SALUTING 3,000 TOLEDO JEEP WORKERS TO `RETURN-TO-WORK' MONDAY BY STATE EDICT; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 92
(Extensions of Remarks - May 15, 2020)
Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SALUTING 3,000 TOLEDO JEEP WORKERS TO `RETURN-TO-WORK' MONDAY BY STATE
EDICT
______
HON. MARCY KAPTUR
of ohio
in the house of representatives
Friday, May 15, 2020
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise today with sincere concern for the
well-being of thousands of workers and include in the Record this
congratulatory entry during the COVID-19 pandemic. This coming Monday
thousands of plant workers, largely connected to auto manufacturing and
supplier networks, will ``return to work.'' Their return is a State of
Ohio decision by the Governor to allow production to resume at Fiat
Chrysler in Toledo and hundreds of other Ohio manufacturing facilities.
As Co-Chair of the U.S. House Auto Caucus, I represent workers who
build the iconic Jeep product, vehicles from GM and Ford, and
components from glass to tires and from paint to bucket seats. These
plants and their workers were as instrumental in creating reliable over
ground transportation during the last century in World War II that
carried our Allied victory. Today they are building new hybrid and
electric vehicle technologies. Ohioans build things. Workers must be
allowed to do their craft in a healthy and safe environment. In their
``return to work,'' these workers likely represent the largest
manufacturing workforce to restart production nearly anywhere in
America.
My primary concern remains the workers, their health and safety, and
the absolute necessity of embarking upon a COVID-19 testing regime that
will protect them, their coworkers, and their families from the spread
of the dreaded Covid-19 virus even as the Governor has opened the doors
to these plants. To this end, I have spent hours on end on the
telephone and in meetings with top executives, union leaders, workers,
health professionals, local health departments, the state health
department, private and publicly operated labs. My goal: to get up and
running, the testing capacity for which l have voted for and workers
have been promised. But that is still largely lacking in Ohio and
across our nation.
I remain deeply concerned about the health and safety of Ohio's
workers. I offer my full cooperation to achieve a testing regime
acceptable to our workforce, medical sciences, and all concerned.
Workers who enter plants across Ohio will be working at a closer
density than those who live in many of our nursing homes where COVID-19
has struck with a vengeance. In the case of Toledo Jeep, workers will
travel from Michigan and Indiana to work - untested and uncertain about
what they face. Contact tracing will be harder without testing. Lucas
County already has endured the highest number of COVID-19 related
deaths in our State. We must pay attention. Today, the Veteran's Home
in Sandusky was struck by the COVID-19. It only takes one person who
has the virus asymptomatically to directly spread it to many others.
Testing is the only way to ensure that workers can work in a safe
environment. A temperature test is not sufficient.
I cannot remain silent as this workforce begins not only a new week,
but a new chapter in American history. I offer my full personal and
financial support as l am able to work with the management and
workforce representatives at the Fiat Chrysler and other facilities to
embark upon necessary, free testing to assure the short and long-term
health of these valuable American workers. Ours is a great nation, We
must not accept less.
On a personal note, our beloved father retired from the old Jeep
facility on Central Avenue and our beautiful mother served the
organizing committee of the original United Auto Workers unit at
Champion Spark Plug, I believe our family knows firsthand what it takes
to assure worker health and safety, In their memory, I take this stand
for autoworkers, and all workers, who are being released to the
workforce. Our great nation has the capability to safeguard the health
and well-being of every person. To paraphrase a Civil War Admiral:
``Damn the Torpedoes! Full speed ahead!'' This must be our rallying cry
for testing all our workers. America should accept no less than the
best.