mmarshall

VW's Chattanooga Plant, which has been closed since March 21, will re-open on May 3, with some new restrictions/policies in place.

This plant, BTW, is not a UAW plant....the workers did not vote to unionize.


Tennessee plant closed since March 21.
INDUSTRY

VW Targets May 3 for Chattanooga Reopening

New health and safety procedures at Chattanooga include providing new personal protective equipment, ceasing shuttle transportation and replacing cafeteria meals with packed lunches. Jim Irwin | Apr 24, 2020

Volkswagen says it will reopen its Chattanooga, TN, plant May 3 after a six-week closing triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, while Mazda extends the shutdown of its Japanese plants by one week.

VW says in a news release it will resume its Chattanooga operations in phases to allow time for implementation of new health and safety procedures such as providing new personal protective equipment, ceasing shuttle transportation and replacing cafeteria meals with packed lunches.

The plant initially will operate on a five-day, eight-hour production schedule. The final phase of the reopening, which coincides with lifted restrictions from the State of Tennessee and Hamilton County, will be a complete return to normal operations, the automaker says.

Mazda will extend by one week its shutdown coinciding with the Golden Week observance of four Japanese holidays. In response to the state of emergency declared last week in Japan, plants there will remain closed through May 10. Production will resume May 11 and continue on a modified schedule through the end of the month to match global demand, the company says.

mmarshall

This plant, BTW, is scheduled to be where VW's future electric vehicles are assembled, including the I.D. Buzz electric minivan, with a retro-desgn based on the famous VW Microbus of the 1950s and 1960s.

riredale

Excellent news. Virus is very low risk to younger folks, but dangerous to oldsters. Retirement centers need to continue to isolate big-time. The virus has astonished health officials with recent testing showing a significant percentage of a community already carrying antibodies. Herd immunity eventually.

mmarshall

Don't know this for a fact, but I'd guess that most people working in auto plants probably wear safety-gloves, as it is, for actions that don't require extreme finger-dexterity. Gloves, in most cases, would probably be needed to protect one's hands from equipment, sharp edges, and caustic substances used in sealers, fluids, etc...that could be harmful to one's hands or fingers. And the gloves, in many cases, probably also provide extra protection from the virus.

wasjr

Per chattanoogan.com, Volkswagen Chattanooga has reassessed plans to resume production May 3. Before setting a new start date, Volkswagen will weigh the readiness of the supplier base, as well as market demand and the status of the COVID-19 outbreak.

wasjr

Didn't want to start a new thread, but saw on local news that Toyota is opening the Georgetown plant on Monday. No date given on when production will start. At least a week will be orientation on the safety changes made to the plant and production line.

Kense

Why are they making more cars when nobody is buying the ones sitting on lots?