Ford temporarily lays off 600 workers due to Michigan Assembly strike

Union members at 3 plants hit the picket lines this morning

The UAW strike officially started at midnight on September 15 after failing to reach labor agreements with the Big Three automakers.

DEARBORN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Ford said the autoworker union's strike at its assembly plant in Wayne has forced the company to temporarily layoff 600 employees at the factory.

In a statement from the automaker, it said the strike will have "knock-on effects" for other parts of the company's supply chain, prompting it to shutter certain manufacturing processes.

"In this case, the strike at Michigan Assembly Plant’s final assembly and paint departments has directly impacted the operations in other parts of the facility. Approximately 600 employees at Michigan Assembly Plant’s body construction department and south sub-assembly area of integrated stamping were notified not to report to work Sept. 15.

"This is not a lockout. This layoff is a consequence of the strike at Michigan Assembly Plant’s final assembly and paint departments, because the components built by these 600 employees use materials that must be e-coated for protection. E-coating is completed in the paint department, which is on strike."

When the UAW called for a strike at midnight, its president called on local organizations in Missouri, Ohio, and Michigan to walk off the line, hitting all three of Detroit's automakers simultaneously.

The auto industry is a complex system that has several supply chains that feed into it. When employees stop working in one sector, it's likely to affect another.