UAW Vice President Shoemaker Visits Region 4 Delphi & GM Locals

Left to right, UAW Vice President Richard Shoemaker, Region 4 Director Paul Korman and Local 95 President Jon Jarsted admire the local’s memorial to their 1937 sit down strikers.

UAW Vice President and Director of the General Motors and Delphi Departments Richard Shoemaker visited three Region 4 locals in Wisconsin this past year, Locals 438 and 1866 in Milwaukee and Local 95 in Janesville.

His first visit was to the two adjacent Delphi plants in Milwaukee. Along with Region 4 Director Paul Korman and several regional staff members, Shoemaker toured both plants and spoke at an all-employee meeting afterward. Local 438 members make electronic control modules, truck body controllers, and keyless entry systems. Local 1866 members make catalytic converters.

Shoemaker congratulated members for doing things differently to meet the changing times. He told our members; “Starting with the new century, Delphi has great opportunities, ones that few other companies have ever had. Delphi management has promised that the company will be different than other companies. We don’t want them just to be a different kind of company. We want them to be a great company.”

A few weeks later, Shoemaker and Korman attended the dedication of a memorial to the sit-down strikers in Janesville. Although history has focused most of its attention on the 1937 Flint, Mich., sit-down strikes, there were other workers struggling to organize throughout the country also.

Some 25 original Janesville sit-down strikers were there to share their incredible stories and help dedicate the beautiful memorial.

This day reminded us of the courage these brave workers displayed back then and of the challenges workers still face today.

Sandy LaFave, Local 438
Jeannie Ringer, Local 1866
Mary Frederick, Local 95

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