CLAYCOMO, Mo. — A parking policy at the Ford plant in Claycomo has employees so upset they called Fox 4 Problem Solvers. Employees say if you don’t drive a Ford, you are banned from parking in the main employee lot. That’s caused a serious problem for non-Ford driving employees who say they some times can’t find any place to park in the back lot.
Fox 4 Problem Solvers doesn’t usually do stories on the parking problems of private companies, but this one intrigued us after we heard from people who drive Chevys and Dodges and tell us they’ve been towed because they parked in the Ford-only lot.
The Ford plant in Claycomo has more than 7,500 employees. Every employee is informed of the parking policy when they take the job. But those who contacted us said they had no idea there wouldn’t be enough spots available in the non-Ford parking lot. Parking really gets difficult around 5 pm. That’s when there’s an hour overlap from when one shift ends and the next shift begins.
If Chevy-and-Dodge-driving employees can’t find a spot in the back lot, they say their only alternative is to park in the main lot. But if they do, they’ll get a warning sticker on their car. If they get more than two warning stickers, they will be towed. A spokesman for the Union, which by the way bans all foreign cars from its lot, agreed that parking at the Ford plant is a hassle. But he said there’s nothing the Union can do about it.
A Ford spokeswoman acknowledged the Claycomo plant offers premium spots to employees drive Ford products “to encourage them to buy what they build.” Ford disagreed with complaints that there’s inadequate parking for non Ford vehicles. In fact, after we contacted Ford, it reviewed a week’s worth of security footage of non-Ford lot and insisted there were always at least 30 spots available.
We learned while looking into these parking complaints that GM also has a parking policy, except GM gives premium parking to all American made cars — even Fords. Only Foreign cars are relegated to GM’s back lot. Something to remember if you ever decide to go to work for an auto manufacture.