UAW Local 651 Says ‘A Fight is Coming’ Over Flint Delphi East Shutdown
Even though it was just announced that Flint Delphi East will be shutting down completely in November, UAW Local 651 President Art Reyes says it's far from over.
It's been a rough couple of decades for unionized auto workers in Flint and it only seems to be getting worse. Michigan's recently enacted Right-to-Work laws were already a blow to unions across the state and now Flint is about to wave goodbye to nearly 300 more automotive jobs that are headed for Mexico.
Speaking to ABC-12, Reyes says that yesterday's announcement is not the final word on Flint Delphi East and promises that "A fight is now coming." He also stressed that employees at the plant should not lose hope and should continue to work hard, as that will help strengthen the case to save their jobs.
Should Delphi go through with shutting the plant down, only 50 of the almost 300 employees have recall rights, meaning that they are entitled to a job at another GM factory.
It's a damn shame that the automotive industry continues to pull out of Flint. This city used to be a great place, filled with opportunities to make a better life for yourself. Now, it's a mere shell of its former self. While good jobs in the area become increasingly rare, there is an abundance of crime and closed businesses.
A lot of these big auto companies try to make themselves look good in Super Bowl commercials, claiming to care about the welfare of the American people. How about they show that they care and bring back their operations to Flint. Nothing would look better than reversing the current state of a city that was built around their companies and has all but crumbled in their absence.