Ford Motor Co. on Tuesday said it will further delay restarting production at its North American plants as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread in the United States. The Dearborn automaker last week had shared its intentions to begin manufacturing again at Hermosillo Assembly in Mexico starting next Monday and at select U.S. plants, including… Continue reading Ford delays restarting production indefinitely
Category: US Motoring Press
GM to convert Warren facility to mass-produce surgical masks
Detroit — General Motors Co. announced plans Friday to convert its closed Warren plant to mass-produce surgical masks, an employee-led initiative in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The necessary machinery to produce the Level 1 surgical masks was delivered Friday to the Warren plant on Mound Road, officials said. GM anticipates production will begin Monday and will ramp-up to… Continue reading GM to convert Warren facility to mass-produce surgical masks
GM salaried workforce must defer pay due to coronavirus impact
CLOSE Filings for unemployment benefits hit a record 3.3 million last week, the Labor Department said showing the coronavirus’s damage to the economy. USA TODAY General Motors CEO Mary Barra will take home one-third less in compensation for at least six months. GM’s 69,000 other salaried workers will defer 20% of their cash compensation for six… Continue reading GM salaried workforce must defer pay due to coronavirus impact
Fiat Chrysler plans April 14 production restart
CLOSE Fiat Chrysler plans a restart of most production on April 14. (Photo: Kimberly P. Mitchell, Detroit Free Press) Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, which has seen at least three workers die in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, plans to restart production April 14. The company, in a news release Thursday on the restart date, said it is taking “important… Continue reading Fiat Chrysler plans April 14 production restart
Ford warns employees of pay freeze for executives, other possible cuts
CLOSE Filings for unemployment benefits hit a record 3.3 million last week, the Labor Department said showing the coronavirus’s damage to the economy. USA TODAY Ford CEO Jim Hackett notified all employees in writing Thursday morning that the company would freeze executive pay and stall employee merit raises as part of a push to strengthen Ford’s financials and prevent… Continue reading Ford warns employees of pay freeze for executives, other possible cuts
GM cuts paychecks of salaried workforce, executives
Detroit — The spreading coronavirus crisis is pushing General Motors Co. to cut its salaried workforce’s pay by 20% for potentially up to six months, a company spokesman said Thursday, but the automaker would pay back the reductions with interest later this year or early 2021. GM’s cost-cutting action follows Ford Motor Co.’s move to defer portions of salaries for 300 top… Continue reading GM cuts paychecks of salaried workforce, executives
2,000 contract workers let go at Fiat Chrysler as automakers hunker down
Almost 2,000 contract workers across North America at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will be out of a job as projects are paused, another indication of the pressure the auto industry is under amid the coronavirus pandemic. General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co., meanwhile, are borrowing billions from existing credit facilities to ensure financial flexibility as… Continue reading 2,000 contract workers let go at Fiat Chrysler as automakers hunker down
Roush shuts its doors after 2 workers test positive for coronavirus
Roush Enterprises has shuttered its facility in Allen Park after two employees there tested positive for COVID-19/coronavirus. The facility, called B9, is located on Southfield Road. It has been closed since Tuesday, CEO Evan Lyall told employees in a company email. Roush, based in Livonia, engineers and manufactures high performance components for cars often used in street and competitive racing. … Continue reading Roush shuts its doors after 2 workers test positive for coronavirus
FCA distribution center worker in Center Line tests positive for coronavirus
CLOSE The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention former director Tom Frieden said the response to the pandemic is missing guidance from the CDC. USA TODAY Officials at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles sent home the few remaining workers at the MOPAR parts distribution center in Center Line on Wednesday morning after at least one employee tested… Continue reading FCA distribution center worker in Center Line tests positive for coronavirus
Auto suppliers fear financial ruin as GM, Ford and FCA grind to a halt
CLOSE Following Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s “stay home” order to try and slow the spread of the coronavirus, Detroit streets were eerily empty. Detroit Free Press About 4:30 p.m. last Wednesday the employees at auto supplier Dana Inc. in Warren received an unsettling text message from management. The text, obtained by the Free Press read, “We are well… Continue reading Auto suppliers fear financial ruin as GM, Ford and FCA grind to a halt