It’s possible that the Big Three automakers will shut down operations and lay off members who are not technically on strike.
Ford CEO Jim Farley said on CNN on Thursday that striking plants that make critical parts could affect workers at downstream assembly plants.
“We can’t make a vehicle without an engine or transmission or stamping. So those people will, you know, basically be furloughed,” Farley said.
Strikers are not eligible for unemployment benefits, but workers who are on temporary layoff can receive the benefits, which differ depending on the state where they work but would be less than the union’s $500 strike pay. There also are legal questions in different states about qualifying for unemployment.
A union spokesman said earlier Thursday that he couldn’t comment on members’ eligibility for unemployment benefits if they were laid off due to plants shutting down from lack of parts caused by the strike.
