Auto Workers Get Family Centers

W A S H I N G T O N,  Nov. 21 -- Employees of Ford Motor Co. and parts maker Visteon Corp. will be able to get onsite child care 24 hours a dayat unique family centers being built around the country under apartnership between the companies and the United Auto Workers.

The Family Service and Learning Center program was born ofFord’s 1999 contract agreement with the UAW, and company and unionleaders today unveiled their vision for the 30 centers slatedto open in 14 states over the next several years.

The companies and union view the centers as a tool to helpfamilies manage an increasing work load and pressure. They willaddress the shortage of quality affordable child care for workingparents, especially those who work the night shift, and provide awide range of other services.

‘Employers of Choice’

“Enlightened corporations are beginning to understand thatsocial issues are business issues,” Ford Chairman William Ford Jr.said in a statement. “They realize they can no longer separatethemselves from what is going on around them.”

A worker might take a financial planning or make travelarrangements at the center. Children could get after schooltutoring or surf the Internet on the center’s computers. A retireecould go on a day trip to a museum or get a health screeningcoordinated by the center.

“The services provided and the community support will go a longway to assure that Visteon and Ford be seen as employers ofchoice,” said Visteon Chairman Peter Pestillo.

In areas with the largest concentration of UAW members andemployees at Ford and Visteon, new state-of-the-art centers will bebuilt onsite and each will provide 24-hour child care for more than220 children. Some services, including the child care, will beoffered for a fee.

‘Building Stronger Families’

The new centers will be located in and around Detroit,Cleveland, Chicago Louisville, Ky., and Kansas City, Mo. TwoCenters are scheduled to open next year, eight in 2002 and three bySeptember of 2003.