-
Login
-
Digital Edition
-
Print Edition
- Most Commented
- Most Commented
- Most Emailed
- Most Emailed
- Popular
- Popular
« News Home
Local officials hope GM strike is short
TweetLORDSTOWN — A prolonged strike by United Auto Workers would be a devastating blow to the Mahoning Valley’s struggling economy, local mayors and labor union officials say.
The mayors and union officials hope for a quick resolution and a short strike at the General Motors plant in Lordstown. The plant, with about 3,600 employees, is the Valley’s largest industrial employer.
“If it’s a long strike, you never know what the collateral damage will be,” said Lordstown Mayor Michael Chaffee. “Short-term is what we’re looking for. This afternoon [for a settlement] would be great.”
UAW workers, about 73,000 in total, walked off the job today at 82 U.S. facilities.
“As mayor, I fully appreciate the importance of Lordstown to our family, our community and our economic well-being,” said Warren Mayor Michael O’Brien. “It not only affects Warren as a municipal government, but it also affects every business in our community.”
Don Crane, president of the Western Reserve Building and Construction Trades Council, said it’s unfortunate that the UAW and GM officials couldn’t iron out a final resolution at the bargaining table.
“Given the economic climate in the Valley and the job market, this is not good for us,” said Crane, whose council represents 5,000 members of 14 different unions in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.
“It’s a shame that it had to come to this. Hopefully we can come out of it. A long strike could have a huge economic impact on the Valley.”
For the complete story, read Tuesday’s Vindicator or vindy.com
Comments
Unions while once necessary are completely out of control. They are destroying the mid-west and while the strike is bad for our local enomomy, until we figure out that all employers that can leave the area will leave the area for a "right to work state", we are going to continue to have problems. This strike will truly hurt my business but nothing could be better than for all of the automakers to survive without being held hostage by UNION LEECHES. Unions produce nothing and my personal experience is they really care about no worker, they only care about their agenda and their long-term existence. They need more people in the union so they can steal more money. The dilution effect of more money makes it easier to hide. Now don't get me wrong, there are certainly corrupt companies but I believe that they too will be dealt with, either by the public refusing to deal with them or by govermental intervention. Remember the "beware you sins will find you out", it remains true forever.
Northeast Ohio will never be prosperous again unless it becomes Company/Manufacturing friendly. If I could move my business out of here I would do it in a minute. However as I have a service business this is just not possible. Unions have been the demise of our area and they continue to put the entire economy at risk. Our democratic politicians only make it worse by paying hommage to these worthless bands of bloodsuckers.