AP
A Ford assembly line.
- The UAW asked the Detroit automakers to shut down manufacturing plants for two weeks, as the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in the US worsens.
- UAW president Rory Gamble informed the union's membership in a letter.
- Earlier on Tuesday, Ford announced that it was shutting down production in Europe.
- A coronavirus task force was formed on Sunday, led by Gamble, General Motors CEO Mary Barra, Ford CEO Jim Hackett, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Mike Manley.
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The United Auto Workers union is asking General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to shut down their manufacturing facilities for two weeks as the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak worsens in the US.
"The UAW leadership, based on the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations on how to protect ourselves and our communities, requested a two-week shutdown of operations to safeguard our members, our families and our communities," UAW president Rory Gamble wrote in a letter to members, shared with Business Insider.
"Your UAW leadership feels very strongly, and argued very strongly, that this is the most responsible course of action," Gamble added. "The companies, however, were not willing to implement this request. They asked for 48 hours to put together plans to safeguard workers in their facilities."
Gamble wrote that the discussion among members of a task force assembled to deal with the coronavirus threat - including the UAW and the Big Three CEOs - took place on Sunday, so the 48 deadline expires at 6pm Tuesday. The task force, he said, would meet then to decide on a course of action.
"These companies will be put on notice that the UAW will use any and all measures to protect our brothers and sisters who are working in their facilities," he wrote.
"And make no mistake, we have powerful allies who have stepped up to help us," he added, naming Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and US Representative Debbie Dingell.
Work stoppages and some positive coronavirus cases
Carlos Osorio / Associated Press
Ford CEO Jim Hackett.
FCA has already dealt with a work stoppage at a factory in Canada and a single coronavirus case at a transmission plant in Indiana that wasn't shut down.
In a statement to Business Insider, the carmaker said, "FCA has already implemented extensive protocols to ensure the health and welfare of our workforce."
The company added: "We are continuing to carefully monitor the situation and are making improvements as needed. As a member of the joint UAW-GM-Ford-FCA COVID-19 Coronavirus Task Force, we appreciate the opportunity to share best practices across the industry."
General Motors, which announced that an employee at its Warren Technical Center had tested positive for coronavirus, indicated that it would be able to provide information after the task force meeting. Ford didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
Earlier on Tuesday, Ford announced that it was shutting down factories in in Germany and Romania, following a shutdown in Spain after three cases were detected there.
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