Made in America

By DEANNA ROSE | The Source

In 2006, the main gas line in Elaine Fisher’s Milford home caused an explosion that “blew up” the dwelling – while she was inside of it. As a result, her husband, Roy, retired from his job at Chrysler’s Sterling Heights Assembly Plant after 32 years of working on assembly lines so he could care for her.

Then six months later, Roy found out he had prostate cancer. And Elaine was already dealing with the effects of fibromyalgia, a muscular condition that peppers her body with pain. Several long-term health problems meant their health insurance was even more of a necessity than ever.

The couple is back living in their home, but now they have a new worry on their minds. Because Roy retired and didn’t take one of the buyouts offered by Chrysler, he’s counting on the pension and benefits he worked so hard to keep. However, it looks like cuts are looming.

“They said they’re going to take (away) our dental and our optical insurance,” Elaine said.

With Chrysler’s recent bankruptcy and merger deal with Fiat, the couple worry that their health care benefits are going to be swept away so the automaker can flip itself right-side up and become viable again.

“Now we’re scared to death,” Elaine said. “We need our medical insurance.”

The Fishers were two of several dozens of automotive and steel workers who joined local and federal officials at the “Keep it Made in America” bus tour rally May 11 at Dodge Park in Sterling Heights. The public rally, sponsored by the Alliance for American Manufacturing, United Steelworkers, and the Mayors and Municipalities Coalition, expressed support for keeping domestic manufacturing jobs in the United States.

Sterling Heights resident Chris Ramotowski has worked at the SHAP for nine years and he said he is worried about his job security.

“This isn’t a safe seniority,” Ramotowski said. “Everyone’s in trouble.”

Ramotowski is not working at the moment since the plant shut down for a month or two while Chrysler’s bankruptcy-required restructuring takes place. He could be permanently displaced next year since the plant is scheduled to close in December 2010.

John Roberts of Macomb Township is in the same predicament as Ramotowski; he is employed at the SHAP, but not working there at the moment. Roberts waved an American flag during the rally, hoping to stress the importance of keeping American jobs in America.

“Eight Chrysler plants are scheduled to close in America – but none in Mexico or Canada,” Roberts said. “But it’s our tax dollar.”

During the rally, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero fired up the crowd when he talked about what the government is – or isn’t – doing to help the troubled American automakers and the families affected by the entire economical situation.

“It’s bailouts and bonuses for Wall Street,” Bernero said. “And it’s bull(expletive) for working families.”

Sterling Heights Councilwoman Maria Schmidt told rally attendees that the troubles facing the Big Three automakers have far-reaching effects.

“We’re devastated as a community, as a state and as a country,” Schmidt said.

Despite the announced closure of the Chrysler SHAP, Sterling Heights City Manager Mark Vanderpool maintains the city is doing everything possible to minimize the impact locally. He said Sterling Heights has a large manufacturing base and the Chrysler factory that may close next year is part of that.

“I say Œmay’ because we’re going to do all that we can to save that facility,” Vanderpool said. “There will be a Fiat product of some sort in SHAP.”

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Officials Call on Washington to “Keep It Made in America”

The Los Angeles Chronicle

Washington, D.C. – From May 11 to May 14, thousands of workers whose paychecks are tied to the U.S. auto industry joined bus tours through 11 states to showcase the ripple effect of economic devastation and lost jobs in industries ranging from steel and paper to shops on Main Street and public education. For highlights from the 11-state bus tour visit www.madeinamericatour.org.

On Tuesday, May 19, from 9:00 AM-1:15 PM in Room HVC 215 of the Capitol Visitors Center, national economists, labor and business leaders, Members of Congress, local elected officials and everyday workers will bring those stories to Washington and present principles for revitalizing the auto industry by supporting American jobs and communities. The first panel begins with MSNBC’s Ed Schultz moderating a discussion featuring Leo Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers, Wilbur Ross, Chairman & CEO of WL Ross & Company, and Dr. Susan Helper, Case Western Reserve University, Professor of Economics. Labor and business leaders as well as elected officials and workers will participate in additional panels examining the auto supply chain and the government’s response.

U.S. auto manufacturing impacts millions more workers than those on assembly lines. Millions of workers depend on auto manufacturing companies as customers – in 19 U.S. states auto supply manufacturing is either the top or among the top five industrial employers – and millions more depend on auto workers as customers in their stores and restaurants. Local governments depend on income tax and property tax from middle class families to pay for education, health and safety services. To learn more about how the auto manufacturing industry impacts local communities visit www.americanmanufacturing.org and www.usw.org.

Recognizing the consequences that U.S. auto manufacturing has on communities across America, the Alliance for American Manufacturing, United Steelworkers and Mayors and Municipalities Coalition are presenting Congress and the Administration with principles for revitalizing the auto and auto parts manufacturing sectors, and driving economic activity beyond the assembly line floor:

Stimulate domestic demand for automobiles, such as an incentive program like cash-for-clunkers with a strong domestic content requirement and restoring credit for consumers and businesses.

