General Motors will begin recalling employees on Monday in anticipation of a gradual resumption of production operations, according to a new report.
As outlined by Detroit Free Press, which cites a recent internal alert sent to General Motors employees, some salaried workers are being asked to return to idled production facilities to prep them for operation. The report adds that skilled trades workers will be asked to return on a voluntary basis.
“We are actively preparing plans to safely restart our operations,” the alert reads, per the Detroit Free Press report. “Although we have not locked in a firm restart date, we have been meeting with government officials, sharing our safety protocols with the UAW, verifying that suppliers can support our plans and ensuring we have the right resources and safety equipment for our plant.”
The alert adds that next week, production will not resume as normal, but that employees may be recalled to support “restart planning.”
Meanwhile, UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg said that the General Motors employee recall should maintain a singular focus on the health and safety of union members.
The production restart is expected to happen gradually, with component suppliers ramping up ahead of assembly facilities. Adding to the complexity of the situation is differing stay-at-home orders for each state. General Motors’ home state of Michigan currently has stay-at-home orders in place until April 30th, although Governor Gretchen Whitmer said that the orders could change in the coming week as parts of the economy are reopened.
General Motors suspended North American production operations in March in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. The automaker announced salary cuts later that month, and is currently producing ventilators and other medical equipment to assist in the pandemic response. Multiple debuts and vehicle refreshes have been pushed back as a result of the virus, including the reveal for the new Cadillac Lyriq electric crossover.
Meanwhile, Ford and Fiat Chrysler have also suspended production operations. Fiat has said that it will restart production May 4th.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more GM-related COVID-19 news and ongoing GM news coverage.
Comments
Another General Motors recall…!
/ sarc tag for the humor-impaired.
I’m sure you would have a better chance seeing a unicorn before you see Mary Barry and Gerald Johnson out on the plant floor for anything but a quick photo opportunity.