LOCKPORT, NY (WKBW) — The United Auto Workers strike is now in its fourth week with more than 30,000 UAW members on strike at facilities.
There are no strikes at the three local UAW plants, GM Tonawanda, Ford Stamping, or at the GM in Lockport, however, some 47 employees at the Lockport facility were laid off because of the strike. That facility relies on parts from a plant in Missouri where employees are striking.
But those Lockport workers are making the best of it by giving back to their community.
“You’re hurting, yet you're still helping!” declared Peter Robinson, A Hand Up Inc.
Nearly 50 UAW Local 686 members from the GM Lockport plant, who are temporarily laid off due to the national UAW strike, received encouragement from a man who helps people in need each day.
Peter Robinson is with A Hand Up Incorporated and founder of the Peanut Butter and Jelly Drive. Robinson tells me the UAW members conducted an "immense" amount of work at his site Monday, despite their own difficult circumstances.
“These guys are hurting and it's just amazing to see that they reached out to me saying, 'Hey, listen, we really want to help our people out by showing love to our community’”, noted Robinson.
When I arrived at the church the UAW members had already cleaned inside and were ready to head outside to help clean up streets.
“They did a lot of sweeping. They did a lot of cleaning. They wiped down walls. They wiped down our pews. They were vacuuming. It was just awesome,” described Robinson.
“Makes me feel better as a person, so I'm very happy to do this,” reflected Shelley Seefeldt, GM Lockport employee. “It’s a fabulous feeling, actually.”
Laid off Seefeldt and the other UAW Local 686 members are now on unemployment, but she's not upset, instead, she hopes this will help her fellow co-workers at the Lockport plant.
Seefeldt has been at the Lockport facility for 24 years.
“We were making good money and then we got our pay cut, so like I said, I’ve been there that long and that's a struggle. That's a struggle when they cut your pay, and we're still not making what the other GM plants make,” Seefeldt remarked.
“The ripple effect of them being laid off is because of the strike. And everybody's been optimistic that we're in the fight for the right reasons,” replied Michael Delucas, president, UAW Local 686.
UAW Local 686 President Michael Delucas tells me these workers just want to give back.
“Taking a bad situation and turning it into a positive situation. We know we take from the community. We should always give back to the community,” Delucas explained.
The union tells me these members will be conducting community service work every Monday as they remain laid off and on unemployment
“You know, we always say that you're your brother’s keeper. We've been saying that the whole time. these folks demonstrated that today,” Robinson commented.
