Brown Calls On GE to Utilize Ohio Workers to Produce Ventilators, Take Steps to Keep Workers Safe

CLEVELAND, OH – Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) called on General Electric (GE) to utilize highly-skilled Ohio workers to produce ventilators that are in short supply and that will help keep Ohioans healthy during the coronavirus pandemic. GE owns plants in Cleveland and Bucyrus where GE workers are ready to do their part and start producing ventilators now. Brown also called on the company to protect the health of GE workers and implement enhanced policies to keep workers safe.

Brown’s call follows an appeal from IUE-CWA members to GE to upscale production of ventilators and increase safety protocol. Recently, GE announced layoffs and temporary closures at plants across the country, despite being a global leader in the production of critical medical equipment, including ventilators.

“Ohio workers are the best in the world at what they do and Ohioans are ready to get to work to ensure our healthcare providers have the ventilators they need to save lives,” said Brown. “I’m calling on GE to put its workers in Ohio on the job and to do so in a way that protects their health and safety. Ohioans always step up in times of need, and I know GE workers in Ohio are ready to do their part.”

Brown continues leading efforts to ensure frontline healthcare workers have the supplies and resources they need to keep Ohioans safe.

Brown wrote to President Trump calling on the Administration to immediately implement all Defense Production Act powers under Titles I, III, and VII as necessary to massively scale up production of testing kits, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) such as respirators and gloves, ventilators, and other critical materials that our country needs during the coronavirus emergency.

Brown has also released a plan for addressing the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) needed by healthcare workers on the frontline of keeping Americans healthy and safe during the coronavirus pandemic and has written to President Trump outlining several steps the Administration should take immediately to address the shortage and ramp up manufacturing of these critical medical supplies.