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Good News for GM’s Flint Engine Plant as Everybody Could Soon Return to Work

General Motors is one of the companies that have been hit hard by the global chip shortage, and the workers at the company’s Flint engine plant certainly know this very well.
GM's Flint engine plant 6 photos
Photo: GM
GM's Flint assembly plantGM's Flint assembly plantGM's Flint assembly plantGM's Flint assembly plantGM's Flint assembly plant
The daily operations at the Flint Engine Operations plant were originally disrupted in February this year when part of the staff was sent home as General Motors was struggling with the lack of chips.

Workers at the factory are building gas and diesel engines, including the Chevrolet Equinox currently assembled at the CAMI plant in Canada. However, since this particular facility suspended its operations due to the lack of chips, the workers from the Flint engine plant had no other option than to stay at home until the parent company found a way to deal with this crisis.

But some 400 workers are wondering if they’ll ever return to work, as they’ve spent weeks at home, and nobody knows for sure when and if the normal operations are supposed to resume at their facility.

According to Steve Dawes, the UAW Region 1D Director, the whole thing could happen rather shortly, as the production at the local plant could gain traction around November 1.

Speaking with ABC, Dawes explained that carmakers, including General Motors itself, need to find a way to prevent such a crisis from happening again. The best way to do this is to just start manufacturing more microchips in the United States.

In the meantime, however, General Motors is trying all kinds of approaches to make sure it reduces the likelihood of disruptions when it comes to the chip supply.

For example, the company is even trying to simplify its supply chain by working directly with the foundries, so with fewer names involved in the process, GM hopes its operations would no longer be impacted when part of the chain has to deal with government restrictions or shutdowns.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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