Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has given automakers the greenlight to resume production next week.
As part of Whitmer’s MI Safe Start Plan, manufacturing employees can return to work starting on Monday, May 11th.
That’s one week earlier than GM and FCA were planning to resume production. However, the time gap will likely be used by suppliers to ensure auto plants have enough components to build new vehicles.
Also Read: GM, Ford And FCA Shut Down North American Plants
The MI Safe Start Plan involves six phases and eight economic recovery zones. Michigan is transitioning to the third phase known as “Flattening” and this will allow non-critical manufacturing to resume as long as additional safety measures and guidelines are put in place.
The remaining five phases are based on the severity of the coronavirus pandemic and each has their own restrictions on businesses and public gatherings. However, things won’t return to normal until the state reaches phase six which is known as “Post-Pandemic.”
In the plan, Whitmer explained “By proceeding incrementally, we can evaluate the effects of our decisions. If cases start to surge, we may need to tighten up again. If the disease is contained, we can keep relaxing.”
Michigan has been hard hit by the coronavirus as the state says there have already been 45,646 confirmed cases and 4,343 deaths. However, those numbers have been trending downward.
Automakers haven’t responded to the announcement yet, but UAW President Rory Gamble said “Governor Whitmer has at all times been inclusive and focused on building consensus to do what is right for the health and safety of UAW members and all of Michigan’s working men and women.” He added “The UAW will continue to have dialogue and aggressively pursue all avenues over the health and safety of our members, their families and their communities as we cautiously go into our next phase of battling this pandemic while worksites reopen.”
