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Green to be sworn in as UAW Local 1112 president Sunday
LORDSTOWN
The incoming president of United Auto Workers Local 1112 hopes to foster unity among members at a time of uncertainty regarding the General Motors Lordstown Assembly plant’s future.
“I like to help people, and I think right now, people need some help,” said Dave Green, who will be sworn in as president Sunday. “I want to be there to support them and the membership.”
Green was elected last month, when he beat incumbent Glenn Johnson after Johnson served two three-year terms. The UAW does not release election result figures.
Green is no stranger to the job, as he previously served as UAW Local 1714 president from 2007 to 2013. He is coming in, however, on the heels of two shift eliminations and as sales for the Lordstown-built Chevrolet Cruze slump. Another recent change was the merging of the UAW Local 1112, which represented assembly plant workers, and 1714, which represented fabrication plant workers.
Of that move, Green says, “What’s done is done. My goal now is to make sure that we unite everybody and bring everybody together under one Local. ... Combining two local unions the way that they did – somebody really needs to step up to bring everybody together.”
Green, who began working at the assembly plant in 1989 and was hired as a permanent employee in 1995 for stamping and body shop work, said his priority as president will be to communicate effectively with members.
“Communication, I think, is very important in any relationship, and very important in one of this nature,” he said.
Another priority will be advocating for the plant to get another product.
“I want to do everything I can to get product here in Lordstown and hopefully gain some support from people in the community,” Green said.
As for the future of the plant, Green said he can only guess what will happen. He does believe there is hope of bringing back the second and third shifts.
“I definitely think there is hope, and we need to get some additional product in our facility,” he said. “I think that’s pretty key to getting three shifts back, which is really optimal for the corporation, the members and the community.”