Are the UAW and Domestic Auto Industry Falling on Hard Times?

With all this talk about the UAW nationwide strike, I thought it fitting I bare witness to what I have been through, what I know, and in what direction I believe the auto industry is heading. I was a UAW Executive Committeeman for AP Parts, a Tier 1 parts plant, represented by Local 14. This Local resides within Region 2B, which covers Ohio UAW members. This Local was, at one time, one of the most powerful Locals in Region 2B. It represented one GM Plant and a multitude of Tier 1, and Tear 2 parts plants. Beginning in the late 70's, until today, this once powerful Local dwindled down to representing one GM plant (GM Toledo Powertrain).

I was one of the victims of the plant closing at AP Parts, the very last Tier 1 plant Local 14 represented. My friends and I lived through the drastic changes and the ripple effects that this closing created. Just who is to blame for all these closings, strikes, and realignments, is a complex issue with three major players. The Federal Government, the CEO's of the "Big Three," and the UAW. Each one of these three players are at fault and are to blame for the current predicament the Auto Industry is currently facing. I will attempt to break down where the Auto Industry is heading, as I see it. In any case it does not bode well for the UAW.