5 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,M ay 14,2020 insidehalton.com 49% of Canadians give themselvesa grade of C or lower on howthey view their personalfinancial skills. Does that include you? Let'sTalk. 905-842-2100 Visit our website to sign up for a free consultation. Peter Watson MBA, CFP®, R.F.P., CIM®, FCSI Jennifer Watson MBA, CFP®, CIM® 220 Randall Street, Downtown Oakville 905-842-2100 www.watsoninvestments.com Thinking of retiring someday? Let's Talk. Visit our website to sign up for a free consultation. *Sour CIBC poll, February 2018 of Canadians don't have a retirement plan to achieve what they want in retirement.*90%Schedule a virtual meetingto review your wealthmanagement strategy. 905-842-2100 ext. 103 jennifer@watsoninvestments.com 447 Speers Rd. Between Dorval & 4th Line (at rear of building) Garden Centre 1729 Queen St. at the corner of Bramalea Rd. and Queen St. East (Hwy 7) www. fantasygardencenters .com In Oakville since 1987 In Brampton since 1999 Visit Our Online Store Today For Your Gardening Needs! www.fantasygardencenters.com OAKVILLE -- More thanOAKVILLE -- More thanO 4,000 employees at the Oak- ville Ford Assembly Plant re- main in limbo as the auto gi- ant continues to plan its re- opening. When reached for com- ment on Thursday, April 30, a Ford spokesperson said there was still no official date for when employees couldfor when employees couldf return to work. The company says it is continuing to make deci- sions with the health and safety of its workforce, deal- ers, customers, partners and communities as its highest priority through the corona- virus crisis. "Ford has not yet deter- mined when it will resume production in its North American plants," said Lau- ren More, vice-president of communications for Ford Motor Company of Canada. "We are continuing to as- sess public health condi- tions, government guide- lines and supplier readiness to determine when the time is right to resume produc- tion. Meanwhile, Ford and Unifor continue working closely on initiatives to keep the workforce safe when we do restart our plants." Ford has announcedFord has announcedF plans to begin the process of restarting manufacturing at its plants in Europe on May 4. They also said a small number of hourly and sala- ried employees have re- turned to work in North America to begin installing equipment and putting new safety protocols in place. Unifor Local 707, the union which represents the Oakville Ford workers, was also unable to provide a firm date for when the plant will reopen. In an April 30 post on un- iforlocal707.org, the local union's president, Mark Sci- berras, said indications are that production will not re- sume prior to May 25. "Over the next several weeks, our local in-plant committee and health and safety representatives will continue to meet with de- partment heads to ensure that best practices are put in place in each department, to ensure our members remain safe while in the workplace," said Sciberras. "Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our way of life has changed and will remain changed for the foreseeable future."future."f In a press release issued April 30, Ford outlined its global health and safety pro-global health and safety pro-g tocols. They noted that re- opening procedures will in- clude scheduling more time between production shifts to limit interaction between employees and allow for ad- ditional cleaning. Workspaces have alsoWorkspaces have alsoW been modified where possi- ble to allow for social dis- tancing, and all Ford people - hourly and salaried employ- ees - will receive personal protective equipment (PPE) to be worn inside Ford facil- ities. Kiersten Robinson, Ford's chief human resources offi- cer, said supervisors are be- ing instructed to have sala- ried employees work accord- ing to specific schedules to prevent unnecessary con- tact. Sciberras said additional changes at the Oakville As- sembly Plant will include hand sanitizer stations throughout the plant, new handwashing basins in- stalled, lunch table dividers, curtain dividers hung in some work areas and avail- able cleaning supplies so that employees can sanitize their work stations. "Although these changes will be difficult, just like the changes we have endured since this pandemic hit North America, we need to remember we are doing this in the interest of all our health and safety," said Sci- berras. Other safety actions Ford is taking include a daily on- line health and well-being self-certification survey that employees must complete before they enter the plant, employee temperature checks at the entrances to the plant (anyone with a raised temperature will not be permitted to enter) and a mandatory requirement to wear a face mask at the facil- ity. The Oakville Ford As- sembly Plant, along with all other North American Ford facilities, shut down in mid-facilities, shut down in mid-f March over concerns about the coronavirus. The intention was to re- open on March 30, but these plans were cancelled due to the evolving nature of the pandemic. The provincial government has since deemed manufacturing an essential business. STILL NO RESTART DATE FOR PRODUCTION AT FORD PLANT DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com NEWS The Oakville Ford Assembly Plant has been shut down since mid-March. Graham Paine/Torstar