General Motors’ officials said Wednesday that they will suspend manufacturing operations in North America, including their Spring Hill location, due to market conditions, to deep clean facilities and to protect people.
The suspension will last until at least March 30. Production status will be reevaluated week-to-week after that, according to the GM press release.
“GM and the UAW have always put the health and safety of the people entering GM plants first, and we have agreed to a systematic, orderly suspension of production to aid in fighting COVID-19/coronavirus,” GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said in the press release.
“We have been taking extraordinary precautions around the world to keep our plant environments safe and recent developments in North America make it clear this is the right thing to do now. I appreciate the teamwork of UAW President Rory Gamble, UAW Vice President Terry Dittes and local leadership as we take this unprecedented step.”
Gamble also commented.
“UAW members, their families and our communities will benefit from today’s announcement with the certainty that we are doing all that we can to protect our health and safety during this pandemic,” Gamble said in the press release.
“This will give us time to review best practices and to prevent the spread of this disease. We appreciate General Motors’ actions today and will continue to work with them on health and safety plans to be implemented when we resume production.”
To ensure that production stops in a safe and orderly fashion, plants will suspend operations in a cadence, with each facility receiving specific instructions from manufacturing leadership, according to the press release.
According to GM’s website, the Spring Hill location has more than 3,800 employees.
The Spring Hill location has produced nearly 4.5 million vehicles since 1996 and nearly 6 million engines since 1990, the website went on to say.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Spring Hill GM Plant” by GM.
Good news. Ford U.S. Operations have been exempted from the Michigan lock-down. Ford said they will start back Monday May 18. I expect other plants under UAW will follow. Other 1st tiers had been waiting on this. This will be good news for 2nd tier suppliers also.