It was over after a day. Union workers at Chrysler's Kenosha Engine plant joined in a short-lived nationwide strike. UAW Local 72 President Dan Kirk says while going on strike is not what the workers want to do, they'll do what they have to. “The whole environment that the auto industry's involved in right now, it's always scary,” says Kirk. “We'll take each day as it comes.” The action comes just weeks after a UAW strike against General Motors was resolved after just two days. Kirk believes health care is one of the big issues which may have led to a breakdown in negotiations between the union and Chrysler.
A veteran worker at the plant, who identified himself only as Pete, says the decision to strike came as no surprise. “We actually figured it was going to happen,” he says. “We've settled over the years. Last time we were on strike was 1974, and there's only a few of us around who remember that.” Workers took the picket lines at mid-morning. The Chrysler plant produces V-6 engines, and the automaker announced earlier this year that it will invest 450 million dollars in retooling the facility, which employees 850 workers.
