The union leader for Lordstown, Ohio’s General Motors plant is speaking out after being called out by name by President Donald Trump over the weekend.
The General Motors plant was officially “unallocated” earlier this month, meaning it’s not yet closed, but isn’t producing any cars. In a Sunday tweet, Trump called out United Auto Workers Local 1112 President David Green, saying he “ought to get his act together and produce.”
But Green said in a recent Fox News interview that he’s “really trying to stay out of the feud,” and just wants to “see better policies.”
“President Trump didn’t unallocate our location here, General Motors did. We think General Motors has an obligation. We want to be part of their family for 53 more years. We build great quality products here. We just want to keep doing that,” he said.
Host Dana Perino pointed out that Green and Trump should actually be allies in the matter, since General Motors is to blame for putting Ohioans out of work.
“Yeah, it could very well be. That’s why, you know, I haven’t taken any of this personal. He obviously doesn’t know me personally. I’ve been working really hard here in the valley. We’ve got a lot of community support. We sold 142,617 Chevy Cruz’s last year, which is a lot. So it’s frustrating to hear GM say nobody wants to buy the car because it has been a very popular vehicle,” Green said in his Wednesday interview.
Green wouldn’t say whether or not his members should continue to support President Trump, but said he would “just encourage them to look at the record.”
“Look at voting records, look at politicians and who they supported and how they have voted for working people, because we’re working people and I think we should put that interest first,” he said.
He went on to say that the Lordstown crisis isn’t “a political issue,” and encouraged legislators to “work together” to find a solution.”
“For us, what we’re going through right here, it’s not a political issue. I’m not worried about Democrat, Republican. I want the legislators, the senators to work together. I want people to put stuff on the books that’s going to help working people and help protect jobs here in the USA,” he said. “We’ve been unallocated, and not closed. So we’re in this holding pattern right now, so it’s very difficult for our members to try to understand and deal with what’s going on.”
Green’s full interview can be watched here.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Lordstown Complex” by Lordstown Assembly.
