Officials from the UAW Local 402, which represents the majority of workers at the Springfield facility, could not be reached for comment.
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A strap lock is an adjustable band that typically holds hoses and cables to a bracket, according to Jeff Webb, Springfield’s plant manager. It has to be pulled tight and the excess has to be cut off. The band is very strong and can be tough to trim off, and some employees were tasked with installing 1,000 strap locks per day, according to information from the company.
The company said improvements to the manufacturing process included reviewing the tools used for the process and limiting the number of strap locks installed in an 8-hour shift to 500.
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There were 41 first aid reports and 14 recordable injuries related to the work in 2015 and 2016, but that fell to nine first aid reports and no reportable injuries since, according to the company’s post.
Navistar is a significant employer locally, with about 1,800 workers in the facility.
The company launched a new medium-duty truck earlier this month built by workers in Springfield as part of a partnership with GM.
The company is in ongoing negotiations with the UAW, and both sides recently avoided a work stoppage. Members of the UAW had agreed to extend the terms of their existing contract, but briefly ended that deal last month for about two days. The sides eventually agreed to return to the terms of the existing contract and resume negotiations.
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