants in Asia, Europe and North America. Automakers are only barely beginning to restart their plants, and many are focused on repurposing assembly lines for medical equipment instead of cars. It was rebuilt for manufacture of the JK Wrangler for Jeep, starting on August 28, 2006. Technology, performance and design delivered to your inbox. (That is, if anyone can afford to buy a new car amid this downturn—sales have been dismal lately and they may not recover at all for some time.). I have been checking the internet, and you are the only people who have given me real facts that I can work with,” he said, referring to the World Socialist Web Site. Our union dues are being used to pay the legal fees for our bribed and indicted officials. With the companies, UAW and political establishment accelerating their efforts to restart business with criminal recklessness, the formation of these factory committees is an urgent task. Its Toledo, Ohio facility will also target the same reopening date to resume building the Jeep Wrangler, as will the Brampton Assembly in Ontario, Canada where the Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger, and Dodge Charger are made. Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com. The news comes almost two months after FCA announced that it was temporarily suspending all production in North America, starting on March 18th. “I got a robocall last week, which said that the plant would be open for work on Monday, April 27, basically inviting me to come back to work,” a worker from Dearborn Stamping Plant, where fellow worker Gregory Boyd died from COVID-19, told the WSWS. To fight for their rights to health, a safe workplace and economic security, workers should form rank-and-file factory committees, independent of the UAW. Fiat Chrysler has announced plans to restart its manufacturing operations in America and Canada on May 4, including the Toledo Assembly Complex. "The calendar is not going to have … Along assembly lines, UAW skilled trades workers at Fiat Chrysler's Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio, worked during the shutdown to install shields to separate workers who would otherwise get too close. Man Charged With Running 50-Car Street Race During Coronavirus Lockdown, repurposing assembly lines for medical equipment. We produce 500 Jeeps every shift, so the less we get paid the more the profit is for the company. The plant actually consists of two interconnected units, the Stickney Plant (4000 Stickney Ave) and the Parkway Annex (1000 Jeep Parkway). Even as the death toll has reached 190,000 around the world and nears 50,000 in the US, automakers are reopening plants in Asia, Europe and North America. The automaker has tentatively penned May 4 as the date to resume production across several of its brands in the Detroit area. According to FCA's head of North American supply chain planning, Marlo Vitous, the automaker will begin reopening its plants in one-shift patterns. He told us he had contact with a person who looked sick at work, that they checked that person but didn’t send him home. Chrysler Group will close the 96-year-old Jeep Parkway plant in Toledo, OH, once the last painted Jeep Wrangler body is completed today, June 30. In order to ramp up production in the US and Canada, the automakers must first get their supplier plants going, including in Mexico. Autoworkers in the United States are voicing their concern and anger over plans to restart the auto industry despite warnings by public health experts that congregating thousands of workers in factories will accelerate the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. We need 100 percent testing and we don’t have it. How in the world will we be safe in that environment? While not as exciting as a new model, Jeep's launch of the next-generation Grand Cherokee is equally as important as it marks the first big upgrade for the platform in a decade. The same goes for Jeep Gladiator production at FCA’s second Toledo plant. © document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Brookline Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. We have 6,000 workers in two shifts, plus truck drivers, plus parts people. General Motors CEO Mary Barra explained the brand couldn’t put its “best foot forward” by rushing the model’s reveal. You can’t just flip a switch and tell people to come back to work. TOLEDO, Ohio — Lots of workplaces have a hot seat. She was 75. 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Production Delayed Until September, Latest House Coronavirus Stimulus Plan Delays Car Payments and Mortgages. While the virus has not been confirmed, the company is taking the necessary precautions. If we go back, the wave will only increase. Got a tip? Trump is more interested in getting the economy going than he is in our lives. GM Cancels Debut of Autonomous EV at CES 2020 Due to Strike-Related Delays: Report. On April 5, he entered a private hospital because he was able to pay the higher medical costs. 83% Upvoted. It’s irresponsible that they kept it open and exposed their employees.”, Workers at other maquiladora sweatshops in Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas, also struck, forcing the closure of their plants. “It has not leveled off, very few people have been tested, there’s no contact tracing. Mónica Rosales, whose father Raul Rosales died earlier this week, told the WSWS: “My father began having symptoms on March 28. While the pony car kit is basically an extension of the staged Power Packs already on sale, just for the 2018-2020 model years, the Ranger package is rather novel — as … The media is telling us what the companies want us to hear.”. There is no way we can be kept safe in an assembly plant working on the line. Workers protested and walked out. As originally reported by Automotive News, Fiat Chrysler recently held a webinar with its suppliers where the automaker uncovered its plans to reopen both U.S. and Canadian production facilities early next month. Asking for a friend.. “A lot of guys in the shop, I would say the majority, have preexisting medical conditions: diabetes, heart failure, obesity. Everyone saw the video where the union official is telling workers to ‘calm down.’ We’re paying union dues to people who coddle the company. “The situation in the nursing homes is unbearable to see. The Belvidere plant, which assembles Jeep Cherokees and is one of the largest employers in the region, closed March 18 as a result of coronavirus concerns. Auto executives met with Trump last week and are rolling out plans to open up assembly plants as early as the beginning of May. You cannot build Jeeps standing six feet apart.”. The plant employs roughly 3,800 people to produce the GLE (in both body styles) and the GLS full-size SUV. (Jeep). At the Jeep assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio, there is a "sweet seat." The UAW set up a joint Auto Coronavirus Task Force with GM, Ford and FCA to provide a cover to the corporations as they seek to reopen the plants and sacrifice workers in pursuit of their profits. vs. Ford Bronco . The reopening of the plant has led to a surge in Tesla’s stock prices, adding $30 billion to Musk’s personal fortune. Log in or sign up to leave a comment log in sign up. Jeep Compass: T United States: Belvidere Assembly: Belvidere, Illinois: 1965: Jeep Cherokee: D ... Toledo, Ohio: 1942: Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Jeep Gladiator (JT) L Trenton Engine: Trenton, Michigan: ... Former Hawker Siddeley missile plant purchased in 1969, sold to Groupe PSA 1978 and re-sold to Jaguar … How Soon Can the Economy Bounce Back After Coronavirus? There is no way we are going to be safe in there. Here’s a list of U.S. auto factory shutdowns and their reopening dates. A young autoworker at the Ford Dearborn Truck Plant added, “We shouldn’t go back until we have this coronavirus under control. They know exactly what is going on in the plant and they do nothing. My auntie went to Sinai Grace Hospital for treatment of her preexisting conditions; and while she was there, she tested positive and died. After reopening, the two plants will produce automobiles at a reduced pace. save hide report. I work in Michigan at an assembly plant that isn't going back to work till the 18th of May, but I haven't heard anything about Toledo yet. 2020 Jeep Wrangler (JL) at the Toledo North Assembly Plant. Along assembly lines, UAW skilled trades workers at Fiat Chrysler’s Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio, worked during the shutdown to install shields to separate workers who would otherwise get too close. 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