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Unrest In Detroit Spurs Auto Show Protest

100tnega submitted on 1/13/2009 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 2:21:09 PM

13 user comments | Category: Misc News | Source: | SOURCE: jalopnik.com

Unhappy with the current direction of the not-so-Big Three, UAW workers the proletariat spoke in the form of a protest outside the Detroit Auto Show.

We interviewed David Edgar, the voice behind the rally.

David Edgar, a Chrysler employee working at the Warren Stamping Plant, is not happy. He's sick of "our race to the bottom." He's sick of "what a working man has to go through to make a livable wage." He's sick of "free trade," so he and his UAW local friends are going to fix it. Through protests and rallies, this sizable cadre of autoworkers from a variety of local factories hopes to turn the tide. Being on the inside of the show and looking out, it's a lot like the movie Airheads, but without the rock. Also, no Chris Farley. Ford marketing maven Jim Farley, yes, but he's just his cousin.


The leaders of the protest believe that pressures have been mounting since 1980 to "pull the rug out from under the UAW." One protester stated that he has shrunk his standard of living by selling his boat - and buying a smaller one. God, save us all.

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100tnega

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User Comments

BSBB

That's the UAW for you. Enough said.

— BSBB (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 2:42:10 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

Agent009

That is only one voice in the UAW as a whole. I imagine there are those experiencing real hardships to the concessions. But it has happened to many industries in the past and will continue for quite sometime as emerging nation come into the world economy.

At some point there is a reality check of pay vs skill level. there are PHD graduates out there making less than some of the people were.

— Agent009 (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 3:18:04 PM | | Votes: 4   

BSBB

Agreed. Union workers cannot be complacent anymore. They need to learn the concept of job competition.

— BSBB (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 3:23:41 PM | | Votes: 3   

zorbeeze

OMG, noooooooooooooooo, the UAW worker had to sell his boat, OMG, WTF, talk about lowering your standards of living. I can't believe it, poor guy.
Hey guys and girls, let's all get together and collect some money so this poor UAW worker can buy his boat back. What do you say? Who's with me?


F***ing dumbass. I usaully don't swear but i just can not stop myself.

— zorbeeze (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 7:30:24 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

chewy

big boats for all

— chewy (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 10:38:35 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

asternmadkatz

I will agree with Agent009 to a point. Yes that is only one voice, but unfortunately the majority of people who are part of the UAW (and CAW as I'm in Canada) tend to agree with them. What they seem to not get is they are losing their jobs because the companies they work for are completely mis-managed, make inferior products and are WAY to slow to react to the needs of customers.

They try to dictate what the consumer needs, but they don't listen to what they actually want.

Now I'm all for keeping jobs in North America, but Unions are not the way to go. They promote complacency, laziness and are against any kind of change. I just can't respect those people. If they put half as much energy into upgrading their skills and putting forth ideas then complaining and whining that they are losing their jobs, well...those companies and workers would be in a much better situation, recession or not.

— asternmadkatz (View Profile)

Posted on 1/14/2009 10:15:00 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

1UAW

Honestly how many UAW members do you know? How can you measure our level of education? What do you really know about us besides what you hear in the media and we know how biased the media is on many subjects. We truly are like the rest of America many of us are educated posses degrees or are currently obtaining one. You can not judge us based on one mans point of view or the anti-Union media.

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 1/14/2009 2:06:58 PM | | Votes: 0   

1UAW

http://labornotes.org/node/22

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 1/14/2009 2:14:54 PM | | Votes: 0   

BSBB

1UAW...I wonder how many college educated individuals (men and women) look to become auto plant assembly line workers as soon as they graduate (college). I concede that there may be some "while-collar" auto company employees who are members of the UAW. But, I am unconvinced that anyone with a college degree who works on the assembly line really wants to be there (or even part of the UAW). That would truly be a waste of a college education.

— BSBB (View Profile)

Posted on 1/15/2009 11:47:39 AM | | Votes: 1   

1UAW

BSBB.... As you know there are people the spend years in college obtain a degree such as myself and can NOT find a job. So at times you take what you can get because when you graduate you have to pay back the loans that have been accumulating as you do your time in school. 75% of Americans HATE the job they are currently in and don't have it by choice they have it to survive and I am quite sure that even you fall in this category.

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 1/16/2009 6:42:28 PM | | Votes: 1   

1UAW

The opportunity's in all fields in this country are rapidly disappearing. Many people would be happy just to be employed.

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 1/16/2009 6:50:13 PM | | Votes: 1   

1UAW

The opportunity's in all fields in this country are rapidly disappearing. Many people would be happy just to be employed.

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 1/16/2009 6:51:20 PM | | Votes: 1   

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