GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — "We are just going from one day to the next," Local United Auto Workers 2145 Sergeant-at-Arms Donald Scamehorn said Wednesday night amongst other UAW workers and supporters.
Scamehorn and his local UAW chapter have been on strike for ten weeks.
"We have basically three planks on our platform," Scamehorn said. "The first one is concerning our two-tier wage program, and we want to we want to see that leveled out so that people do not have to work forever in a day to get up to their to their complete wage."
"The second is an end to outsourcing, which is a big concern to us as a national health care health care provider, that people have to call in, and they don't know exactly where their information is going to be winding up," Scamehorn continued.
"Then the third and last is providing good health care package for our retirees," Scamehorn said.
Scamehorn and his fellow workers aren't on strike from the major auto companies, but from Blue Cross Blue Shield.
"A lot of people are, are still confused about how UAW might relate to Blue Cross Blue Shield, and we have to explain that we are part of the technical office professional unit of UAW," Scamehorn said.
Some of those workers gathered at Grand Rapids' Rosa Parks Circle Wednesday night to rally for their cause as supporters echoed their calls for change.
"All it takes is pressure to actually make movement," one speaker said.
Local workers' strike has persisted even as negotiations between auto workers and companies like General Motors have moved forward.
A deal between GM and workers was put up for a vote this month. As of Wednesday night, with one day of voting left to go, the deal was passing by a slim margin, signaling lingering doubts from some workers.
"We're seeing, you know, a few different voices that are kind of raising up and saying, 'Oh, maybe we don't think that this is the best contract we can get,' and there was always gonna be the risk for that," S&P Global Mobility Auto Analyst Mike Wall said. "So, it's looking close."
But in Grand Rapids, workers said they would continue to push for their demands - even as some have had to take new jobs and struggle to make ends meet amid their fight.
But amid their struggles, they hope to mirror success similar to that of auto workers as they look toward finding a solution.
"We will win by persistence and in our positive goodwill in our in our striking presence," Scamehorn said.
According to Scamehorn, representatives for the workers are set to return to the negotiating table on Thursday.
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