U.S. auto industry returns to life after lockdown
Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News Europe
  • Automotive News China
  • Automobilwoche
AN-LOGO-BLUE
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Account
  • login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • Dealers
    • Automakers & Suppliers
    • News by Brand
    • Cars & Concepts
    • Coronavirus Coverage
    • China
    • Shift
    • Mobility Report
    • Special Reports
    • Digital Edition Archive
    • This Week's Issue
    • VW badges rtrs web.jpg
      VW Group operating profit drops by half in 2020
      Washington Auto Show postponed amid ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
      Subaru expands Feeding America donation, advertising
      Mass. dealership group to pay $1 million in unemployment scheme settlement
    • Audi to build EVs at new company majority owned by VW Group
      European Chamber rules out American, European export curbs as cause of chip shortage
      Used-vehicle market posts first contraction in 2020
      Tight chip supplies could persist for as long as a decade
    • Detroit Aerial Panorama during sunset
      Developing future workers to fuel growth in mobility
      Getting around in Las Vegas often involves long waits for a crowded monorail ride, below, or taking escalators up and down to cross elevated pedestrian walkways along the Strip.
      Las Vegas offers best and worst in transportation challenges
      Where is transportation headed?
      In pandemic environment, RV industry ‘roaring back'
    • Crashes involving electric vehicles, such as that of a Tesla Model X in California in 2018, pose battery-fire concerns for first responders.
      NTSB says automakers need to better arm emergency responders
      An EVgo electric vehicle charging station
      Charging network EVgo near merger to go public, report says
      The Cruise AV autonomous vehicle, based on the Chevy Bolt
      Honda taps GM's Cruise to bring new mobility to Japan
      Aurora teams with PACCAR on self-driving truck development
    • Elon Musk interview
      Tesla’s Model Y, on sale since March, is a showcase of EV technologies competitors will benchmark.
      Technologies of Electrification
      Cadillac’s Lyriq EV will be unveiled Aug. 6.
      Future Product Pipeline
      A CALL TO ACTION
    • GM, Unifor go from strife to ‘right solutions’
      Crashes involving electric vehicles, such as that of a Tesla Model X in California in 2018, pose battery-fire concerns for first responders.
      NTSB says automakers need to better arm emergency responders
      The Toyota C+Pod’s interior has a stripped-down, minimalistic feel, with big knobs and buttons.
      EV design for Japan's tight turns
      Genesis' delayed relaunch back on track with new crossovers, upcoming EV
    • Access F&I
    • Fixed Ops Journal
    • Marketing
    • Used Cars
    • Retail Technology
    • Sales
    • Best Practices
    • Dealership Buy/Sell
    • NADA
    • NADA Show
    • Automakers
    • Manufacturing
    • Suppliers
    • Regulations & Safety
    • Executives
    • Talk From The Top
    • Leading Women Network
    • Guide to Economic Development
    • PACE Awards
    • Management Briefing Seminars
    • World Congress
    • Aston Martin
    • BMW
      • Mini
      • Rolls-Royce
    • Daimler
      • Mercedes Benz
      • Smart
    • Fiat Chrysler
      • Alfa Romeo
      • Chrysler
      • Dodge
      • Ferrari
      • Fiat
      • Jeep
      • Maserati
      • Ram
    • Ford
      • Lincoln
    • General Motors
      • Buick
      • Cadillac
      • Chevrolet
      • GMC
      • Holden
    • Honda
      • Acura
    • Hyundai
      • Genesis
      • Kia
    • Mazda
    • McLaren
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
      • Infiniti
    • PSA
      • Citroen
      • Opel
      • Peugeot
    • Renault
    • Subaru
    • Suzuki
    • Tata
      • Jaguar
      • Land Rover
    • Tesla
    • Toyota
      • Lexus
    • Volkswagen
      • Audi
      • Bentley
      • Bugatti
      • Lamborghini
      • Porsche
      • Seat
      • Skoda
    • Volvo
    • (Discontinued Brands)
    • Virtual reveals (Sponsored)
      • GENESIS: 2021 GV80
      • KIA: 2021 K5
      • LEXUS: 2021 IS
      • NISSAN: 2021 Rogue
      • TOYOTA: 2021 Venza and 2021 Sienna
    • Auto Shows
      • Detroit Auto Show
      • New York Auto Show
      • Los Angeles Auto Show
      • Chicago Auto Show
      • Geneva Auto Show
      • Paris Auto Show
      • Frankfurt Auto Show
      • Toronto Auto Show
      • Tokyo Auto Show
      • Shanghai Auto Show
      • Beijing Auto Show
    • Future Product Pipeline
    • Photo Galleries
    • Car Cutaways
    • Design
  • OPINION
    • Blogs
    • Cartoons
    • Keith Crain
    • Automotive Views with Jason Stein
    • Columnists
    • China Commentary
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send us a Letter
    • Nikon turns lens on auto factory, build quality
      Bosch_information_domain_computer web.jpg
      Bosch, Continental battle to supply the brain of the connected car
      A victory lap for Detroit car design
      Stellantis_logo_blue_background web.jpg
