LOUISVILLE, Ky. — United Auto Workers is on strike but Louisville's Ford truck plant is still in production for the time being.
The ongoing UAW strike has workers in Kentucky wondering if they will be asked to walk off the job. Businesses near the Ford truck plant are also wondering how that could affect their own bottom line.
Only one mile down the road from Louisville’s Ford truck plan is About Time Bar and Grill. Bartender Dani Gay says many of their regulars work at Ford.
“Everybody knows everybody here. It’s a lot of the same people every day. We’re definitely thinking about them and keeping them in our thoughts and hoping for the best outcome possible,” Gay told Spectrum News 1.
Kentucky’s auto workers are still on the job and so is Gay, but she is a little anxious for her family and friends who work at the plant, including Gay’s uncle.
“Everything is just up in the air. They’re just waiting to see what’s going to happen with them and if that doesn’t work out, they are going to do their part and be a part of the strike also,” Gay added.
Gay says if Ford workers walk off the job, it’s hard to say if that will affect businesses like hers, but knowing many of the employees working there also live in the neighborhood, it might not have a drastic effect on their restaurant sales.
“A lot of them work during the day. I have a couple friends who are on ‘C’ crew so they will be there at night, but so far everyone is still working as planned,” she shared.
Over the years Gay says her uncle has encouraged her to work at the Ford plant but the 28-year-old says she might be better suited serving auto workers than making the cars herself.
“I’m good at doing this and I love what I do, so I’m just going to stick with bartending,” she said.
Currently, workers at three plants have walked off the job — a General Motors plant in Missouri, a Ford assembly plant in Michigan, and a Stellantis facility in Ohio.