The U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday that Stellantis will create more lactation rooms at its Sterling Heights, Michigan auto plant and fix its break policy after the department found that the automaker violated the rights of nursing mothers who work there.
Investigators with the department's Wage and Hour division found that the Stellantis plant didn't have adequate lactation rooms, with nursing mothers waiting up to 20 minutes for an available room or having to find another location to express milk, such as the community shower area.
A mimimum of 19 nursing mothers shared access to four, one-person lactation rooms at the time the investigation was conducted.
Stellantis, created in 2021 through the merger of Fiat Chrysler and France’s PSA Peugeot, said in a statement that employee health and wellness is a top priority for the company.
“We continually assess the need for additional dedicated lactation rooms in each of our locations. We are committed to providing a private, comfortable place for women to express milk,” it said.