      In 'merger of equals,' PSA is buying FCA, Stellantis prospectus says
    • view gallery
      1 photos
      A New GM
      view gallery
      1 photos
      The Bridge
      view gallery
      12 photos
      Leo Michael's best of 2020
      view gallery
      1 photos
      UAW Deal
    • Shifting gears away from the stick shift
      SEMA still a wonderful circus
      Penske still has plenty of races to win
      Ford's turn in the hot seat
    • January 19, 2021 | Small car part causes big problem
      January 12, 2021 | Automotive industry shined in 2020
      December 8, 2020 | In a year that lacked luster, All-Stars showed how to shine
      November 24, 2020 | Female talent in automotive is expanding
    • Dan Shine
      Don't totally ‘forget about 2020'
      Jamie Butters
      Big auto show era truly over
      John Possumato
      Missing piece to the mobility puzzle: Helping carless people
      Dave Versical
      Female CMO is new norm
    • How Tesla, GM transformed EV market in 2020
      Is sales recovery nearing an end?
      Beijing's uphill battle to boost EV sales
      Nasdaq-like Star Board poised to become key finance platform
    • EV charging
      Time for U.S. to embrace the EV
      Ford's ‘Finish Strong' ad sets right tone for '21
      UAW settlement brings justice, voting rights
      Dealers should be treated as partners in EVs
    • Is banning ICEs in our best interests?
      GM should share EV risk with dealers
      From Toyota store to hydrogen highway
      Ready to buy Mirai, but where to fuel?
  • DATA CENTER
  • VIDEO
    • AutoNews Now
    • First Shift
    • Special Video Reports
    • Weekend Drive
    • AutoNews Now: Tavares to have 38 direct reports at Stellantis
      AutoNews Now: VW to take 'radical, new approach' with flagship electric sedan
      AutoNews Now: Biden to revisit fuel efficiency rules
      AutoNews Now: Tavares: Stellantis needs to be 'great rather than big'
    • First Shift: Ford prices Takata recall at $610M
      First Shift: Honda to test Cruise AV in Japan
      First Shift: Trump pardons former Google self-driving engineer Levandowski
      First Shift: GM's surprise path to building electric delivery vans in Canada
    • N.J. dealer helps position peers for ‘electric revolution’
      DCH Millburn Audi
      'Finding the diamond in the rough': How 2020's No. 1 dealership retains talent
      Don Johnson Motors
      'Distinctive culture' cuts turnover, carves career paths at Wis. dealership group
      Why 2020 could be a record year for buy-sells
    • Why the pickup is the auto industry's 'battleground'
      Carlos Ghosn's quest to restore his reputation
      Why Ford must execute to avoid 'deep trouble'
      Why Honda is 'locked and loaded' for 2020
  • EVENTS & AWARDS
    • Events
    • Awards
    • Congress Conversations
    • Retail Forum: NADA
    • Canada Congress
    • Europe Congress Conversations
    • Leading Women Conference
    • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
    • ANE Shift
    • Shift: Mobility at a Crossroads
    • Shift: The Future of Mobility (CES)
    • 100 Leading Women
    • 40 Under 40 Retail
    • All-Stars
    • Best Dealerships To Work For
    • PACE Program
    • Rising Stars
    • Europe Rising Stars
  • JOBS
  • AN Solutions
  • +MORE
    • Leading Women Network
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars
    • In the Driver's Seat
    • Publishing Partners
    • Classifieds
    • Companies on the Move
    • People on the Move
    • Newsletters
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • RSS Feeds
    • Shift: A Podcast About Mobility
    • Special Reports Podcasts
    • Daily Drive Podcasts
    • AAM
    • Gentex
    • Reputation.com
    • Ricardo
    • Ricardo
    • Allstate: Want more from your F&I?
    • Ally: Navigating the future of automotive retailing
    • Amazon Web Services: Any place, any time, any channel
    • Amazon Web Services: The power of the cloud
    • Amazon Web Services: Universal translator: Harnessing sensor data to build better automotive software
    • Epic Games: Transforming the auto industry with digital assets
    • FTI Consulting: Crisis as a catalyst for change
    • Google: 5 trends shaping the auto industry's approach to a new normal
    • IHS Markit: Automotive loyalty in the wake of the COVID-19 recession
    • IHS Markit: Autonomous vehicles: Automotive and transportation disruption
    • IHS Markit: COVID-19: The future mobility delusion
    • IHS Markit: The battery electric vehicle (BEV)
    • Level5: 2020 Automotive E-Commerce Report
    • Naked Lime: Bring social reputation together as part of big-picture marketing
    • Wells Fargo Auto: Switching gears from LIBOR to SOFR
    • Ally: Do It Right
    • DealerSocket
    • Deloitte: Cyber everywhere: Preparing for automotive safety in the face of cyber threats
    • Facebook: The road to a zero-friction future
    • Guide To Economic Development
    • PayPal Credit: How consumer financing helps drive sales for online auto parts retailers
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Coronavirus
May 18, 2020 11:46 AM

