Union reps at the Ford Motor Co. Dearborn plant are asking that the company adapt its practices to the coronavirus, including shutting the plant until all 4,000 workers are tested.
The three main requests in UAW Local 600's grievance are:
- That Ford close down Dearborn Truck immediately and have all 4,000 workers tested. When the majority are negative, Ford restarts the plant with the healthy workers.
- That Ford give workers an extra 20 minutes of break time because the face masks they must wear — which the union supports — make the physical labor harder and therefore it is more draining on the workers.
- Finally, it asks that if a worker tests positive for coronavirus, Ford shut down the plant for a full 24 hours for cleaning.
The plant makes the company's top-selling vehicle, the F-150 pickup truck.
The company responded that "safety of our workforce is our top priority."
