Anon

Marines driven out of UAW lot

The union says Marines in foreign cars, displaying Bush stickers unwelcome.

By Eric Mayne / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- The United Auto Workers says Marine reservists should show a little more semper fi if they want to use the union's parking lot.

The Marine Corps motto means "always faithful," but the union says some reservists working out of a base on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit have been decidedly unfaithful to their fellow Americans by driving import cars and trucks.

So the UAW International will no longer allow members of the 1st Battalion 24th Marines to park at Solidarity House if they are driving foreign cars or displaying pro-President Bush bumper stickers

"While reservists certainly have the right to drive nonunion made vehicles and display bumper stickers touting the most anti-worker, anti-union president since the 1920s, that doesn't mean they have the right to park in a lot owned by the members of the UAW," the union said in a statement released Friday.

Shocked and disappointed, the Marines are pulling out.

"You either support the Marines or you don't," said Lt. Col. Joe Rutledge, commanding officer of the battalion's active duty instructors. "I'm telling my Marines that they're no longer parking there."

At a time when U.S. armed forces are fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan, quibbling over parking privileges is "silly," Rutledge said.

The UAW has a long history of barring foreign-made cars from its parking lots. The subject is touchier than ever as Detroit's Big Three loses market share, driving down union membership.

The pro-Bush bumper stickers are another sore spot after last year's election.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger opposed President Bush, accusing him of ignoring calls for labor law reform and failing to combat unfair business practices in China -- a growing threat to U.S. manufacturers.

The dispute arises as the UAW, using laid-off workers for labor, is building a $300,000 home for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The home in Eaton Rapids will operate a residential program for children of veterans who don't have parents, or whose parents can't care for them.

"We do not think it is unreasonable to expect our guests to practice the simple principle of not insulting their host," the UAW statement said.

Rutledge is unmoved.

"I don't see it as a snub against them," he said, adding no conditions were set when the union first began allowing the Marines to park in the lot several years ago. "We're appreciative of what they've done, but you don't come into my office and say, 'OK, we're not going to support some of your Marines.' I don't know what a foreign car is today anyway. BMWs are made in South Carolina now."

You can reach Eric Mayne at (313) 222-2443 or emayne@detnews.com.

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosins...C01-115531.htm

ChrisF202

<GASP> A George Bush bumper sticker or a foreign made car!!! The sky is falling, take cover!!



Seriously, what the big deal. Its a matter of free speech and choice. Oh wait, I forgot, the liberals only allow free speech as long as they agree with the message .

Confed999

UAW is sad to start with, they are prejudice now too...

__________________
No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

barrowaj

That sucks. But what the UAW isn't taking into account is that many foreign brands acutally ARE made in the US now.

Confed999

I'm sure the only ones they're mad about are the ones that don't use their union labor.

bonehead

Looks like cr@p does float down hill. Bush cr@pped on the unions so in turn they are doing the same to Bush's supporters. Right idea, but this is the wrong battle. There is never a good time to not support the military. I'd let the marines back on the lot if they would take those offensive stickers off. As for freedom of speech issues; how many "vote for Kerry" posters are in the white house at the moment? Conservatives have free speech and choice issues as well.

dalem

So you actually think this kind of pressure is justifiable?

Unbelievable. More repression of free speech from the Left.

-dale

barrowaj

How the **** is refusing people from parking on your parking lot repression of free speech?

Even if in some strange way you contort this into a free speech issue, you are seriously cracked out if you think that "the left" is worse than "the right" at cracking down on "free speech."

bonehead

I do not agree with the decision about going against the marines. That was stupid.

The left by no means has cornered the market on the repression of free speach. Both ends of the spectrum are equally guilty.

On the other hand, the marines should have been more sympethetic to the union who had so graciously gave them a place to park for free. What the marines did was essentially rubbing salt in an open wound. Bushes anti labor policies have really hurt labor, union and non union alike. To allow foriegn cars with bush stickers on their parking lot would be sending a message that it is ok to wage war against the workers of america, which Bush has done since he stepped into office.

dalem

bonehead implied that he thought the cars could park there if they removed their Bush '04 bumber stickers. Isn't that condoning a restriction of political speech?

And how does the right crack down on free speech in your opinion?

-dale

Veni Vidi Vici

Marines(or any soldier for that matter) live and die to serve all Americans... If thats not gracious treatment then I don't know what is. Giving someone who is willing to die for your ungratful butt a parking space is nothing amazing, but to take it away because they support their Commander in Chief is just plain low.

Anyone find it funny that most of the military is Pro- Bush? Listening to the libs youd think that there all sitting around plotting his demise.

__________________
"Our citizenship in the United States is our national character. Our citizenship in any particular state is only our local distinction. By the latter we are known at home, by the former to the world. Our great title is AMERICANS…" -- Thomas Paine

jasonglh

The UAW president backed down but its to late now. The Marines were told by their LTC they will NOT be parking there. Another place was happy to offer their humble parking with no strings attached.

Mark this down for history.

I will never ever buy another UAW assembled automobile!

My last 3 have been Toyota's anyway. I have several friend that work at Toyota Plants here (Tundra and Camry) and they love it. They have said several times the UAW will never get in either place as thier benefits pale in comparison to Toyota.


BTW Bush could never do as much damage to the UAW as they have already done to themselves. Any of you ever been in a UAW plant? Next time you are passing through KY stop by the Corvette museum in Bowling Green and the factory. I used to want one but not anymore. They wont let you take pictures in the plant but I doubt its because of espionage more like dont want pics of their union workers with thumb in ass. Never before have I seen so many paid so much to do so little.

__________________
Victory is the only end that justifies the sacrifice of men at war.

Col. Robert W. Black

Confed999

The unions have been ******** on the Republicans for decades. Personally I want more union breakers in office to end their "fill my pockets" at the worker's expense policy. How many industries have disappeared/declined because of unions? The UAW is one of the worst of the bunch, they let whole plants shut down over a few dollars an hour. Oh, and if you think government is corrupt, take a look at the UAW...

barrowaj

Why don't we just take away the right to unionize?

dalem

Now you're talking.

Of course, the main topic isn't about the role of unions, the main topic was about the possible suppression of free political speech.

-dale