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As Strike Enters Week Four, Bowling Green GM Workers Committed to the Cause

Lisa Autry

Some hourly workers at the Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green say they’ll remain on the picket line as long as it takes to get a fair contract with General Motors.  Some local workers are struggling financially but remain steadfast as a national strike enters week four.

After making some progress on major sticking points, talks broke down over the weekend, reportedly over moving production from Mexico to the U.S.  The UAW’s chief negotiator said bargaining had "taken a turn for the worse."

It was difficult news to hear for Frank Lee who’s a temporary worker at the Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green.  He’s been on the picket line since the strike began September 16 and says he’s barely getting by on $250 a week in strike pay from the union.

“It’s practically impossible. I’m a single father raising my son by myself, so it’s a struggle," Lee told WKU Public Radio. "You gotta call your bill collectors and see if they’ll work with you. You gotta do what you gotta do, and what you can’t, you just gotta ride it out.”

Lee says knowing there’s nearly 50,000 other GM workers across the nation going through the same trials gives him the drive to continue picketing.  The strike is turning into one of the longest in modern history, rivaling the 1998 strike where workers were off the job for 54 days.

Lisa is a Scottsville native and WKU alum. She has worked in radio as a news reporter and anchor for 18 years. Prior to joining WKU Public Radio, she most recently worked at WHAS in Louisville and WLAC in Nashville. She has received numerous awards from the Associated Press, including Best Reporter in Kentucky. Many of her stories have been heard on NPR.
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