Opinion: I’ve been a UAW auto worker for 46 years. Here’s why I’m voting for Elissa Slotkin.

UAW auto worker Steve Dawes shares his perspective on Michgian’s US Senate race.

I began my career in 1978 as a spot welder at the General Motors’ Flint truck assembly plant, and I’ve been a proud UAW member throughout my entire career. At work, I’m surrounded by dedicated people who are working hard and focused on doing their job well to provide for their families. 

Michigan is a union state, and union labor is critical to building America. Unions play a crucial role in ensuring people have the opportunity to get in and stay in the middle class. That’s one of the many reasons why it’s critical that we protect and keep well paid union jobs in this country.

But at every opportunity, Mike Rogers has put Michigan workers last and shown us that he’s only looking out for himself at the expense of people like me.

Earlier this month, Rogers said he was opposed to a federal grant that would save 700 Michigan automotive jobs at GM’s Lansing Grand River Assembly, along with thousands of other jobs that support and supply the facility, calling it a “bad investment.” Since when is it a bad investment to ensure Michiganders can keep their good jobs that help them provide for their families and achieve the American dream? 

My fellow workers are working hard and following the rules, and they should be able to earn a good middle class living here in Michigan, but that’s not what Rogers believes. Instead, Rogers wants to play partisan games and ensure that 700 Michiganders lose their jobs. It’s a disgrace that Rogers cares more about scoring cheap political points, even when it’s at the expense of Michigan workers.

This isn’t the first or last time that Rogers has thrown workers under the bus. When we went on strike in 2007, Rogers was vocal in his refusal to stand with us, instead siding with management. When we reached out to Congress to help deal with rising health care costs, Rogers shrugged us off.

Rogers has made a career of outsourcing our jobs overseas. Rogers supported bad trade deals that sent jobs overseas. In 2000, Rogers said “NAFTA is going to be good for America.” Good for who? NAFTA was a horrible deal for Michigan, and our economy would have “more to lose than that of any other state.” NAFTA contributed to Michigan losing nearly 300,000 manufacturing jobs. Rogers voted to fast-track trade agreements that contained weak workers’ rights provisions.

It’s highly concerning to see Rogers now running for office again after he abandoned Michigan for Florida and made millions of dollars working for big corporations with ties to China.

We need to focus on bringing manufacturing back to Michigan, not outsourcing it to other countries, but Rogers has made it clear – he’s only in this race for himself and he puts Michigan workers last. It’s clear that we can’t afford to have Rogers in the Senate.

Our next senator should be someone who helps create more good-paying, union jobs in Michigan — not someone who shipped our jobs away to China. Michigan union workers need a strong advocate on our side.

I’m proud to be voting for Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin for US Senate. We at the Michigan UAW have endorsed Elissa because she is a champion for Michigan workers. Elissa knows the importance of ensuring workers have the ability to provide for their families and secure a spot in the middle class.

In Congress, Elissa worked to pass bills to invest in manufacturing and strengthen our supply chains. I know Elissa will continue to fight tirelessly for Michigan workers as our next US Senator.