U.S. Marines versus United Auto Workers Union

[JohnRich 4]

In the news:

Marines snub UAW olive branch

Facing 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...

Full Story: Detroit News

The UAW is out of touch with patriotic Americans!

[DrunkMonkey 0]

I like pudding.

[lawrocket 3]

I can see a legitimate reason for the UAW to not want to have foreign cars parked in the lot. In a way, that does make sense to me.

But, not allowing pro-Bush stickers? I'm not pro-Bush, that that is, in my opinion, something that unions have no business deciding. I guess they wouldn't worry about anti-Bush stickers...

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[JohnnyD 0]

Nice article.
That may be the most ironic thing I've ever read.

[PhreeZone 20]

UAW actually has instituted domestic and foriegn parking lots at alots of the factories. The Lima Ohio Ford plant for instance has the domestic lot next to the building and the lot for foriegn cars around back out of sight from the road and the workers have to walk around the building to enter from the front. Years ago they used to run shuttle carts around in the domestic lot to bus stops and then just dumped the foriegn car owners off at the edge of their lot. Needless to say, the forign lot was usually not near full.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[TomAiello 26]

Do those driving foreign cars have to sit in the back of the bus, too? I wonder if the UAW will insitute separate water fountains, as well?

-- Tom Aiello

Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[complexity 0]

I wonder who made that judgment call at the UAW initially... obviously not fully vetted... anyone with any political wherewithal could have seen that backlash.

I would say he was fired but we all know its impossible to get fired if you are a union employee

[justinb138 0]

By foreign car, do they mean foreign company (Honda, Toyota, Etc...) or cars that were actually built overseas ?

Aren't a good many Honda's, etc.. built here in the US?

[billvon 3,131]

>Aren't a good many Honda's, etc.. built here in the US?

Ssssshhh! Next thing you know, people will be saying that shopping at Wal-Mart is better for Chinese workers than US workers. Which is true, but not something people want to hear. They want to buy a Ford, put a flag on their antenna, shop at Wal-Mart and declare themselves red-blooded, US-economy supporting americans.

[justinb138 0]

Quote

>Aren't a good many Honda's, etc.. built here in the US?

Ssssshhh! Next thing you know, people will be saying that shopping at Wal-Mart is better for Chinese workers than US workers. Which is true, but not something people want to hear. They want to buy a Ford, put a flag on their antenna, shop at Wal-Mart and declare themselves red-blooded, US-economy supporting americans.

Wow Bill, I'm impressed. Not only did you manage to not answer either of my questions and go completely off topic at the same time, but you managed to do it in only 58 words.

[billvon 3,131]

>Not only did you manage to not answer either of my questions . . .

Sorry. To answer your question - yes, a lot of Hondas are built in the US and a lot of US-labeled cars are manufactured overseas. So a parking lot full of US brand cars is not the same as a parking lot full of US built cars.

[justinb138 0]

Quote

>Not only did you manage to not answer either of my questions . . .

Sorry. To answer your question - yes, a lot of Hondas are built in the US and a lot of US-labeled cars are manufactured overseas. So a parking lot full of US brand cars is not the same as a parking lot full of US built cars.

Thanks! I wasn't sure.

[EBSB52 0]

Quote

Nice article.
That may be the most ironic thing I've ever read.

Actually this is likely far more ironic....

We had a cypres firing at Perris on Saturday March 12. I was outside and heard an odd freefall noise. I looked up just as his freebag was coming off his back. It looked to me like his cypres fired a little low; I would estimate it fired at about 500 feet and he had a fully open canopy (after a very abrupt opening) at about 200 feet. He turned once and landed. His canopy ride was less than 10 seconds.

Jim Wallace talked to him about the incident. The jumper said he had recently transitioned from a left side ROL to a right side ROL and had forgotten that his main deployment handle was now on his right side. He also claimed that he had pulled the reserve handle, but I believe the loop was found to be cut. Haven't confirmed this though.

Ironically he had just attended a safety day seminar on emergency procedures. Even more ironically, Perris has a raffle where they give out one free jump ticket to the people who take any safety course on safety day; he had won the jump, and had used that ticket for this jump.

[wmw999 2,600]

I'm sorry, this is Speakers Corner. Skydiving doesn't belong in here

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Gravitymaster 0]

I think this needs a little clarification. Here is the original article:

Quote

Parking Feud
By Kimberly Craig
Web produced by Jenny Clark
March 9, 2005

Some U.S. Marines say they were surprised by the decision made by Detroit auto workers about parking. It all started with the cars some Marines drove, and what was on them.

