Protesters setting up Camp in the D

[Homer]

Detroit -- Disaffected autoworkers are expected to set up tents today at Grand Circus Park at Woodward and E. Adams to protest the gathering of big-business executives who will meet in Detroit this week for the National Business Summit.
http://detnews.com/article/20090614/...conomic-summit

Time to dig out the pup tent and cooler.
Anyone here an auto worker and going to participate?

[crawford]

What exactly are they protesting? The fact that the American taxpayer bailed out their employers?

GM and Chrysler wouldn't even exist right now if it weren't for the government intervention.

Maybe the American taxpayer should camp out in front of UAW HQ, and ask for their money back!

[rjk]

"What's happening is it looks like we're going to have a jobless economic recovery because they continue to close plants and lay off workers," said Dianne Feeley, a retired auto worker from American Axle who helped spearhead the People's Summit and Tent City. "This is not a recovery for the working people in the communities we're from. We think there's something that can be done."
"We can't close the plants."

I take it this woman has just woken up from a 30 year nap?

[artds]

"What's happening is it looks like we're going to have a jobless economic recovery because they continue to close plants and lay off workers," said Dianne Feeley, a retired auto worker from American Axle who helped spearhead the People's Summit and Tent City. "This is not a recovery for the working people in the communities we're from. We think there's something that can be done."
"We can't close the plants."

I take it this woman has just woken up from a 30 year nap?

Indeed. These people have no idea what century they're living in.

Although, I do understand their desperation, given that they bet their whole lives on that high school diploma always being enough to get them their 3,000 sq ft house, 4 cars and a weekend place up north. The problem is, their jobs never required much skill in the first place and they were merely beneficiaries of the fact that geographic constraints kept the work in the place where they happened to live, which empowered them to make certain demands from their employers. But those constraints are no longer present.

I do empathize with the workers to the extent that their union leadership failed realize or consider the long-term consequences of their collective bargaining strategies; however, when you choose to go into a line of work that is capable of being performed equally well by an uneducated citizen of a 3rd world country for $4.50/hr, you really don't have a legitimate complaint when that person ends up with your job.

[Novine]

"however, when you choose to go into a line of work that is capable of being performed equally well by an uneducated citizen of a 3rd world country for $4.50/hr, you really don't have a legitimate complaint when that person ends up with your job."

I know your insult is directed at the UAW members people working the line for the Big 3 but in the modern American economy, that applies equally to engineers, people who did CAD work, software writers, etc.

[econ expat]

Indeed. These people have no idea what century they're living in.

Although, I do understand their desperation, given that they bet their whole lives on that high school diploma always being enough to get them their 3,000 sq ft house, 4 cars and a weekend place up north. The problem is, their jobs never required much skill in the first place and they were merely beneficiaries of the fact that geographic constraints kept the work in the place where they happened to live, which empowered them to make certain demands from their employers. But those constraints are no longer present.

I do empathize with the workers to the extent that their union leadership failed realize or consider the long-term consequences of their collective bargaining strategies; however, when you choose to go into a line of work that is capable of being performed equally well by an uneducated citizen of a 3rd world country for $4.50/hr, you really don't have a legitimate complaint when that person ends up with your job.

Keep emphasizing.
It can happen to me, it can happen to you.........
With the internet and phone lines, it is very easy to 'ship' or move intellectually created work, much easier than physically created work products.

Ask any of us whose 'degreed' professional job was outsourced overseas.
Jobs requring HS or less education seem to be a little more secure[[and easier to find) these days.

[oldredfordette]

Dianne Feeley is a brilliant woman and a well known writer and advocate for the working class, as well as a retired autoworker. Laugh at yourselves, it's going to happen to you when you're making fun. Will you have the fortitude to fight, or will you shrivel up and cry when the wolf comes to your door?

This demonstration is bigger than the autoworkers. Pay attention, listen to them.

[MIRepublic]

"What's happening is it looks like we're going to have a jobless economic recovery..."

It is this that is the key quote from what you quoted, and an excellent observation regardless of what she says after that. This is what's happening this time around, more so than any recent recession. The elites are going to point to a rising stock market to make the case that the 'economy' is 'back'. Watch. They are already doing it.

[1KielsonDrive]

Your rebuttals to artds are excellent. Artds attempts to sound knowledgable, empathetic, and compassionate while artds' underlying point is 'screw you all who are beneath me' - shame on you for expecting to make a decent living no matter what work you're doing. Like a college education nowadays will get you anywhere. Novine, you said it best in emphasizing that no one is immune to job, work, career displacement. Except of course, the rich, executives and politicians.

[Sstashmoo]

Don't confuse "recovery" with irresponsible borrowing and pumping into a broken economy. That isn't going to last very long.

Quote: "underlying point is 'screw you all who are beneath me' - shame on you for expecting to make a decent living no matter what work you're doing."

The autoworkers here have been riding a gravy train for years. Artds was not insulting anyone, just stating the facts. No other industry or area of the country could one graduate high school and reap such high rewards for it by landing a job at one of the big3. We know it here, the rest of the country knows it, and where much of the disdain stems for the autoworkers. And now they want to congregate and demonstrate in protest. It isn't resonating with the rest of the country. Ya know, the folks that buy our cars. It was a great gig while it lasted. Move on.