U.S. auto industry returns to life after lockdown

BEN KLAYMAN
Reuters
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    FCA restart
    REUTERS

    DETROIT -- The Detroit 3 automakers and their suppliers began restarting assembly lines on Monday after a two-month coronavirus lockdown in a slow revival of a sector that employs nearly 1 million people in the United States.

    On a chilly and damp Monday morning, hundreds of workers at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' truck plant in Warren, Mich., began lining up before 4 a.m. to start the 5 a.m. shift. Signs overhead read: "Let's restart."

    "I'm a little nervous," said Larry Smith, 53, of New Baltimore, who works on wheel alignment away from the assembly line. "They made all the precautions (and) they've done everything they can to prepare us ... I'm trusting in God."

    Detroit automakers on Monday said there were no issues with absenteeism as the plants opened. A UAW spokesman said staffing levels were "at or above expectations."

    FCA reopened four U.S. assembly plants on Monday, including Warren Truck, on a single shift, as well as four parts plants.

    The reopening of car plants will be a closely watched test of whether workers across a range of U.S. industries can return to factories in large numbers without a resurgence of infections.

    General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and FCA have all been preparing for weeks to reopen their North American factories in a push to restart work in an industry that accounts for about 6 percent of U.S. economic activity.

    Auto companies have redesigned assembly lines and retrained workers in an effort to avoid coronavirus outbreaks that could derail production again.

    Workers entering factories on Monday were checked by temperature monitors. Face masks or shields are standard protective equipment. Jobs such as installing seat belts that used to require two or more workers to get close together inside a vehicle have been redesigned to keep people a safe distance apart.

    Plastic screens have been installed along assembly lines to separate workers leaning in to the engine compartments of vehicles. Break areas have been reconfigured to keep workers six feet apart.

    The Detroit automakers have collaborated with each other and with the UAW to develop common coronavirus safety practices. Other automakers in the United States are adopting similar safety measures.

    Wearing a black Detroit vs Everybody face mask as he entered FCA's Warren Truck plant early Monday, production operator Laruante Gary, a Detroit resident who installs doors on Ram pickups, said, "I expect to see things cleaned and safety protocols being observed, and I expect us to know something as far as the next steps for us."

    Another production worker at the plant, Sean Reid, 37, of Belleville, expressed concern over the earlier virus-related deaths of several U.S. auto workers, including one at Warren Truck.

    "I don't know where people have been, I don't know what they've been doing," he said. "I don't like it, but what can I do, really?"

    The Detroit automakers have many older workers in states such as Michigan that were hit hard by the pandemic.

    Theresa Segura, 61, arrived for work at the FCA Warren plant on Monday but was immediately sent home after noting on an FCA questionnaire that she had been exposed to a family member who had just tested positive for the virus.

    Segura, who has worked at the truck plant since 1993, said she thought that it was in any case too soon to reopen "because there are still people sick out there."