The words that have some U.S. Marines in shock came from the man in charge of security at the UAW Solidarity House, on Jefferson in Detroit. For a number of years now, dozens of Marine reservists have been thankful to park in the UAW’s lot for weekend training with no problem at all - until now.

Marines at nearby Marine Corps Reserve Center say on Tuesday morning, the director of security at the UAW told them that while they support the troops, Marines driving foreign vehicles or sporting a President George Bush bumper sticker were no longer welcome to park there.

U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Joe Rutledge told Action News, "We received a phone call from the UAW, who support us by letting us park down at their facility. They called and said they weren’t going to allow or they would turn away some vehicles."

A spokesman for the UAW released a statement to Action News which reads:

"While reservists certainly have the right to drive non-union made vehicles and display bumper stickers touting the most anti-worker, anti-union president since the 1920s, that doesn’t mean they have the right to park in a lot owned by members of the UAW."

As U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Lee Cooper explained, "We’re very appreciative, but on the other hand, it’s kind of discriminating between, let’s say a lance corporal going through college can only afford a 15-year-old vehicle and it happens to be a Nissan."

Note that the Marines have been allowed to park in the lot for many years with no problem. It seems to me that someone at UAW has a problem with GWB and decided to take their pissy little attitude out on some of our nations finest. Really makes you want to buy a car from an American brand doesn't it?

[EBSB52 0]

Quote

I'm sorry, this is Speakers Corner. Skydiving doesn't belong in here

Wendy W.

I digress .....

Hahahahha, seriosly, you might be right.

I just read that in the forum and redefined "irony."

[PhreeZone 20]

My Honda that I drive is made of over 85% domestic parts (and the vast number of those were even made here in Ohio). Most Fords are at least 25% foreign with large numbers of parts and assembly coming from Mexico.

I always laughed growing up seeing parking lots full of Ford, GM and other domestic brands then looking out back and seeing rows of Honda's, Toyota's and other "Overseas" cars. It honestly looked like different car dealerships how they had them parked.

I don't know if things have changed recently but as of about 6 years ago thats how things stood. Granted Ford offers their employees large discounts on cars to buy their own product and it works a lot of the time.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Kris 0]

I wonder if the UAW would allow a Volvo, Mazda, Jaguar, or Aston Martin to park in their lot? After all, they're all owned by Ford.

Or how about a Benz, since it's owned by Daimler Chrysler?

And you're right on about the Ford employee discount they give to employees on their brands. After my A-plan price and rebates I ended up getting just over 6K off of my $16000 vehicle, and I even got the extended warranty insanely cheap, too. I'm currently debating whether I want to get a Ford Escape to add more space since I get an even better deal on it.

But if gas prices keep going up, that's out. I can get 400 miles out of a 12-gallon fill-up in my ZX-2.

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[ScubaSteve 0]

I believe the rule is any car not made using UAW labour.

[Gravitymaster 0]

Quote

I believe the rule is any car not made using UAW labour.

I believe the problem is the "W" stickers.

[TheAnvil 0]

Very true. The UAW is little more than a fund-raising organization for the DNC these days, hence DNC opposition to any right-to-work legislation.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[PhreeZone 20]

Ford Hybrid Escape. Its probally our next car purchase.

I get 330-340 on an 10 Gallon fill up in the Civic and I'm not driving for milage either.

I think someone else was right its a UAW made parking lot and an non UAW made parking lot.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[sfzombie13 324]

which is exacty the way it should be. just because someone doesn't support the current administration(i don't) it does NOT mean that i'm not one of the most patriotic people that exist(i am). it goes a little deeper than cars built by uaw labor, it really goes down to which ceo line their pockets with the cash, japenese or american. i had a chevy once with a suzuki engine that was assembled in mexico. hardly nothing american except the name. imho, bush needs to be held accountable for this farce we have in iraq before he decides that the best exit strategy from iraq leads through iran and then to korea. but with all the corporate backing he has, he's made out to look like a hero.

_________________________________________
Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes

[TheAnvil 0]

So an organization should be able to force people into its membership under threat of losing their job, take their money in the name of collective bargaining, and use that money to support political causes that they themselves do not support?

I think not.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[billvon 3,131]

> So an organization should be able to force people into its membership
>under threat of losing their job, take their money in the name of collective
> bargaining, and use that money to support political causes that they
> themselves do not support?

You do realize our _government_ takes our tax money and uses it to push political causes, right? We are currently spending millions to make fake news reports that are then played on CNN to push things like social security reform, in an attempt to garner public support for desired programs. And last time I checked, you are forced to pay taxes.