UAW Strike Day 1: "This Is the Guy, You Stand Up for the Union!"

Jordan spoke with over a dozen workers on the picket lines at Ford in Wayne Michigan and then more workers at a MAJOR rally where hundreds gathered to hear Bernie Sanders and UAW President Shawn Fain

Hey folks, I write this on Day 2 of the historic UAW strike right before heading back out to the picket lines in Michigan. Our paying members make this ON-THE-GROUND reporting possible. We'd like to stay reporting on the front lines for as long as possible so please, if you can, sign up as a Status Coup member today for $5-10 bucks a month.

Yesterday on Day 1 of the UAW strike, I interviewed about 15 workers between two livestreams and was grateful to be approached by a lot of workers who praised Status Coup’s weeks worth of reporting before the strike. One worker in particular really showed what doing this ON-THE-GROUND reporting is all about:

"This is the guy, you speak the truth and you stand up for the union!" 25-year Ford worker Gabriel Burciaga said as he praised yours truly and literally handed me a $100 bill as a donation (don’t worry it’s going toward the company not me!)

"It's our time to get what we need,” he continued. “I've busted my ass and I've given and I've given and now it's our time!" Burciaga drives an hour back and forth to his Ford plant and works 11 hours a day. He had a clear message for his CEO—who made $21 million last year but went on TV yesterday to fear monger that Ford would go out of business if they agreed to UAW workers’ demands.

"I agree with investing, but invest in the people who have made you where you are. I sacrificed all day every day...I'm driving back and forth over an hour to work, standing there on my feet for 11 hours a day,” Burciaga told me.

WATCH THIS AWESOME INTERVIEW:

You will never hear voices like Gabriel’s on CNN or MSNBC. You will never get in-depth stories on workers like Gabriel in The NY Times or other corporate rags. The only way to get the TRUTH out about the 40-year controlled demolition of the working class is to go speak to the victims ON-THE-GROUND.

We will stay ON-THE-GROUND covering this strike for as long as we can financially. Please support us if you can and watch us this afternoon from the picket lines!

Jordan