    "We're risking our lives going in there," said Segura, who works as a "floater," moving from job to job at the plant as needed.
     

    Coronavirus Plant ClosingsFollow the latest on assembly plant closings: Automotive News' list of U.S. auto factory shutdowns and scheduled dates of reopening.
    Coronavirus plant closings >

    Critical restart

    Some non-union automakers in the southern United States reopened earlier this month. Electric car maker Tesla Inc. began building vehicles last week in defiance of a shutdown order in Alameda County, Calif., then stopped and agreed to reopen again Monday.

    For the automakers and their suppliers, many of which began reopening their plants last week, the restart is critical to ending the cash drain caused by a two-month shutdown forced on them by COVID-19.

    The emphasis is on getting assembly lines again producing such profitable vehicles as GM's Chevrolet Suburban SUV, Ford's F-150 pickup truck and FCA's Jeep Wrangler SUV.

    "Ultimately we're in this together. Because if we don't build trucks, Ford Motor Company is gone," said Todd Dunn, president of UAW Local 862, the union that represents more than 14,000 hourly workers at Ford's two Kentucky assembly plants, which build trucks and utility vehicles.

    The UAW's Dunn said one question will be how many Ford workers punch in at his local production facilities this week given a lack of daycare in Kentucky, where schools are closed, as well as fear among those with underlying health conditions who are at greater risk. Ford has been hiring temporary workers to cover absenteeism, he said.

    President Donald Trump on Thursday will tour a Ford manufacturing plant in Michigan that has been repurposed to make ventilators and personal protective equipment, according to the White House.

    GM is reopening a number of plants on one shift, including 1,600 hourly workers making pickup trucks in Flint, Mich., and 1,600 workers manufacturing pickups in Fort Wayne, Ind.

    Another issue automakers will have to watch closely is the financial health of suppliers. As most suppliers get paid on average 45 days after they deliver parts, some will struggle to stay afloat as the industry slowly reopens, analysts say.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Mexico gives automakers more time to meet USMCA rules
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

     

     

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    Mexico gives automakers more time to meet USMCA rules
    Mexico gives automakers more time to meet USMCA rules
    GM, Unifor go from strife to ‘right solutions’
    GM, Unifor go from strife to ‘right solutions’
    Ford Escape, Lincoln Corsair production halted again by chip shortage
    Ford Escape, Lincoln Corsair production halted again by chip shortage
    Sponsored Content: 4 ways your cross-state transactions can become streamlined
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    See more newsletter options at autonews.com/newsletters.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Digital Edition
    Automotive News 1-18-21
    THIS WEEK'S EDITION
    See our archive
    Fixed Ops Journal
    Fixed Ops Journal 12-14-20
    Read the issue
    See our archive
    BREAKING NEWS ALERTS: Sign up and be the first to know when big news breaks.
    AUTOMOTIVE NEWS TV WITH TOM WOROBEC: Sign up for our afternoon newscast and catch up on the top news of the day with our brief video roundup.
    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    Subscribe Today

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    Subscribe Now
    Connect With Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    Our mission

    The Automotive News mission is to be the primary source of industry news, data and understanding for the industry's decision-makers interested in North America.

    AN-LOGO-BLUE
    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit, Michigan
    48207-2997

    (877) 812-1584

    Email us

    Automotive News
    ISSN 0005-1551 (print)
    ISSN 1557-7686 (online)

    Fixed Ops Journal
    ISSN 2576-1064 (print)
    ISSN 2576-1072 (online)

