NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS |
JOBS
Back to work at Daimler
After a three-and-a-half week reminding workers to keep a
shutdown, Daimler Trucks safe distance apart, and make
North America reopened its daily reports to higher-ups. Be-
Swan Island Western Star truck cause communicating at six feet
plant April 20 with lots of meas- distance is challenging in a
ures in place to prevent COVID- noisy manufacturing setting,
19 virus.
Daimler of-
To create a
fered radio
less crowded
headsets to
““The responses were all
assembly line,
workers who
over the map, from,
the plant is
need to com-
‘I shouldn’t have to be
now operating
municate for
two shifts—a 6
training.
here,’ to, ‘Thank God I
a.m. to 2:30
Despite all
have a job.””
p.m. day shift
those meas-
— Dwain Panian,
and a 3:30
ures, many
Machinists
W24 rep
p.m. to mid-
workers were
night swing
still apprehen-
shift. As work-
sive about re-
ers enter the
turning
to
plant, they’re scanned to see if work during a pandemic.
they have elevated temperature,
“The responses were all over
and any who show symptoms the map, from, ‘I shouldn’t have
are sent home. Workers are re- to be here,’ to ‘Thank God I
quired to wear face masks, ei- have a job,” Machinists union
ther paper masks distributed by rep Dwain Panian told the Labor
the company or their own Press.
home-brought versions.
“It was a challenging week,”
During the shutdown, work Panian said. “We had a lot of
stations were reorganized: bumps along the road.”
Processes that formerly required
The production line is mov-
two people have been rearrange ing a little under half its normal
to keep just one worker at each speed, but the hope is with two
work station. Bathrooms, wash shifts to meet close to normal
stations and break rooms are production targets.
taped to keep people apart. Near
But a week after reopening,
the time clock and plant gate, hiccups elsewhere in the supply
markings show what six feet of chain temporarily closed the
distance is like. Managers, as- plant again April 28; it was set
signed as social distancing mon- to reopen again May 4.
itors, wander through the plant,
May 1, 2020 | PAGE 3