Labor unions fight for rebirth despite recession

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.upnorthlive.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=328504

By Kim Russell
Thursday, July 23, 2009 at 7:22 p.m.

Cars are Larry Hoffman’s livelihood, his life, and his love. He drove his Dodge Viper up to Michigan from his retirement home in Florida to visit old friends and family. He says he bought the car, because he needed a ride faster than his wife’s Corvette.

He fueled his passion for hot rods over the years with money he earned manufacturing cars at the Buick Motor Division in Flint for 30 years. Now he says he is watching all he worked for slip away.

“We lost our eye care, prescription co-pays went up, our dental. Come January we’ll find out what else we are going to lose."

He says he gets depressed when he drives by the site of the old plant. The buildings have been demolished, the site is overrun with weeds, and trash blows in the wind.

"I literally just about cry,” says Hoffman. “It is that bad."

He says he hopes the union doesn’t go the way of so many GM structures.

FULL story at link.

[tomreedtoon]

1. Use those hot rods. Park them on GM's management team.

I can't understand why UAW guys are so reluctant to take the obvious steps to solve the crisis.