United Auto Workers rallied in front of Senator Bob Corker’s West End office today. Corker has been highly skeptical of the industry’s bailout request.
UAW officials from GM’s Spring Hill plant say Senator Corker, a Republican, embarrassed them last week. They say he treated auto executives like children in Banking Committee hearings. And worst of all, they say, he didn’t stand up for Tennessee’s domestic auto jobs.
NAT: “Save American jobs! Save American jobs!”
Corker has asked that GM’s pay scale be reduced to match Nissan and Volkswagen, which have no unions. Norm Jenks says that feels like an assault on organized labor. He says the Senator doesn’t understand what factory work is like.
“Mr. Corker has no idea. I’d like to see his butt come down on my floor and have him hang bumper beams for ten hours.”
Senator Corker has said domestic automakers should consider bankruptcy to restructure and recover from past mistakes. But Lorene Austin says that means people like her could lose their jobs.
“I can understand why he feels that way, but a lot of companies have made mistakes.”
Senator Corker vocally supported the $700-billion bailout for the financial industry. He has said he would consider federal aid for automakers if they meet bankruptcy-like conditions, which include slashing wages and the company’s debt obligation.
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