MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT/DBR MICK BURNELL

“HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH YET?”

My cell phone rings at 5:55 a.m. on Monday March 6, 2006. By the time I realize it’s my cell phone and try to figure out where the hell it’s at, the ringing stops and the party at the other end has left a message.

I immediately feel a pit in my stomach.  I know something very serious has happened for me to receive a call that early in the morning. Well something very serious was about to happen.  The message I received was from a company representative for Georgia Pacific Corp.(now Koch Industries) telling me that in two hours they were announcing the permanent closure of their Gaylord, Michigan plant and that one hundred eighty (180) families, our bothers and sisters, are out of a job effective immediately.  I almost threw up.  I felt sick to my stomach and immediately I felt extreme anger come over me. How could anybody or any company do something like this to all these families?  How could they do this to the community?  Don’t they care? Don’t they realize that these workers have given 10, 20, 30 even 40 years of their life to this plant?  In fact some have even paid the ultimate price and have given their life. Don’t they care that some of these workers are the same people that were hired when the original plant started up in1965?

Well, the truth of the matter is they don’t care.  It’s all about the almighty buck.  If a company or plant is making a profit it’s NEVER ENOUGH.

Well brothers and sisters I say to all of you mark your calendars for May 17, 2007 because we have all HAD ENOUGH.

I have Had Enough of Pension Terminations, Our Jobs being sent Overseas, Our Brothers and Sisters receiving a two hour notice that they are out of a job.  I have Had Enough of Corporate America making sweetheart deals for company cronies at the expense of the American Worker.

It has to stop and it will stop.  Again, mark your calendar for May 17, 2007.  This is the day we all say “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH” The place is Washington DC.   The IAM, as well as many other International Unions, District Lodges, and Local Lodges throughout America are going to march and rally in Washington DC.

We are going to start taking back our government from Corporate America.

I’m urging every local lodge with-in District Lodge W-3 to start putting aside funds so you can be a part of this historic event.  Don’t wait, start now.

For more information on this march and rally go to www.17may07.org.

 HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH YET?

I KNOW I HAVE.