Working America AND UAW Don’t ♥ Sen. Corker

by Laura Clawson, Feb 17, 2009

UAW and allies like Working America protest Sen. Bob Corker’s anti-worker stance.

The hundreds of UAW members who rallied Friday were among the thousands who have written Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) letters protesting his anti-worker stance and attempts to require major concessions from the UAW. 

Working America, the AFL-CIO community affiliate, recently sent a canvass team into Nashville and surrounding communities that collected more than 1,400 letters. Seven canvassers knocked on doors and greeted passers-by on busy streets and college campuses. Michigan State Working America Director Cara Alcantar, who helped with the canvass action in Tennessee, reported that

people are really supportive of what we’re doing, they’re supportive of the union, because they’re going through tough times. Most of the people we’ve spoken to do not believe that what Corker is doing is right.

The Working America team collected letters from people concerned about their family members in the UAW, like a woman who told canvass director Rachel Colyer that her father is a UAW retiree and her other family members work at a Ford plant in Michigan. Her father, whose health is poor, is at risk of losing retirement pay and health care coverage for himself and his wife of 40 years. The woman’s brothers worry every day that they will be next in the layoffs hitting Michigan auto plants.  She was happy to write a lengthy letter to Corker in support of all the autoworkers at the UAW plants.

Others felt solidarity with union workers due to their own situations.  Cynthia Cotter, who spoke at Thursday’s rally, is currently out of work. As News Channel 5 in Tennessee reported:

“I know [elected officials have] turned their backs on us. That’s the problem. We need them to turn around and look at us in the face and what we’re doing,” said Cynthia Cotter from Shelbyville.

For eight months Cynthia Cotter has been unemployed and is now facing foreclosure on her home.

“[I'm] waiting to get my income taxes back to live on,” said Cotter.

She says this demonstration on Legislative Plaza is more than about the people who have lost jobs. It is about the cuts those who continue to work are facing.

“They’re trying to cut their benefits and they want to keep a livable wage as what they have now. They want to keep what they have,” said Cotter.

Tennessee’s senator may not be looking out for the workers, but the good news is, they’re looking out for each other.

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