Only risk American tax dollars to support domestic jobs, investment, and innovation, and reject off-shoring as a path to profitability for GM and Chrysler.

Restore cooperative innovation and research and development efforts. A National Automotive Research and Development Program, for example, could provide incentives for companies to create programs that lead to better, safer, and more fuel-efficient vehicles – built domestically.

Change health care policy to eliminate structural problems for the domestic auto industry. The Big Three’s foreign competitors benefit from either national health care plans or through offering substandard benefits.

Ensure trade policy promotes U.S. interests. The U.S. imports $41.5 billion in cars and light trucks from Japan and $7.5 billion for Korea, while we export only $534 million and $373 million respectively. We must address non-tariff barriers to trade in these markets, end currency misalignment and aggressively enforce our trade laws to eliminate unfair trade practices.

Additional panel guests and speakers include: auto supply workers, auto dealers and workers from the bus tour as well as Tom Conway, United Steelworkers international vice-president; Scott Paul, Alliance for American Manufacturing executive director; Mayor Virg Bernero (Lansing, MI); City Manager Peter Auger (Auburn Hills, MI); Mayor Kevin Wixom (Hinkley, MI); Mayor Carty Finkbeiner (Toledo, OH); Mayor Marlene Anielski (Walkton Hills, OH); Major Charles Brunner (Bay City, MI); Mayor Katherine Procop (Twinsburg, OH).

Leo W. Gerard, USW international president said, “Traveling around the country last week, we heard from laid-off people in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who desperately want to go back to work making auto parts. They are angry that their tax dollars might be used to export jobs. In Granite City, Illinois, a fourth-generation restaurant owner agonized over the thought that he may not be able to hand down his diner to his baby girl because local plant closings have hurt his business. All over the country workers on and off the assembly line are counting on our leaders to recognize that there’s much more at stake than profits. Saving the auto industry is about 7.2 million people, their families and their communities. Our teach-in aims to bring this message to Washington – that this is America’s fight, and a strong domestic auto industry matters to all of us.”

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Coalition rallies to save auto jobs

By GREG MENZA | The Daily Herald

SPRING HILL — The Save America Coalition made a stop in Spring Hill Thursday as part its “Keep It Made in America” bus tour campaign.

The Alliance for American Manufacturing, a partnership of several leading U.S. auto manufacturers, and the United Steelworkers joined the United Auto Workers to raise public awareness of the economic importance of the American auto industry and its suppliers.

More than 300 people filled the Local 1853 UAW Hall to rally in support of American jobs and the future of the GM/Spring Hill manufacturing plant. The Spring Hill rally was the second-to-last stop of the campaign to draw attention to the fate of millions of jobs supported by the U.S. auto industry and its supply chain. The bus tour made 36 tour stops in 11 states over four days.

Drawing one of the biggest crowd responses of the day was UAW Region 8 Director Gary Casteel, who had harsh words for Republican Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker.

“Months ago Sen. Corker had little to say in support of this plant when he could have,” Casteel said. “If this plant goes down it lands at the feet of Sen Corker. Bob Corker has been after the union-represented workforce and working people. We should remember that next time it’s time to send somebody to represent us Washington.”

Casteel also commented on former President George Bush’s performance with regard to the manufacturing industry.

“It’s eight years of Bush policies that sent our jobs out of the country. We need to restructure things so the jobs we need stay on this soil instead of being sent to foreign soil,” he said.

Organizers said they arranged the bus tour to bring together business, labor, and community leaders to rally with them in support for policies to revitalize the auto sector and U.S. manufacturing.

“More than 7 million jobs are tied to the fate of the auto industry beyond the direct employment and economic impact of auto production and assembly,” said Lou Delatone, field coordinator for the tour. “This is an effort to bring the facts before the people who will be affected if plants like this one in Spring Hill are shut down.”

UAW members and General Motors retirees were joined by representatives of local auto suppliers, car dealers, management and labor officials and civic representatives to call for an auto industry restructuring plan that maximizes domestic production, automobile industry jobs and retains American automobile production capacity.

“This is something we should have done 20 years ago,” said Earl Hensel, a retired GM worker who was one of the original 99 employees to open the Saturn plant in Spring Hill.

Hensel worked for GM for 40 years, moving to Spring Hill from Ohio where he was the superintendent of manufacturing for the Parma, Ohio, GM plant. Hensel was part of the team that helped develop Saturn’s original “people system” — the contract agreement between the Saturn workforce and company management. He said he was in favor of what might be the next step in the labor-management relationship.

“I think it’s a good idea for the union to have some ownership in the company,” he said of the proposal recently presented as part of GM’s restructuring plan. “We’re making a super product, and we have to work together.”

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