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • Subscribe
    • Manage your account
    • Reprints
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
    • NEWS
      • Dealers
        • Access F&I
        • Fixed Ops Journal
        • Marketing
        • Used Cars
        • Retail Technology
        • Sales
        • Best Practices
        • Dealership Buy/Sell
        • NADA
        • NADA Show
      • Automakers & Suppliers
        • Automakers
        • Manufacturing
        • Suppliers
        • Regulations & Safety
        • Executives
        • Talk From The Top
        • Leading Women Network
        • Guide to Economic Development
        • PACE Awards
        • Management Briefing Seminars
        • World Congress
      • News by Brand
        • Aston Martin
        • BMW
          • Mini
          • Rolls-Royce
        • Daimler
          • Mercedes Benz
          • Smart
        • Fiat Chrysler
          • Alfa Romeo
          • Chrysler
          • Dodge
          • Ferrari
          • Fiat
          • Jeep
          • Maserati
          • Ram
        • Ford
          • Lincoln
        • General Motors
          • Buick
          • Cadillac
          • Chevrolet
          • GMC
          • Holden
        • Honda
          • Acura
        • Hyundai
          • Genesis
          • Kia
        • Mazda
        • McLaren
        • Mitsubishi
        • Nissan
          • Infiniti
        • PSA
          • Citroen
          • Opel
          • Peugeot
        • Renault
        • Subaru
        • Suzuki
        • Tata
          • Jaguar
          • Land Rover
        • Tesla
        • Toyota
          • Lexus
        • Volkswagen
          • Audi
          • Bentley
          • Bugatti
          • Lamborghini
          • Porsche
          • Seat
          • Skoda
        • Volvo
        • (Discontinued Brands)
      • Cars & Concepts
        • Virtual reveals (Sponsored)
          • GENESIS: 2021 GV80
          • KIA: 2021 K5
          • LEXUS: 2021 IS
          • NISSAN: 2021 Rogue
          • TOYOTA: 2021 Venza and 2021 Sienna
        • Auto Shows
          • Detroit Auto Show
          • New York Auto Show
          • Los Angeles Auto Show
          • Chicago Auto Show
          • Geneva Auto Show
          • Paris Auto Show
          • Frankfurt Auto Show
          • Toronto Auto Show
          • Tokyo Auto Show
          • Shanghai Auto Show
          • Beijing Auto Show
        • Future Product Pipeline
        • Photo Galleries
        • Car Cutaways
        • Design
      • Coronavirus Coverage
      • China
      • Shift
      • Mobility Report
      • Special Reports
      • Digital Edition Archive
      • This Week's Issue
    • OPINION
      • Blogs
      • Cartoons
      • Keith Crain
      • Automotive Views with Jason Stein
      • Columnists
      • China Commentary
      • Editorials
      • Letters to the Editor
      • Send us a Letter
    • DATA CENTER
    • VIDEO
      • AutoNews Now
      • First Shift
      • Special Video Reports
      • Weekend Drive
    • EVENTS & AWARDS
      • Events
        • Congress Conversations
        • Retail Forum: NADA
        • Canada Congress
        • Europe Congress Conversations
        • Leading Women Conference
        • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
        • ANE Shift
        • Shift: Mobility at a Crossroads
        • Shift: The Future of Mobility (CES)
      • Awards
        • 100 Leading Women
        • 40 Under 40 Retail
        • All-Stars
        • Best Dealerships To Work For
        • PACE Program
        • Rising Stars
        • Europe Rising Stars
    • JOBS
    • AN Solutions
    • +MORE
      • Leading Women Network
      • Podcasts
        • Shift: A Podcast About Mobility
        • Special Reports Podcasts
        • Daily Drive Podcasts
      • Webinars
      • In the Driver's Seat
        • AAM
        • Gentex
        • Reputation.com
        • Ricardo
        • Ricardo
      • Publishing Partners
        • Allstate: Want more from your F&I?
        • Ally: Navigating the future of automotive retailing
        • Amazon Web Services: Any place, any time, any channel
        • Amazon Web Services: The power of the cloud
        • Amazon Web Services: Universal translator: Harnessing sensor data to build better automotive software
        • Epic Games: Transforming the auto industry with digital assets
        • FTI Consulting: Crisis as a catalyst for change
        • Google: 5 trends shaping the auto industry's approach to a new normal
        • IHS Markit: Automotive loyalty in the wake of the COVID-19 recession
        • IHS Markit: Autonomous vehicles: Automotive and transportation disruption
        • IHS Markit: COVID-19: The future mobility delusion
        • IHS Markit: The battery electric vehicle (BEV)
        • Level5: 2020 Automotive E-Commerce Report
        • Naked Lime: Bring social reputation together as part of big-picture marketing
        • Wells Fargo Auto: Switching gears from LIBOR to SOFR
        • Ally: Do It Right
        • DealerSocket
        • Deloitte: Cyber everywhere: Preparing for automotive safety in the face of cyber threats
        • Facebook: The road to a zero-friction future
        • Guide To Economic Development
        • PayPal Credit: How consumer financing helps drive sales for online auto parts retailers
      • Classifieds
      • Companies on the Move
      • People on the Move
      • Newsletters
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • RSS Feeds