VANCE, Ala. — Brett Garrard wishes that he had more work-life balance.
His wife has Stage 4 cancer and undergoes chemotherapy every three weeks. He wants to go to his step-children’ sports games. But his work schedule keeps changing. He can’t get a solid sleep schedule.
“When we had a three shift model I worked what they call C-shift at Mercedes, and I never missed a game,” said Garrard, a team leader and supply chain operator at Mercedes’ Alabama battery plant. “Never missed a school function. Veterans Day I was able to always be there with the kids, and they were proud of that. And now I just have to call them and say ‘Hey, good luck.'”
Austin Brooks has spent his whole life in and out of the hospital.