Media Release: Robin Weirauch Declares Support for Striking GM Workers
This in via email from the Robin Weirauch for Ohio’s District Five campaign:
Robin Weirauch Declares Support for Striking GM Workers
Democratic candidate for Congress challenges Republican opponents to join her in supporting workers and their families
(Napoleon, OH) – With thousands of General Motors workers on strike in Northwest Ohio, including 1,540 at a GM Defiance foundry, Democrat Robin Weirauch is declaring her support for the UAW members walking the picket lines and calling on others running for Congress in Ohio’s Fifth District to do the same.
“It’s time for General Motors to address the reasonable concerns of UAW workers and deal fairly,” asserts Weirauch.
Challenging Republican candidates Steve Buerher and Bob Latta to join her in declaring support for the workers and their families, Weirauch notes, “Northwest Ohioans deserve to know where the candidates stand.”
“I’m standing with working families. Will you stand with us?”
Robin Weirauch, 50, grew up in Henry County, Ohio and graduated from Liberty Center High School in 1975. She went on to earn her degree in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University where she later earned a Masters in Public Administration. Weirauch previously served as the Assistant Director of the Center for Regional Development at Bowling Green State University from 1998 to 2006. The center provides economic and community development research and assistance to communities in 27 counties across northern Ohio.
Weirauch has been married for 30 years to Bruce Weirauch, a recently-retired 21-year veteran of the Napoleon Police Department. They are members of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Wauseon, where they were married. The Weirauchs make their home in rural Napoleon.
In 2004 and 2006, Weirauch was the Democratic nominee for Congress in Ohio’s Fifth District.
Pander away!!
That didn’t take long.
The A-Hole
September 24th, 2007 at 3:10 pmdemocrats pander to labor, republicans pander to homophobes and the religous right. I would much rather pander to labor
September 24th, 2007 at 3:33 pmA Democrat candidate who jumps to support a UAW strike. What Courage!
September 24th, 2007 at 8:49 pmIf they want “Job Security”, they better get their asses back to work and put out a decent product at a fair price…that’s job security.
September 24th, 2007 at 9:44 pmAnd I suppose Chad supports the over-paid, underperforming CEO and other high level leadership of this company? Why not cut the compensation of these losers at the top of the corporation as well.
“they better get their asses back to work and put out a decent product at a fair price…that’s job security” No… it’s not job security. The blood-suckers at the top will cut your job no matter what your performance is, as long as they can forward the work off to a foreign land where labor is cheap and conditions are bad.
I’ve had enough of this mentality from the uneducated right wing nuts out there. Keep cutting the jobs and compensation of the every day line workers and then check and see who will be able to afford the lavishly priced vehicles. As long as the few at the top are taken care of, apparently folks like Chad will be satisfied.
September 25th, 2007 at 1:18 amThe average UAW assembly worker earns about $27 an hour that’s not including benefits, just the average hourly wage – without any over time at all that’s over $56,000 a year. I Which is almost $20,000 over the median income for this area. Every automotive related worker I’ve ever known works overtime…So, when you are making well under the median income for this area, have seen your health insurance costs raise and your income not follow, some people will understandably not be as sympathetic with job security being the reason for the strike. A good majority of residents in this area can not afford to purchase the cars made right here in Toledo as it is right now.
While it’s perfectly understandable those at GM want to hold on to what they have, it’s important to remember there are many people out there who are earning much less, including most of the new workers who earn less since it’s easier for those who already have to not worry about the ones yet to come…
It should also be pointed out that those “blood-suckers” at the top did face cuts last year in their own salaries at GM. While they still earn quite a bit of money, “shared sacrifice” was demanded by Ron Gettelfinger.
All of this of course ignores the real issue, the dependency ratio:
That’s the real problem which boils down to one key issue…Health care and that is what is causing the desire to try to go someplace cheaper, where retiree benefits and health care costs won’t be an issue and the reason why the foreign car makers who have come here are more competitive when it comes to pricing – they have a younger work force and are not facing the problems the big three are.
September 25th, 2007 at 2:13 amjust wondering…..
You have missed a key opinion of mine along the line. If there is anything I dislike more than union terrorizing it’s the CEO types that have lost touch with reality. I’m a man that believes it’s the responsibility of those with the most blessings to assist the ones with the least. I firmly believe in cutting exec pay/perks before cutting to the rank and file workers.
Much like I cannot handle the City employees complaining about cuts to their overly gracious compensations, I cannot abide by the UAW whining about losses they help create with their demands to live like kings while they are still among the masses.
My mother and my wife’s father both worked for GM/UAW most of their lives and enjoyed a fancy blue-collar life as a result of it. Both are retired now and whining about the health care losses and cuts. I look at them like they are crazy…that they have any health care covereage after the fact like this is amazing.
It’s like they forgot what the rest of the work force goes through. They gotten so use to being a “company man/woman”, that they fail to realize they already have it better than most. The compensations demands of an already spoiled American society are the reason that business’s are locating outside of the USA.
Here’s a reality check, for the American Auto industry to regain a competitive edge and compete in the global economy, the rank and file, along with the mgmt. are going to have to accept less compensation and work harder to make a better product at a cheaper price. If they don’t get on the ball soon, GM and it’s rivals will take their business elsewhere where it can be had for less.
I agree that the upper levels seem to gouge the rank and file at every turn. I think it’s shameful behavior. If the rank and file want to strike, then by all means strike, but hold the real problems at the face of it. Instead of demanding more for yourselves, demand that mgmt take less compensation, demand they pay more for their perks and demand that they develop a competitive plan.
In most business today, “Overtime” is an un-holy word. Why?? Because it’s clear that production slows during the reg. week when they can make more money by forcing OT. If you want to retain job security, stop depending on OT to foot your lifestyle. Learn to live in the blue collar life you chose and accept that you may not always get what you want.
September 25th, 2007 at 7:54 amJob Security:
Today I walked into my boss’s office. I said to him:
“Boss, I know your doing very well for yourself, but, I also know that overall the firm has been loosing money, and although we put out a great service and product to our clients, the PERCEPTION is that the other firms are doing it better.”
“That being said, I would like your guarantee that regardless of overall firm profits I won’t lose my job, my health care will remain the best in the country, and my wage will steadily increase on a known scale.” He smirked.
“Oh and one more thing, I also need you to ensure that my dad (who retired from the firm 25 years ago and is the main reason I got this job) will still get his very lucrative retirement package till death. If you can’t promise me these simple, all American things I worked so hard for, I’m gonna have to strike!” He smirked again, showed me a pile of applications from young, hard-working, new A-hole lawyers, and told me I had till 10:am to clean out my office.
If anyone knows someone, GM and the UAW included, looking for an A-Hole Lawyer willing to work for less than scale, please direct them to my blog.
theassholelawyer.blogspot.com
The A-Hole.
September 25th, 2007 at 9:01 amYou have a great way with words A-Hole, what you wrote was funny but the underlying reality is what most people face.
September 25th, 2007 at 11:00 amThe UAW membership has declined about 1.5 million members in the last 30 years. That is about 1/3rd of the 70’s high point. Perhaps the Union needs to examine how they operate. They are going to end up obtaining extremely high wages for a handful of people.
September 25th, 2007 at 1:43 pmI must correct myself. The UAW membership has NOT declined 67%! It has actually declined by 80%. There doing a really great job.
September 26th, 2007 at 4:52 pm