Ford Motor Company shut down its Dearborn Truck Plant on Wednesday afternoon after learning a worker tested positive for coronavirus and released its early shift about 1:30 p.m.
"They sent everybody home," said a UAW worker who asked not to be named for fear of disciplinary action. "We probably got 800 people there. After lunch, everybody got sent home. They had people start cleaning."
This is the second plant shutdown in two days at Ford because of UAW employees testing positive for the coronavirus, the first being Chicago Assembly on Tuesday. Dearborn Truck builds the bestselling Ford F-150. Chicago Assembly builds the Ford Explorer, Police Interceptor SUV and Lincoln Aviator.
"The safety of our workforce is our top priority," Kelli Felker, Ford global manufacturing and communications manager, said in a prepared statement.
"When a Dearborn Truck Plant employee who returned to work this week tested positive for COVID-19, we immediately began to notify people known to have been in close contact with the infected individual and asked them to self-quarantine for 14 days. We are deep cleaning and disinfecting the work area, equipment, team area and the path that the team member took. We expect to resume production tonight," she said.
"It is important to note that due to incubation time, we know this employee did not contract COVID-19 while at work," Felker said. "Our protocols are in place to help stop the spread of the virus."
Protocols include temperature screening at plant entrances.
Alerted via text
On Wednesday afternoon, manufacturing teams at Ford received a text asking that all early shift UAW hourly workers go home.
The Free Press reviewed the text sent to a Ford employee prior to 8 a.m., which said, "The employee who tested positive worked Monday and Tuesday. ... Employee was in the DTP union office yesterday for a period of time. That will have to b sanitized. ... Union official had one on one contact with employee. ... this union official was removed from the plant today and was given a COVID-19 test. He has tested negative. He will b quarantined for 14 days."
The text also said, "Have to send all of A crew home right now. So they can clean before B crew."
The A crew started work at 6 a.m. and was supposed to work a 10-hour shift, and the B crew was scheduled to begin its shift about 6 p.m., according to a UAW worker and a Ford source, both not authorized to speak publicly.
"I'm not gonna be surprised if we get a robocall later telling us not to come in," the UAW worker at Dearborn Truck told the Free Press. "I don't see how you can clean this stuff up in three hours. It's just crazy. I don't think we should be working. I'm not scared of it, but I don't want to be walking around and giving it to people."
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The worker noted that factory workers have paper masks, face shields and gloves. The worker said supervisors told workers the employee sent home worked in the chassis department on line three. A source at Ford confirmed the area of the contaminated worker.
Bill Ford at plant
Bill Ford Jr., executive chairman of the company, toured the Dearborn Truck and Dearborn Stamping plants about 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the company confirmed, along with UAW Vice President Gerald Kariem and Gary Johnson, Ford chief of manufacturing and labor affairs officer.
All wore personal protective equipment as required by company protocol and "they had a chance to observe firsthand the robust safety measures Ford has put in place to help support a safe and healthy environment for the company's workforce," said Mark Truby, chief communications officer for Ford.
"The visiting group did not come in contact with any employees who have contracted COVID-19 or anyone who is known to have been in contact with the virus," Truby said in a prepared statement. "The Dearborn truck employee who tested positive this week is in self-quarantine and was not in the plant today."
Bill Ford and CEO Jim Hackett are planning to attend the visit with President Donald Trump at the Rawsonville plant in Ypsilanti scheduled for Thursday afternoon, Truby said.
Spraying with Lysol
Meanwhile, the UAW worker sent home from Dearborn Truck on Wednesday told the Free Press he called his wife and asked that she leave a garbage bag and Lysol in the garage, where he shed his clothes before going in the house.
"I sprayed my shoes with Lysol and left them in the sun. I asked my wife to open the door so I wouldn't have to touch it," he said. "I asked her to get the shower ready so I can do what I've got to do. To be honest, a majority of people in our plant live in hot spots, like Detroit and Canton."
Chicago woes
Ford has handled coronavirus-related worker issues in Illinois and Michigan this week.
"When two employees who returned to work this week tested positive for COVID-19, we immediately notified people known to have been in close contact with the infected individuals and asked them to self-quarantine for 14 days," Felker said Wednesday.
The employees worked in the SHO Center, she confirmed. "Chicago Assembly Plant is now running."
Meanwhile, UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg said the labor organization that represents an estimated 150,000 autoworkers employed by Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is continuing to "actively monitor the implementation of all the protocols and how they impact the health and safety of our members, their families and the communities they live in."
Based on information provided to the UAW, according to a source not authorized to discuss the details publicly, neither hourly worker knew at the time they had the virus. Both workers went through screening at the factory entrance without being red-flagged by the temperature scanner, and each answered their self-reporting disclosure surveys honestly. But, the UAW learned Wednesday, both workers began exhibiting symptoms at work, one thinking it was allergies.
Automakers and union officials have said they're doing everything imaginable to protect hourly and salaried workers, but incidents will happen.
After closing and reopening Tuesday, Chicago Assembly again shut down briefly Wednesday because of a supplier parts shortage. Felker declined to provide details about why the supplier had a shortage issue, saying Ford doesn’t discuss its suppliers.
Trump face masks
Hackett said this week during an interview on WJR (AM-760) that he is optimistic about restarting the companies factories.
"It is a big problem, but we now have our arms around it. I know that sounds odd given the death rate. But I actually am very encouraged by our ability now to jump on this," he said Tuesday.
WJR host Paul W. Smith asked about President Donald Trump's upcoming visit, and the issue of face mask protocol.
"How does Jim Hackett, Ford Motor Company CEO, deal with someone who wants to come into your Rawsonville manufacturing plant in Ypsilanti without a mask when everyone is asked to wear a mask? What happens when that person who wants to come in this Thursday is the president of the United States?"
Hackett responded that the company has a special strategy to address the situation at a plant currently making personal protection equipment (PPE).
“Well, this is an important standard for us. Bill (Ford) and I … and all the people that this week will be in all of our factories. We’re definitely wearing the PPE. And I believe that the message I’m trying to get to all of our employees is that, look, if you can contribute to the safety of not only yourself but others, this is an important gesture in keeping the confidence high," Hackett said.
"I'll tell you this, we have some really cool what we call swag from my University of Michigan athletic director days that are presidential quality that would enable our president to really support the UAW and Ford and this mission," Hackett said.
Smith then asked, "I suspect you're gonna let the president come in and if he doesn’t want to wear a mask, you’re going to still let him come in?"
Hackett replied, "We’re designing this — we’re wearing masks. I’m going to do my best job to make it really part of the process and celebrate how hard we’ve worked to design and care for our people. So, it’s a big day."
Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-222-6512 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid. Read more on Ford and sign up for our autos newsletter.
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