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| New River Valley Volvo Strike Enters Sixth Week |
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| Written by David Grimes | |
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As UAW and Volvo officials continue their second day of negotiations, the strike at the New River Valley plant starts its sixth week today and the majority of union picketers are ready to resume work.
While there was no new news from the first day at the bargaining table, the majority of strikers at the Dublin plant told EverythingNRV.com Wednesday afternoon that they are ready to go back to work.
“We hope they come away with something good,” said Kelvin, a 10-year employee at Volvo, when asked about the two sides returning to the table. “We just want some straight stuff out of them.”
Another employee echoed the same words, as well as saying, “If we don’t get what we want, we’re prepared to stay out here as long as it takes.”
Others on the line, just across the street from the UAW Local 2069 Union headquarters felt the same way. They all want to go back to work, but only if they have a fair contract.
“I hope they hurry up with the talks,” said one lady. “I’m ready to go back to work.”
Thomas Lindsay, a 10-year employee said, “Volvo has been good for the community, if we lose here the entire community will lose. We took losses on the last two contracts and we’re looking at taking a loss again this time. If we take a loss again this time, it just means the pay is going to go down more and more each time in this area.”
The last time the New River Valley Volvo plant went on strike was in 1991, that strike lasted for four weeks.
When the strikers were asked on Wednesday how long they felt this particular strike would end, they all said, “Soon, we hope.”
One man added, “It can end in 10 minutes and then again, it could last several more weeks.”
Despite the chilly temperatures and the unfavorable weather of the past few weeks, the striker’s spirit still appeared to be high. “We are here for the long-haul.”
Click here to see more photos from the New River Valley Volvo Plant Strike.
Photo: (Top left) Strikers work the picket line Wednesday afternoon. (Photo by David Grimes) Comments (22)
  written by Richard, March 12, 2008
LITTLE DANNY BOY, I havent had much of a chance to get on the computer myself, Im getting ready to go to the race this weekend, I have enough money to do that though. DANNY BOY, if ur such the MAN like u say u r, y havent I or anybody else seen u on the picket line calling everybody idiots, I dont know u at all, but I dont think ur that much of an IDIOT. DANNY BOY, u just need to stay in ur simple world behind ur computer, golf clubs, and last but not least ur beloved (BUSINESS), u dont work with any of the Union members at Volvo and u dont have a clue what goes on inside the plant. DANNY BOY, all Im saying is that I dont tell u about ur BUSINESS and how to run it, only GOD knows if u can run it anybody can. DANNY BOY, I havent got a clue who u r and really dont care to, but honestly what do u have against our Union, we havent asked u to join, so y do u have to say things, Im just wondering, honestly???
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 written by Dan the man!, March 12, 2008
Richard,
Hey there I see you still haven't had a chance to correct your post I thought you find some time between standing out in the cold like an idiot and sitting at home on the internet you could fix it. But that's okay, I'll give you an "F" and it does not matter if you can write it faster or not because in life there's no short cut little Richie. Now I see you might be going back to work and it said you will be meeting at the NRCC (New River Community College) why don't you check into getting some classes in?  Your level of maturity represents your union well! Good job! Oh, by the way, I would've responded sooner but I have been busy with "work" and running a business takes a lot of time. Then I went golfing, didn't see you out there, that's right you don't have any money to golf because you've been out of work! Great job Richie! 
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 written by Eric Reeves, March 11, 2008
Dan, you are so simple you can't even spell simple. It onlt takes one "p". Don't try teaching English unless you actually passed the subject.
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written by Richard , March 10, 2008
Dan, r u an English Major, it was just quicker to type it that way, u would understand that if u would get ur head out of ur a__ about the Union. Dan, hope that was good enough for u, hope u really do well teaching people how to stick there heads up there a____, u seem to b really good at it. Fill n the blanks, ur the Professor and GOOD LUCK!!!
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written by Dan, March 10, 2008
Mr. Mullins if you are educated then you should proofread your statement to Lori. Let's take a look at your statement:
Well, Ms. Lori i guess i am n that club called the Union and im glad to b apart of it, i guess for saying i knew sumbody there to get a job, i didnt, but i know 2,600 people who will stand behind me n my work place, can u say that, didnt think so, just wandering, do u work n the Volvo Plant, if u did u wouldnt b saying half the things u r, every work place has its fair share of problems, but u dont see me sticking my nose n to the other plants business, and talking about there click, as ours is a club, thanks for ur comment, im educated now, u really helped To begin with you have a run-on sentence. In the first part you have put: Well, Ms. Lori i(capital I) guess i(capital I) am n(sp, should be "in") that club called the Union and im(I'm) glad to b(e) apart of it,(try to use an exclamation point or even a simpple period.) So let's look at the new version: Well, Ms. Lori I guess I am in that club called the Union and I'm glad to be apart of it! Doesn't that sound better? Now you try! Correct all of your mistakes and repost it. Good luck! report abuse
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written by Richard Mullins, March 10, 2008
Well, Ms. Lori i guess i am n that club called the Union and im glad to b apart of it, i guess for saying i knew sumbody there to get a job, i didnt, but i know 2,600 people who will stand behind me n my work place, can u say that, didnt think so, just wandering, do u work n the Volvo Plant, if u did u wouldnt b saying half the things u r, every work place has its fair share of problems, but u dont see me sticking my nose n to the other plants business, and talking about there click, as ours is a club, thanks for ur comment, im educated now, u really helped
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Wow, Lowly rated comment [Show]
written by Richard Mullins, March 09, 2008
U can call it what u want to and call us what u want to, u probably applied to go to work for Volvo and they turned u down as well, jealousy will get u nowhere, h___ u probably couldnt get out of ur recliner anyways, all of ur companys r sum of the main reason we were behind on orders to begin with, ya couldnt keep up, i dont know how long uve worked for whatever company u for, but i promise u ur company probably thinks uve been on vacation the whole time uve worked there, so get ur a__ out of ur recliner when we do go back to work and at least try to keep up, i know for u, it will b tough, but at least try and dont b a TAX RIGHT OFF for ur company
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 written by bulldog, March 09, 2008
I want to keep this plain and simple. You uaw overpaid under worked people are on strike,causing my plant to close for a week (only a week)is that the best you can do. Well anyway while your out there freezing your butt's off for this usless "UAW" i'm sitting at home in my recliner watching the tube,getting PAID! THANKS FOR THE WEEK OF VACATION....I'm lovin it. Please try to get me two weeks PAID VACATION.
