The UAW vice president of the Ford division released a strong defense to fight for workers’ rights after a heated exchange with President Trump.
President Trump claims US economy is ‘booming’ in Detroit speech
President Donald Trump claimed in a speech at the Detroit Economic Club that the economy is “booming” in his first 11 months in office.
- A Ford employee has been suspended for heckling President Donald Trump during a factory tour.
- The UAW has vowed to defend workers on the grounds of free speech and contract protections.
- Two GoFundMe pages for the suspended employees have raised more than $365,000 in donations.
DETROIT – The UAW is speaking out in support of a member employee who was suspended from Ford Motor Co. after an interaction with President Donald Trump inside a Dearborn plant.
According to footage of the incident, the employee, identified as TJ Sabra, heckled the company’s president during a field trip on January 13, and the company president responded by saying, “Hehehe, you,” and holding up his middle finger.
The UAW initially declined to comment beyond confirming Sabra’s suspension, but on January 14, UAW Ford Division Director Laura Dickerson issued a statement saying, “The UAW ensures that our members have the full protection of all contract language negotiated to protect their jobs and membership rights. Workers should never be subjected to foul language or behavior from anyone, including the President of the United States.”
On January 13, President Trump visited the Dearborn Truck Plant, where Ford assembles F-150 pickup trucks, ahead of a scheduled speech at the Detroit Economic Club. TMZ reports that while the president was walking through the chamber, Sabra allegedly yelled a statement at Trump that included the words “protector of pedophiles.” There was no local media on the tour to witness it firsthand.
The comment was in reference to President Trump’s relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the U.S. Department of Justice’s reluctance to release the infamous Epstein file. Epstein’s death in prison was ruled a suicide. President Trump has denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.
The UAW confirmed Sabra was suspended for his comments. “One of our core values is respect, and we will not tolerate anyone making such inappropriate comments in our facilities. If something like that happens, we have a process to address it, but we will not get into specific personnel issues,” Ford spokesman Dave Tober said on January 13.
In a Jan. 14 UAW statement, Dickerson said, “The autoworkers at the Dearborn Truck Plant are proud members of the UAW, a strong and fighting union. He believes in free speech, a principle we wholeheartedly embrace, and we stand with our members to protect their voices on the job site.”
Tovar did not immediately respond to Dickerson’s comments.
Separately, Sabula’s two GoFundMe pages have raised more than $365,000 as of mid-morning January 14th.
USA TODAY Network partner Detroit Free Press reached out to Sabra, but he did not respond to a request for comment. A GoFundMe spokesperson said they have asked the group to inform them that they are refusing to be interviewed at this time.
Jamie L. Lareau is senior auto writer for USA Today and covers Ford Motor Company for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jalarowan. To sign up for our automotive newsletter. become a subscriber.
