By Joel Thurtell
How can this be true?
Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun hustling the UAW in a swap of support, Matty pumping millions into the unions’ November 6 constitutional amendment Proposal 2 making immutable workers’ right to unions for the autoworkers’ backing of Matty’s call for a referendum on any public bridge that would rival his monopoly on bridge traffic between Detroit and Windsor.
The Detroit Free Press reported this unlikely wedding on today’s (October 12, 2012) front page.
Who told the Free Press?
Who knows?
According to the Freep, their sources were an auto executive and business leaders.
Huh.
No confirmation from Matty or the UAW.
No denials, though.
So far.
I first caught a whiff of this story in a column by Nolan Finlay of The Detroit News.
Finlay is a congenital union-basher, but his essay gives a clue to where this report is coming from.
Supposedly, the UAW put the BIG Three automakers — all supporters of a new bridge — on notice that they had made a deal with Matty.
At this point, I’m in skeptic mode.
I’ve plugged in my bullshit meter.
I’m watching the needle for signs of bunk.
What if it’s true?
Billionaire Matty Moroun has corrupted our Michigan Legislature with his money. He has proven that if you have enough cash, you can purchase the votes of men and women whose sworn duty is to represent the people, not one rich man.
When I was on strike at the Free Press back in the 1990s, the UAW supported our little Newspaper Guild. I was grateful to the UAW for standing up for workers’ principles against The News and the Free Press, major shapers of opinion in Metro Detroit. I thought that took not only spunk but bedrock dedication to workers.
The new bridge is where unions need to place their support. The busiest crossing between Canada and the US will be expanded and create jobs. Construction of the bridge will create jobs. Anyone who has not been paid by Matty is for the bridge — automakers, chambers of commerce, former governors. Clearly, the new bridge would be good for workers. What Matty wants — retention of a bridge built for Model A’s so his family can rake in more money — would be bad for workers.
If it is true that the autoworkers’ union is taking money from Matty in return for supporting his bridge monopoly, then the UAW would have betrayed the very workers they represent.
I don’t believe it.
