Missouri doesn’t need the United Auto Workers (UAW) swooping in to stick its nose where it doesn’t belong. We have built our state’s manufacturing base through sensible policies that promote our hardworking, industrious workforce. We’ve done just fine without the help of the UAW, which has a history of corruption and even now faces an investigation into financial mismanagement. More on that in a bit.
The UAW wants to organize workers in the south, including Missouri. If recent history is any indication, the union will tell all manner of falsehoods to get what it wants. We have a great auto manufacturer in Troy, and it would be horribly detrimental to our community if we were to lose it because of union expansion.
While the UAW offers job security to workers who join their ranks, nothing could be further from the truth. The UAW’s future is dim and while its leadership lines its pockets with members’ dues, workers face the real-world consequences of the UAW’s unreasonable demands. Just ask the 18,000 autoworkers at the Detroit Three who face layoffs with no end in sight. Just in July, Stellantis announced the temporary layoffs of an additional 1,600 workers in Warren, Michigan.
Consider the fact also that the UAW has spent lavishly on travel, hotels, and executive salaries over the past several years. For example, from 2013 to 2018, the UAW spent $43 million on hotels and resorts and $4 million on restaurants and bars.
Two past UAW Presidents have been convicted of felonies involving financial mismanagement. Meanwhile, current President Shawn Fain is under investigation by a federal court-appointed watchdog. Fain has been accused by two union officials of retaliating against them when they refused to take actions that would have benefited Fain’s fiancé and her sister.
Auto companies in Missouri are an important part of our economy. They provide jobs and support families throughout the state. These companies are an economic engine for communities that fund roads, schools, and other essential public services. According to a new economic impact report from Autos Drive America, in Missouri alone, they have provided $309 million in revenue to the state and localities, $459 million in revenue to the federal government, and $3.2 billion in economic contribution to Missouri’s GSP.
These companies are also essential to meeting Americans’ transportation needs while continuing to invest millions in their American facilities and workforce. They are conducting cutting-edge research and building new, advanced safety technologies like driver assist features and vehicle connectivity to promote driver and passenger safety now and into the future. They provide health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance to their employees and cover an average of 90% of health care premiums, while offering an average of 25 days of paid time off on top of paid holidays. They are vital to our economy and provide good jobs to Missouri workers.
When the UAW prices labor out of the market, corporations will look to expand overseas. Right or wrong, the CEO of Ford recently said the company will need to reconsider expanding in the U.S. because of the overly burdensome demands of the UAW.
We should work together to ensure Missouri workers maintain their freedoms in the workplace. We don’t need interlopers from Michigan, soaked in corruption, coming here to tell us what to do.
Gary Grunick is a Retired Air Force Colonel. He has been a municipal and an appellate judge. Gary also chaired the Lincoln County Republican Central Committee.