GO UAW!!!!!(SUCKERS report abuse
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Hazards?, Lowly rated comment [Show]
written by Eric Reeves, March 08, 2008
Dan, I'll try to tell you the difference in union and non union so even you could understand. When I posted my comment to Mr. Horton I was talking about 17 non union scabs and roughly 300 suit and tie people trying to build trucks that the 2600 people on strike built everyday. I have worked half of my work career in non union jobs and the other half at Volvo, and I can tell you that the union brothers and sisters have better working conditions,better wages,better benefits, and have a lot more pride in the job they do. This pride is mainly because of better working conditions and better wages which in turn result in a better quality product. If there were two identical plants side by side that made the same product and one was union and the other not I would want the product that was union built, of course that is just me. There are a lot of good hard working people that are non union and that take alot of pride in what they do, but having been on both sides of the issue I have seen that at Volvo there is a lot more pride and dedication to build a better product than anywhere else I have ever worked. United We Stand !!!
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 written by tommy lee, March 08, 2008
The Toyota plant in Torrence California is a unionized plant.
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written by Dan, March 08, 2008
Eric, touchy aren't we? For no reason either...to begin with reread your post to Mr. Horton and then re-read your post and then read my question. I want to know what's the difference between union made and non union made? That's it. I know that toyota is non-union and thought that I may ask but I see that you are uneducated and very defensive about your little union tag. which is a dying breed anyhow. So Eric get back to the question, what's the difference?
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written by E. Reeves, March 08, 2008
Dan, If you would pay attention to what the subject matter that is being discussed is about your opinion might be worth something. First of all we are talking about the heavy truck industry which are class 8 trucks such as Volvo,Mack,Freightliner,Peterbilt,Kenworth.We are not talking about passenger vehicles because everyone knows that Toyota and Nissan and probably some others are non-union. These comments are about the strike at Volvo not about the quality of a Toyota truck. Is your last name Clinton, because you might be able to run for president in 2012 as long as you keep avoiding the subject and know nothing about what you are talking about?
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written by Richard Mullins, March 08, 2008
First off, people who work with all of us are not going to b spending there time around a trash can, r u jealous that u didnt get a job with Volvo when u applied, everybody who has read ur comment knows u applied and wasnt good enough to work with us, not our fault, huh, now what. The comment that was made about not knowing if there going to buy another Volvo, dont, and for real dont waste any of our time telling everybody, u dont have any idea about anything except what u think is right, and ill b the first to tell u that ur (WRONG), until u know whats going on u really have no right to say nothing, so dont.
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written by Dan, March 07, 2008
Eric, what's the difference between union made and non-union made? Aren't toyota's non-union?
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written by Eric Reeves, March 07, 2008
Wow, it is still unbelievable to me that after six weeks there are people who still have no clue about why the International UAW declared a strike. You are right there are about 2600 people on strike but we have shifts that we pull our strike time so we can picket 24/7 and there are also three entrances that we picket. As for you saying you would reconsider ever buying a Volvo again that is really brilliant considering in your uneducated opinion you state we need to support our local people. I have a better idea, if you do not agree with the International UAW taking us out on strike then do not buy a union made truck, but wait a minute there isn't any non union built trucks produced in the U.S. You could call the plant and have the 17 or so scabs and all the suit and tie guys build you one, I'm sure you would realize just what the difference is between union and non union.
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 written by ellehcim, March 06, 2008
Already been there and done that....wasn't born at Vovo. I have worked for alot less thn 10 hr.
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Sir James Matthew Barrie was a Scottish novelist and dramatist best known for creating the character Peter Pan, whom he based on his friends, the Llewelyn Davies boys. Educated at Dumfries Academy and Edinburgh University, he became a journalist and, later, a celebrated novelist who counted Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Thomas Hardy amongst his friends and acquaintances. Why was Barrie disappointed with the statue of Peter Pan erected in Kensington Gardens, London?
You are right anyone can run my business, seriously anyone can own a business. Anyone can do your job, 2600 already do. Nothing special...
I am glad that you're going to the race you need to lighten up. All of you UAW types need to. Which is why I wrote the response I did to your post. It's a joke!
Richie, take some pills or something. Chill out! I don't care for the union because I have seen plenty of companies close because of it. It has gone from corporate greed to personal greed. Every company knows there is a bottom line yet not everyone in a union understands this.
Have fun in Bristol...I'll be there somewhere!