Coronavirus: Navistar extends production stoppage at Springfield plant

Navistar announced Tuesday that it will extend its order to stop production at its Springfield facility until April 27.

The company announced last week that it would stop production on both of its assembly lines in Springfield as the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted its supply chain. Navistar originally planned to resume production on April 6.

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Representatives of Navistar told local union officials Tuesday that their suppliers are still not able to get parts and that is the reason for the extension, said Chris Blizard, the president of UAW Local 402.

That union represents assembly production workers as well as those in skilled trades at the Springfield plant. Blizard said up to 1,000 UAW Local 402 members continue to be temporarily out of work until production resumes at the Springfield plant.

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Navistar’s Springfield plant assembles medium-duty commercial trucks as well as cutaway vans for General Motors. GM confirmed earlier this month that it would begin a systematic orderly suspension of manufacturing operations in North America.

However, Navistar’s Springfield plant has remained open during the production pause with some employees working in a non-production capacity.