Growing up in Dearborn, Michigan, I was surrounded by Ford Motor Company; the white collars, the Rouge Plant factory men and women, the Ford badges, the Lincoln Continentals with the tinted glass, the 'Salt and Pepper shaker' buildings that my Dad worked in. Dearborn was a "model" city for the white professional - I was NOT one of them as it turns out!
Although I had other family members working for Chrysler and GM, I never gave much thought to how their long-standing jobs with these companies affects all our lives. With the impending bankruptcy announcement - next Monday, the first of June - there continues to exist this relentless anxiety within the state of Michigan. I really feel for the people there; my family, friends, extended family and all those who will be touched by the downturn of events.
I spoke with a friend from Berkley, Michigan, last night on the phone and I told her that I was disappointed with Michigan. I don't condemn the state or its people- I am just angry with State of Michigan officials that have failed their constituents. I think of the "Unionism, Not Fordism" leaflets that Reuther and his cronies passed around at the Rouge Plant in 1937 that would fuel an incredible revolution in unionizing the auto industry. Walter Reuther and his cohorts were revolutionaries! What happened to that same fire in today's auto leaders?
