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By RightMichigan.com Posted in Andy Dillon | Barack Obama | Breaking News | China | Jeremiah Wright | Michigan | UAW | union thugs — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Cross-posted on Right Michigan at www.RightMichigan.com.

"I can't compete with China. I personally can't compete with Mexico."

That was the word, according to the Associated Press, from Steve Conner, an American Axle employee for the past fourteen years.  And that just about says everything you need to know about Big Labor's talking points and their hold over many rank and file members striking the struggling auto-parts supplier.

UAW workers have been on strike outside American Axle for nearly two months now, refusing to make wage and benefit concessions that would keep their jobs here in Michigan.  As recently as the last seven days the UAW's top brass turned down offers from the company that would have ended the strike and ensured their workers remained the best paid and compensated in the entire global market.  But no go.  Looks like Ron Gettelfinger went back and told the rank and file that their jobs are headed to China and unfortunately, there's at least one union member who bought that line of garbage.

Before we deal with Mr. Conner's dream world let's take a gander at reality.  American Axle's employees (UAW members) currently bring down over $73 an hour in pay and benefits.  The employees of AA's competitors (UAW members) in other states, like Ohio, who manufacture the same products and sell them to the same companies and claim the same American citizenship and live only a couple hours drive south, not over in China or Mexico... they make between $20 and $30 an hour.  That's a $43 an hour difference, minimum!

Dauch told the company's meeting of shareholders that he remains committed to negotiating a deal following a strike that is nearing the two-month mark. But he said since the UAW has reached deals with competing suppliers to cut costs for the U.S. market, American Axle needs similar considerations.

"The competitors are going around us and laughing at us," Dauch said.

As he spoke at American Axle's headquarters in Detroit, hundreds of striking workers rallied outside. The workers were carrying picket signs and jeering vehicles carrying people to the meeting.

Still, the company offered the union a deal that would continue to make their employees the best paid in the field and Big Union leadership turned them down cold.  Mr. Conner is not being asked to compete with China or Mexico.  He's not even being asked to compete with Ohio!  He's being offered a deal better than his UAW brethren in our neighboring State are getting.  What does that have to do with the Red Chinese?!

Conner's statement is indicative of a sort of hive-mind thinking that pervades organized labor here in Michigan.  If there's a problem anywhere, anytime it's got to be those darn Mexicans.  During the 2006 campaign it morphed and changed and China became a new boogey man.  And now, just like 2006, when China literally has nothing to do with any part of the conversation at hand it becomes the scarecrow.  

The worst part is that Conner's fear and paranoia have the potential to lead to one heck of an ugly self fulfilling prophecy.  If American Axle's union work force doesn't want to be the best paid union work force in their industry in the world then the company will start to look to China and Mexico.  They need to produce.  There are dozens of automobile plants across Michigan and the region literally waiting on their parts.  Tens of thousands of union members sitting at home with nothing to do because the union bosses are encouraging these fever dreams.  

Unfortunately, in a day packed with ugly news that sort of job-killing, family displacing hard headed intransigence isn't nearly the worst of it.  Ladies and gentlemen, the continuing recall effort against House Speaker Andy Dillon as told by the Ivory Tower:

On the streets of Redford Township and Dearborn Heights, it has been a seething, name-calling scrum of public rallies, court fights, verbal confrontations and charges of deception, law-breaking and police harassment.

Recall opponents hired crews to thwart signature collection -- including, as it turned out this week, at least one man with a lengthy criminal record. And they went to court to try to stop the petition drive for alleged violations of election law.

That, of course, would be Marcell Mitchell, a young man who's been convicted of more than one violent crime (and we're just talking about his felony convictions here) and who, and this is the kicker, appears to have never voted!

His title with the Michigan Democrat Party?  "Voter Education Specialist."  

He's one of the guys Mark Brewer is literally paying to stalk petition gatherers and follow them to their homes.

Yep.  CLEARLY we're out of line when we accuse Michigan Democrats of being hypocrites and thugs.  Oh, and speaking of thugs, we're now only two days away from the most anticipated speech in Michigan since the Detroit Lions introduced their new general manager (now I'M trying self-fulfilling prophecy)...

This Sunday Jeremy Wright will come to the Motor City to speak to the NAACP's big fundraising dinner.  Jeremy is Barack Obama's pastor and "spiritual mentor" and is the same cat who said September 11th was our own fault.  The same cat who refers to the United States of AmeriKKKa.  The same cat who said white folks invented AIDS to kill black folks.  

That Jeremy Wright.  

And if you think that maybe this isn't meant to be a confrontational appearance allow me to submit the statement of Wendell Anthony, the head of the Detroit chapter of the NAACP and the man responsible for Jeremy's appearance... as told to the Detroit News:

"A chord has been struck. The timing is right. It's going to be on in Motown on Sunday."

Emphasis mine.

Thank God not everyone is taking this race-baiting hate monger's appearance lying down.

The Zionist Organization of America, a New York-based Jewish activist group with a membership of more than 30,000 members nationally, called for the Detroit NAACP to rescind its invitation to Wright in an April 14 letter to Anthony.

Morton Klein, the organization's national director, said he was not sure whether the local chapter will hold a protest at Sunday's dinner.

"This is a man who has promoted hatred against America, Jews and whites and it's almost totally based on lies. Jeremiah Wright owes an apology to America," said Klein. "This is the type of person the NAACP should be fighting.I just don't understand the NAACP culture in Detroit to make this invitation."

Obviously Mr. Klein hasn't visited Detroit.  I'd invite him to visit, just not this weekend.  Obama's pastor hasn't always been as kind to the Jewish people during his sermons as one might hope.  The D might be an especially inhospitable place while he's in town.  

But there's nothing like a little hate to stir up ticket sales, right Wendell?