[Sstashmoo]

Quote: "Will you have the fortitude to fight,"

"Fight" for what? These companies are on life-support from the US taxpayers. As someone else pointed out, they'd be gone already if not for the infusion of cash from the government. What's there to fight about? The autoworkers putting their foot down right now is just pushing whats left of the autos out of the state. They are going to have to cut costs drastically. None of them are even close to turning a profit, the Feds aren't going to float them forever.

[ridgeabilly]

There are several groups being represented at the tent city, some backing health care reform, cleaning up the environment, and a moratorium on foreclosures. What part of this do you union bashing folks object to?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/justbeamensch/3626369202/

[Sstashmoo]

Quote: "There are several groups being represented at the tent city, some backing health care reform, cleaning up the environment, and a moratorium on foreclosures."

Then that makes more sense. Incidentally, I'm not "Union Bashing", just stating the facts.

[irish_mafia]

Have these people been arrested yet or was this just a one day dalliance?

Don't need that crap in the middle of one of the actually enjoyable parts of the city.

[dcmorrison12]

I don't care what the occasion, I love to see these types of rallies/strikes/demonstrations. This is what Cities are known for! The gathering place of different types of people- centers of creativity and ideas.

I love looking back at Detroit history and seeing the pictures of the citizens of Detroit back in the 1800's crowding the streets outside the post office to hear the big news about what's happened throughout their country.

Or seeing the pictures of the Civil War soldiers gathering at Campus Martius, getting read to ship out and fight.

You may not like what they are saying, but at least let them do it without you complaining about them taking up your special place in the city. This is part of what makes a city, a city and not a boring suburb.

[lilpup]

It sounds like FoMoCo's Bill Ford Jr. and Dow Chemical's Andrew N. Liveris sound like they agree more with the tent folks:

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/mi...CLE_ID=1518074

http://www.wwj.com/National-Summit-K...-Views/4602483

[East Detroit]

Wow, look at all the people here who are trying to convince themselves that they will be okay by acting self-righteous toward others and desperately trying to distance themselves from those hurt most.

The autoworker didn't create this economic mess. The CEOs and politicians in their pockets did.

[Maxine1958]

If any one in this economy thinks their job or their career path is secure they are delusional.

If the job cannot be outsourced and the work done in another country, someone from that other country can be brought in to do the job for a small fraction of whatever you are paid.

Perhaps many of those top executives are sitting feeling smug and secure, but when there is no one left in this country who can afford to pay for their goods or services, or pay the taxes to keep funding their bailouts and bonuses, I wonder how smug they will be then.

[Detroitej72]

Perhaps many of those top executives are sitting feeling smug and secure, but when there is no one left in this country who can afford to pay for their goods or services, or pay the taxes to keep funding their bailouts and bonuses, I wonder how smug they will be then.

I fear that may happen sooner than later.

[Gistok]

Have these people been arrested yet or was this just a one day dalliance?

Don't need that crap in the middle of one of the actually enjoyable parts of the city.

Have you ever tried walking thru the park during a summers day? It's like playing a game of PacMan.... going thru the park taking different routes, trying to strategize the correct way to dodge the panhandlers...

[detrola]

It is worth noting that Diane Feeley is also a socialist feminist. Her views and that of the protest/tent city organizers may have more than just the plight of the displaced autoworker on their agenda. I have no issue with a person's politics. I have no issue with shedding light on the the situation faced by displaced auto workers. I am concerned when a a group with a political agenda covertly co-opts a cause for the furtherment of their own agenda. I am not suggesting that this is the case with the autoworker protests. I am just pointing out some facts most people may not be aware of.

[oldredfordette]

Most of the speakers at the Economic Forum are right wing Republicans, as close to open fascism as we [[hopefully) will see in our lifetime, led by Fat John Engler, the man who fucked up our state. They are there to prop up the form of capitalism that we are enduring right now. Don't you think that's their true agenda?

Go down to Tent City and ask the various groups why they are there. They'd be happy to tell you the unvarnished truth.

[kraig]

It sounds like FoMoCo's Bill Ford Jr. and Dow Chemical's Andrew N. Liveris sound like they agree more with the tent folks:

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/mi...CLE_ID=1518074

http://www.wwj.com/National-Summit-K...-Views/4602483

The same Bill Ford Jr. that suggested bringing in Matt Millen in the first place?

[bailey]

Fat John Engler, the man who fucked up our state

Granholm's second term is almost over...and yet you;'re still saying it's all Engler's fault? Does Granholm have no ability or influence to affect change?

Go down to Tent City and ask the various groups why they are there. They'd be happy to tell you the unvarnished truth.

Yeah, i'll be sure to ask all six of them what they think.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090...ergy--activism

[oldredfordette]

Perhaps the union and left-hating Ms Berman should have gotten out of her car. Would have spoiled a good, pre-written story, I suppose.