Krystal Austin
Krystal Austin, 35, doesn’t hold any union office, elected or appointed, at UAW Local 1264, but that doesn’t stop her from being involved. She hasn’t been quite as active since March of 2006, when her daughter Kahya was born. But with a husband whose steel plant recently closed and now serves as a “stay-at-home daddy,” Austin expects to get back into the thick of things soon.
How long have you been a UAW member?
I’ve been a member since 1999. I started out at Jefferson Assembly in Detroit, but I have been a spot welder at the Chrysler Sterling Stamping plant in Sterling Heights, Mich., since 2002.
How do you participate in your local union?
I get involved wherever my local needs me. I am on a committee of 20 to 30 people who volunteer every year to decorate the local’s float for the Labor Day march in Detroit. We also hold an annual Battle of the Bands event where workers in our plant or their relatives and friends compete whether they play rock, jazz, blues or R&B. We also put on a Blues Festival every fall where we raise money for charity.
Why do you do these things?
I didn’t want to just work all night and come home and that’s it. I’m a people person and wanted to meet my fellow union members. I want to get involved so I can help other people get involved.
