Worried UAW workers meet with President Trump's top trade official

Top UAW officials and autoworkers met privately Tuesday in Dearborn with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, leaving union members little comfort about General Motors' move to idle four U.S. factories. 

“He pretty much evaded questions when we brought up the issue of plants closing in the U.S.,” said Diana Robertson, 54, of Detroit who works at the Dearborn Truck Plant. “He purposely went back to the president being more interested in keeping jobs in the U.S. To us, that seems like not enough. “

An estimated 250 workers from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana packed into UAW Local 600 to ask Lighthizer, who is President Donald's Trump's trade ambassador, about a range of issues.

The Free Press was not allowed to attend the meeting by either the UAW or the U.S. government. Members were interviewed before and after the event. 

As workers began to fill up the parking lot and dash to the union hall in 12-degree temperatures, many said they were coming with an open mind about the two-hour meeting.

“We’re here just basically to listen,” said Chris Miller, 48, of Wayne, a Ford Michigan Assembly Plant worker. “Workers just want a level playing field with trade.”

Mark Popovich, 60, of Toledo, who works as a forklift driver at auto supplier Dana Inc., said, “I think it’s great we’re going to sit down, so we can voice our concerns about what’s going on in the United States and the auto industry. We want jobs to come back to the United States.”

More:GM: Detroit-Hamtramck plant to stay open 7 months longer than planned

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Workers from both GM's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly and Warren transmission plants — two of the factories set to be idled — took part in the discussion. More than four dozen members left the union hall declining to comment on the visit.

Eddie Merrell, 49, of Toledo, works at Detroit Manufacturing Systems and said, “I hope this isn’t just lip service.”

For hours, members questioned Lighthizer, touching on health care and competitive wages and the roles of Mexico and Canada under the revised North American Free Trade Agreement. 

Adam Glenn, 37, who works at the Sterling Stamping Plant, said, “Our goal is to stop moving jobs to Mexico and Canada. And tariffs push costs to the consumer.”

He added, “I had an open mind when I came in, but when (Lighthizer) started talking, I got frustrated. We can’t get answers. We just want more answers and clarification. They’re kind of skimming over everything.”

Popovich, who worked for Hostess for 24 years before he lost his job with its bankruptcy in 2012, said he knows what it’s like to struggle.

“I know the devastation those workers are going to have. It’s going to be tough. The plant in Lordstown closes Friday,” he said of the plant in Ohio that is ending production of the Chevrolet Cruze small car.

He said his wish is that Lighthizer take labor's concerns back to Trump.

But Vannice Boyles of, 57, of Ypsilanti, who works at Faurecia, referred to as the old Ford Saline plant, said he’s not so sure about what the future holds.

“When you look at the job closures, there were no real answers towards how they will assist us,” he said after the meeting.

Lighthizer declined to comment after the 2½ hour meeting.

Bernie Ricke, president of UAW Local 600, represents more than 30,000 active and retired UAW members from the Ford Rouge complex, AK Steel, truck drivers, parts suppliers and health and technology professionals. He declined to comment Tuesday.

Brian Rothenberg, spokesman for the UAW, released the following official statement on behalf of UAW President Gary Jones:

“This was an opportunity for Ambassador Robert Lighthizer and his staff to meet and hear UAW leadership and workers who have seen their work and communities devastated by the failed NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). We welcome the dialogue and continue to advocate for a 'new' NAFTA that will be a good deal for working people by lifting wages in the United States and creating more good jobs.

"While some progress has been made, it is clear from current auto company investments abroad that more work needs to be done to make this agreement enforceable and meaningful to our members and their job security. We urge the administration and Congress to finally create a trade agreement that provides working Americans the job security future they deserve.”

Trump has urged Congress to approve the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which includes these key revisions of NAFTA affecting the auto industry: 

• To avoid tariffs, vehicles are to have 75 percent of their components manufactured in one of the three countries. That was 62.5 percent under NAFTA.
• Workers paid at least $16 an hour must make 40-45 percent of the parts in a vehicle. According to Vox.com, Mexico has agreed to give workers the right to union representation and protect women from discrimination. 

Neither the UAW nor Rachel McCleery, Ford government affairs spokeswoman, would comment on whether Lighthizer toured a factory during his Michigan trip. People familiar with the trade official's itinerary confirmed he did tour the Rouge plant, where the bestselling F-150 and Raptor trucks are built.

The UAW has been vocal about its support of Trump's tough talk on trade while at the same time pushing for more details.

The Detroit-based labor union represents about 156,000 autoworkers at General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and later this year renegotiates its contracts with the Detroit carmakers.

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: phoward@freepress.com or 313-222-6512. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid