I work in the automotive industry in Detroit. Lets face it Detroit
is the automotive industry in the U.S. I am proud of what I do and proud of the products my company produces. However, I am embarrassed with the United Auto Worker's (UAW) recent actions.
Apprently the UAW is stuck in the 70's. The UAW has recently made headlines here in Detroit for banning cars from parking in their lot if the vehicle has a George W. Bush bumper sticker OR was not made by the UAW. Banning vehicles from foreign auto companies is not new. What is new (besides including the political bumper sticker ban) is now they have banned United States Marines from parking in this lot.
From the
Detroit Free Press (by Salina Ali):
IN A MINUTE: UAW apology comes too late for Marines
BLUNDER
March 15, 2005
The UAW has apologized to U.S. Marine Corps reservists and reversed its stand on which Marines can use the UAW parking lot. But it's too late -- the Marines have moved on.
The UAW recently banned autos owned by Marines that are either nonunion built or sport a George W. Bush bumper sticker.
The union -- whose offices are near a reserve center in Detroit -- had allowed the Marines to park without conditions in its lot for years.
After several days of bad publicity, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger -- a former Marine reservist -- retracted the decision Monday. "I made the wrong call on the parking issue," Gettelfinger's statement said.
"I'm glad he decided to change his decision," said Lt. Col. Joe Rutledge, commanding officer of the Marine Corps Reserve Center.
But the apology came too late. "The decision's already been made that we're not going to park there," Rutledge said. "We've already made other arrangements to park elsewhere."
By Salina Ali
It is not a secret the Big Three are having difficulty selling enough vehicles. The competition is tough and jobs are being lost throughout Michigan and the Midwest. Does the UAW actually think this would help? This is horrible publicity for the entire auto industry. The Marines have fought for this country for the freedom to purchase whatever vehicle they like. They have also purchase the freedom we all to have to display our political idealogy in the form of a bumper sticker.
I think the UAW should worry more about producing high quality vehicles, then banning United States Marines from parking.
DETROIT -- The United Auto Workers union waved a white flag Monday in its parking skirmish with neighboring reservists, but the 1st Battalion, 24th Marines are not accepting surrender.
RutledgeFacing intense criticism, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger reversed his decision to ban Marine Corps reservists driving foreign cars or displaying pro-President Bush bumper stickers from parking at the union's Solidarity House headquarters in Detroit.
"I made the wrong call on the parking issue, and I have notified the Marine Corps that all reservists are welcome to park at Solidarity House as they have for the past 10 years," Gettelfinger said in a statement.
Wounded by what they consider an unpatriotic ambush, the Marines rejected the union's olive branch and secured an alternative parking lot.
