Local GM Employees Build Vehicles for New York Fire Department  

Fort Wayne - On Thursday, November 29, 2001, the employees of the General Motors Fort Wayne Truck Plant donated their time and the UAW and General Motors Corporation donated the materials to build four full-sized extended cab pickup trucks at the Fort Wayne facility. 

These trucks will be donated to the New York City Fire Department to aid in the Sept. 11 recovery efforts.  Plant Manager, Jim DeLuca stated, “I’m very proud of our employees for donating their time to make this happen.  Building these vehicles is a way for us to pay tribute to the heroic efforts of the New York City Fire Department.”  Rich LeTourneau, Chairman of Local 2209 said, “This is a membership that responds not only to a community in need but a Nation in distress. 

It takes a Quality membership to build and donate a Quality truck.  I am extremely proud to be the Chairman to a membership of this caliber and we are honored to be able to contribute.”  UAW Local 2209 President, Joe Burkhamer said, “This gesture is another example of the compassion and patriotism displayed by the membership of UAW Local 2209 responding to the many needs from the September 11, 2001 attack.”

 This is part of a larger UAW and GM effort.  UAW-represented GM workers from 17 plants in the U.S. will donate their time to build 60 cars and trucks for the FDNY. Each vehicle will bear commemorative badging that salutes both the firefighters and plant workers.

Corporate-wide, UAW members and GM salaried employees have contributed to the Sept. 11 disaster relief efforts in a number of ways.  As an example, donations from employees, plants and matching funds from the GM Foundation total more than $3.7 million.  At the local Fort Wayne Plant, employees contributed over $30,000 to disaster relief and the corporation matched that amount.