UAW group plans auto show protest

[Thom Little]

Members of a dissident United Auto Workers group called Soldiers of Solidarity expect scores of frustrated workers to take part in a demonstration Sunday at the North American International Auto Show to protest demands for wage and benefits cuts.

Organizers are aiming for a broad range of workers and retirees to rally outside Cobo Center while auto executives and the world's automotive media gather inside the downtown convention complex to get their first glimpse of the Detroit auto show.

The protesters hope to use the stage to show there is mounting rage against looming layoffs, wage and benefits cuts and threats to workers' pensions.

"I've gotten calls from California, New York, Alabama, Minnesota, Missouri," said Gregg Shotwell, who works at auto supplier Delphi Corp's Coopersville plant and is a member of the splinter group Soldiers of Solidarity.


http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060106/AUTO01/601060378/1148

[leftstreet]

1. Great (modified) quote from the Soldiers of Solidarity site

http://soldiersofsolidarity.tripod.com/

First they came for the Air Traffic Controllers, but since I was not one of them, it did not matter to me, and I did not defend them.

Then they came for the Meat Packers, but since I was not one of them, it did not matter to me, and I did not defend them.

Then they came for the Textile Workers, but since I was not one of them, it did not matter to me, and I did not defend them.

Then they came for the Steelworkers, but since I was not one of them, it did not matter to me, and I did not defend them.

Then they came for the workers at Bridgestone, Staley, and Caterpillar, but since I was not one of them, it did not matter to me, and I did not defend them.

They came for the airline workers, the newspaper workers, the tanners, weavers, truckers, railroad and industrial laborers of every sort, but since I was not one of them, it did not matter to me, and I did not defend them.

Then they came for me, and there was no one to defend me.

< Concept attributed to Barry Heintz >

[Blue_Tires]

2. good luck to them

solidarity, brothers