Autoworkers rally against plant closing

More than 500 workers at Chrysler/Fiat’s Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, along with labor, community and student allies, protested Sept. 25 against the planned shutdown of their workplace.

Despite receiving $12 billion in bailout funds, Chrysler-Fiat is intent on shutting down eight plants in the United States, including Sterling Heights. At this plant alone, nearly 1,100 members of the United Auto Workers Local 1700 labor to assemble the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger vehicles.

UAW members and unionists from metropolitan Detroit and other Midwest locations where plants are slated to close joined in solidarity with the Local 1700 rally. UAW rank-and-file members and elected leaders came in cars, vans and buses from St. Louis; Kenosha, Wis.; Kokomo, Ind.; Twinsburg, Ohio; and elsewhere.

Local 1700 members unfurled a gigantic banner with pictures of their members and families. It faced the heavy traffic on Van Dyke Street, where the protest was held. For three hours passing motorists honked their support. Locally owned restaurants gave discounts to those attending the rally.

This area has already been hammered with thousands of layoffs at Sterling Heights and other plants over the years. A complete plant shutdown would result in even more home foreclosures, business closings and the loss of millions of tax dollars for numerous cities.

Participants included labor-community-student supporters from the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice; the Moratorium NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures, Evictions and Utility Shutoffs; the Union of Part-Time Faculty-American Federation of Teachers; Southeastern Michigan Jobs With Justice; the Service Employees International Union; Solidarity; Labor Notes; the People’s Summit; UAW retirees; and the Bail Out the People Movement.