LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville-based GE Appliances, a unit of China's Haier, said Friday it is donating 100,000 surgical masks to health care facilities in Kentucky and the four other states where it has factories.
The donation announcement comes a day after Gov. Andy Beshear said he wanted to learn more about allegations by GE Appliances workers that the company is hoarding face masks for its own employees' usage at a time when they are needed for health care workers.
The company said it's also giving 100,000 pairs of industrial gloves to Kentucky.
GE Appliances has come under fire from employees and their union for continuing appliance manufacturing during the pandemic. The Appliance Park manufacturing complex in Louisville shut down the week of March 23 but reopened this week over many workers' objections.
In recent days, employees have circulated photos on Facebook appearing to show palettes loaded with boxes of face masks at Appliance Park.
Asked how many masks the company has, a GE Appliances spokeswoman did not directly answer the question.
"GE Appliances started preparing for this situation several months ago and began working with our global suppliers to ensure we could meet the essential needs of our employees across the U.S. while also supporting the needs of our communities and healthcare providers," spokeswoman Allison Martin said by email. "In addition to providing significant donations, we have also connected Louisville Metro Government agencies with our suppliers to secure additional PPE (personal protection equipment)."
Workers have told WDRB the masks are available to any employees who choose to wear them while on the assembly line.
According to the news release, 90,000 of the masks will go to Kentucky healthcare facilities. The other masks will go to health care facilities in the other areas where GE Appliances has plants:
- Decatur, Alabama
- LaFayette, Georgia
- Camden, South Carolina
- Selmer, Tennessee
Last week, GE Appliances gave 2,500 N95 masks to University of Louisville Health.
On Monday, GE Appliances said a "significant portion" of the appliances it makes over the next few months will be donated to healthcare workers, firefighters, paramedics, police officers and others on the frontlines of the pandemic response.
GE Appliances also contributed $100,000 the One Louisville COVID-19 Response Fund championed by Mayor Greg Fischer, which is a pool of money to help nonprofit organizations, individuals and businesses affected by the pandemic.
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