Trump’s broken promises have devastated autoworkers and their communities in the wake of the latest announcement of layoffs and plant closures from General Motors. As one autoworker said, “I can’t believe our president would allow this to happen.”
Here are real stories of autoworkers and communities hurt by Trump’s broken promises:
“You are going right into Christmas, you are looking for celebration, and that’s not there now. So what do you do? Do you still continue to buy gifts?” – UAW member
“I can’t believe our president would allow this to happen.” – GM Lordstown worker
“This is devastating…Without GM, this area would be a ghost town.” – Previously laid off GM worker
“This is one of the darkest days we’ve seen here.” – UAW Local 1112 president
“You could just feel the mood through the plant. I mean, everybody was kind of, ‘woah.’” – UAW chaplain
“Hell, honestly, it’s like, I don’t know what to do next.” – GM worker
“There’s more than just us inside the plant. There’s all the businesses around us. It’s just — it’s really, I mean we’re still in shock mode right now.” – 21-year GM employee
“I don’t know what to do next. I’ve been here four years. The job is gone, like, ‘now what?’” – GM Detroit-Hamtramck worker
“With the closing of this plant, that really is the end of automotive production in the city of Hamtramck and that means something to us psychically, because we’re a city built on the auto industry.” – Hamtramck Mayor Karen Majewski
“If GM Lordstown closes down, it’s going to be devastating for our area – and to me personally, it really hits home.” – Recently laid off GM worker
“We did not see this coming.” – 40-year GM Lordstown employee
“We have already seen school families negatively impacted by the elimination of the first and second shifts and now this news is just devastating.” – Lordstown schools superintendent
“If it does close down, the effect on the community will be [widespread]. It’s going to affect everything, housing, development, it’s going to affect small businesses. There’s going to be ripple effect. Nothing will get better without that plant out there.” – Northeast Ohio business owner
“We were hit directly in the gut with the news today. These are people with families who need a way of living and healthcare…This could be potentially catastrophic for the Valley.” – USW representative
“I have a niece and her husband work there, and their son is a juvenile diabetic who needs medicine every day. And they are going to lose benefits.” – 40-year GM Lordstown worker