Retirees Make Solidarity Car Caravan
UAW Local 848 retirees formed a car caravan to UAW Local 218 after their monthly luncheon on July 9. Production workers at Bell had been on strike for a month. President Romeo Munoz allowed the retirees to carry a load of water and Gatorade that had been collected by active members in the local. They have been regularly sending their contributions since the first week of the strike.
The strike is a tough one. The sun is hot, and the job market is seriously depressed. National unemployment stood at 9.5%, and the Dallas-Ft Worth area was reportedly at 8%, the highest in many years. When the economy is tanking, it is very hard for workers to win contract demands. Nevertheless, the UAW 218 members are bravely battling to save what is left of their health care benefits after many years of corrosion by management.
Retirees and active members of UAW 848 are not the only ones offering solidarity to the embattled employees at Bell Helicopter. Other unions have made major contributions, and students from University of North Texas have been walking picket regularly. See our earlier article for how you can help.
Retiree Neal Sloan posed with picketers at intersection Highway 360 and "K"
Retiree Rex Redden posed with his sign
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