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* From yesterday’s media briefing…
Ford workers have reached out furious that the company is reopening, are worried that they may contract COVID-19. Is this type of work appropriate during this phase of the stay at home order? What’s your message of concern for workers?…
Well, actually vehicle manufacturers are covered under the Department of Homeland Security’s list of essential businesses, so they already did have the ability to remain open all of this time. I’m hopeful that people can get back to work at the Ford plant in Illinois and not to mention the Chrysler Fiat plant in Belvidere. And so you know I want to see manufacturers and other businesses open up as we hit as we get to phase three about 11 days from now.
That question was asked by a Block Club Chicago reporter, but no story about Ford is currently on the site.
* The precautions…
“Everybody is also wearing watches that buzz if your get within six feet of somebody else,” said Bill Ford, Executive Chairman.
Proximity watches tell distance, not time. Made by Samsung, the prototype records who you worked near during a shift. Helpful information to trace workers who later get sick.
In addition to dividers, there will be masks, gloves and face shields. Workflow on the assembly-line also being retooled.
“We used to have two people in a vehicle on the assembly line. We stopped that,” added Ford.
They’ve also stopped three-shift workdays, dropping to two. In all, 12,000 North American workers will be back on Monday. That third shift expected to come back online June 15.
* ABC 7…
Thousands of United Auto Workers employees returned to the Ford factory on Chicago’s South Side for the first time in two months Monday.
While the doors have been closed and employees not collecting paychecks, the UAW union has been working with Ford to establish safety measures for the 4,500 workers at the plant. […]
“Oh it was an experience,” said Markeita Morris, Ford employee. “I was glad to see Ford is taking all the safety precautions for each and everybody.” […]
Other measures include adding extra fans and more plexiglass partitions to common eating areas.
With 4,500 employees on rotating shifts, they said the floor is already crowded.
“They go on lunch and they got 1,000 people on break all at one time,” the employee said. “The bathrooms are segmented where only half the bathrooms are open. People can’t use the bathroom. People can’t get food.”
* Related…
* What a return to work at the Belvidere Jeep plant will look like
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 11:59 am
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Previous Post: *** UPDATED x1 *** A poorly drafted rule is causing unnecessary panic and may even be unneeded
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Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 12:42 pm
I think I come at this…
The safety to the workers, the union and its members, Ford, as they work together, how different will it be than the meat packing plants, and what can we *all* learn if they can successfully work… safely.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 12:49 pm
The watch is interesting. The fact that it tracks who you are around is great as far as contact tracing. Americans would never go for this in general though. I think China had something similar as a cell phone app. Would be a great tool. Unfortunately its not a tool that would be tolerated here. And that is sad.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 12:51 pm
I heard the CEO interviewed the other day and he said that all workers will not be tested because it was impractical. The interviewer did not follow up to see what he really meant. Too expensive? Not enough tests available? I would think that testing everybody at least once before restarting would be necessary at such a large plant working at close quarters. The probability of asymptomatic folks currently infected is high, but maybe they don’t want to know.
Comment by Jibba Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 1:41 pm
My employer has had its production floor open all along due to being an essential service. We do not have watches but we do now have a hand signal to indicate if people are too close together (it can get loud on the floor). We also have painted stripes and have got the line designed to reduce too closeness. We also have tablets now that have take a picture and measure temperature. Those are at entrances. The outcome fo the procedure is to get a colored dot (color changes daily.) no colored dot, no entry to the floor. Masks and/or full face shields all day.
Comment by cermak_rd Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 2:09 pm
Rich, I heard the state is hiring COVID-19 Contact Tracers, Is that true? If yes, are the job qualifications, applications and job locations online? If yes, where can I find that website? I tried Google, but that didn’t pan out.
Comment by Mama Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 2:18 pm
Mama, it’s somewhere. Not sure where.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 2:18 pm
Break rooms and bath rooms and hand washing facilities are big challenges for every employer.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 4:05 pm
@Mama…
Fill out the interest form on the IDPH web site.
http://dph.illinois.gov/COVID19
Comment by Odysseus Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 5:02 pm
- Odysseus - Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 5:02 pm: =
Bless your heart, you found it. Thanks a million.
Comment by Mama Tuesday, May 19, 20 @ 10:34 pm