Latest devolopments
As of 04-27-08
We will have a Solidarity rally on May 9, 2008 in the Cleveland town park, Cleveland NC. There will be speakers present from all over the United States and from as far away as Germany. Please make plans to come out and join us for a day in the park
www.justice4five.com/images88/F-5.pdf
As of 2-22-2008
In a desperate attempt to prevent us spreading the truth, our website was suspended for a false violation of Bravenets terms of service. The issue is resolved and we will no longer be subjected to this type of harassment!
On a more positive note- Top UAW official General Holifield comes out in support of the Freightliner five. Read document below...
www.justice4five.com/myPictures/holifield.pdf
As of 2-16-2008
Allen Bradley jailed for attending a membership meeting!!!
See slideshow presentation below!!!
For a list of Organizations and Individuals endorsing us by standing in Solidarity with us click below.
www.justice4five.com/myPictures/solidarity_supporters.pdf
Welcome to our website.
We are members of the 2007 Bargaining Committee for United Auto Workers (UAW) local 3520, Cleveland, NC. On April 2, 2007 our Local's Strike Committee voted to strike. Our International Union was of the opinion we should accept a weak contract offer. They tried to force us to take a contract with 22 open articles and 86 open Health and Safety issues back to our membership for ratification. The proposed contract if raitified by our membership as proposed by the Company would have been the first UAW 2 tier contract negotiated in a grossly profitable company. Frieghtliner LLC, was more profitable in 2006 than all other years combined, yet they wanted us to take contract concessions and the International UAW was OK with this.
We are/were employed by Freightliner LLC, at the Freightliner Truck Manufacturing Plant in
The UAW promised us help at our Unemployment hearing . They told us an attorney would represent us at the hearing. Luckily, we retained an Attorney ourselves. We arrived at the hearing and our employer informed the special hearing commissioner that no Representative for the UAW would be there to assist us.
The other (5) five officers and the (1) one rank and file member of our Local that were terminated, were reinstated to their jobs in May but not before they were forced to sign Last chance, model employee agreements that don't give the Union any leeway in reference to disciplinary action. This type of agreement is commonly referred to as a (stump your toe and out you go agreement) as it is easy for the Employer to terminate an employee under this agreement. At the writing of this article (1) one of the (5) five reinstated officers has been terminated and at least (1) one of the (6) six is facing threats of termination.
We hope that by telling our story pressure will be placed on Freightliner, LLC and the International UAW to do the right thing (reinstate us to our jobs and have all vindictive actions by some members of our Local Union stopped). We have learned that what happened to us is a common occurrence within the UAW. We hope other
Join us on our Solidarity tour! Our Mid-West tour was very successful. We would like to Thank all the Brothers and Sisters in Chicago Illinois, Champaign Illinois, Flint Michigan, Detroit Michigan , for participating in our meetings. We met some of the best people around. YOU GUYS ROCK!!!
SOLIDARITY FOREVER!
As of February 19, 2008 we are in the Bay area of California. We will be in L.A., Seattle Washington and Portland Oregon also...
www.justice4five.com/myPictures/midwest_tour.pdf
Read Statesville Record and Landmark article on Allen's Arrest at the link below:
www.justice4five.com/myPictures/UAW-kicks5.pdf
This is absolute madness! How can anyone claim to be in solidarity with you when they have you arrested for attending a Membership meeting.
To view captions click at bottom of slideshow presentation and click left side to turn on captions...
Robert Whiteside - Member of the Volunteer Organizing Committee (VOC) UAW local 3520 Shop Chair/Bargaining Chair, Executive Board Member, 13 year Employee of Freightliner. Married, father of 3
Allen Bradley - Member of the (VOC) UAW local 3520 Skilled Trades Chair/Skilled Trades District Rep, UAW Total Productive Maintenance Facilitator for Skilled Trades, Vice Chair Bargaining Committee, 10 year Employee of Freightliner. Married , father of 2
Franklin Torrence - Member of the (VOC), Civil Rights Chair, Bargaining Committee Member, 34th annual Constitutional Convention Delegate, V.P. Region 8 Civil and Human Rights Advisory Council, local 3520 CAP committee, District 102 Alternate Rep. Chair of Trustees, Executive Board member, 15 year Employee of freightliner.
Glenna Swinford - Member of the (VOC) Local Trustee, Executive Board Member, Bargaining Committee member, C0/Chair Civil/Human Rights Committee, member of Womens Committee, 27 year Employee of freightliner. Married, Mother of 1
David Crisco - District Rep, Bargaining Committee member, Civil/Human Rights Committee, 3 year Employee of Freightliner. Married, Father of 1