Morning Wake Up Call with Ray Thibault, U.A.W. Local 465 President

The Labor Day Solidarity Parade is an annual event that the residents of Massena celebrate, especially with the workers at the GM Powertrain Plant.

However, with the plant closing in 2009, Thibault says that a mood of acceptance has settled for most of the workers.

Thibault also hopes that people will reflect on the working men and women of America and continue to celebrate what Labor Day means.

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2 Responses to “Morning Wake Up Call with Ray Thibault, U.A.W. Local 465 President”

Anonomous on August 28th, 2008 1:22 pm

I don’t believe “acceptance” is the right word. I believe the word that would fit there is resignation. The Massena Power Train plant was the sacrificial lamb, given happily to GM by the UAW in an attempt to save jobs elsewhere, at least temporarily. GM has been looking for a good reason to close this plant for 20 years and they finally succeeded. It’s just shameful that hundreds of hardworking men and women in the North Country had to choose between leaving their homes and their lives or losing their jobs so that a company with a 1:2 employee:manager ratio can pretend it’s trimming the fat. If GM truly wanted to be innovative and responsible they would cut their company-wide management staff by about 50% rather than cut worker’s pay and benefits by 50%. What does it say about our futures that Wal*Mart has replaced General Motors as the USA’s leading employer?
JP on August 29th, 2008 6:41 am

It’s too bad that so many people are losing their jobs, especially in an area where there are few, if any comparable alternatives. However, the UAW has created many of its own problems by requiring GM to offer 100 percent free health care coverage, a no contribution pension and little perks like workers getting their birthday off. While the world was changing to HMO copays and 401 Ks, the UAW kept GM in the 1950’s. This was an unsustainable practice, and now the free ride is over.