Statement of UAW President Rory L. Gamble on Ford's Decision to Reopen Worksites

We all knew this day would come at some point.

While the companies have the sole contractual right to determine the opening of plants, our UAW focus and role is and will continue to be, on health and safety protocols in which we have the contractual right to protect our members.

As we have said, our dialogue with all of our employers and employment sectors about the safety and security of everyone who enters into a plant will continue beyond the reopening of worksites. In the case of the Big 3, through the Task Force we will have an ongoing dialogue and we have supported a number of measures put in place to address Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines from Ford, GM and FCA to protect our health and safety in the plant. Our volunteer members and the companies have done great work to reconfigure plants to achieve this safety goal.

We will continue to advocate for as much testing as possible at the current time and eventually full testing when available.

My own family will be among those that will be reporting and my responsibility to our UAW members and my family will be consistent. We must implement and follow these guidelines and self-reporting procedures we have worked out. And the UAW will fulfill its role to continue to actively monitor and aggressively respond regarding all issues impacting the health and safety of UAW members in whatever manner may be necessary as we return to the worksite.”