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Local 2195 Fish Fry Features Alabama Lieutenant Governor Lucy Baxley and UAW Region 8 Assistant Director Donny Bevis

The annual UAW Local 2195 Retiree Chapter Fish Fry was held on September 12, 2005 at the Union Hall. This annual event has become one of the more popular gatherings of the year for our retirees, filled with good food and good fellowship. Lynn Layton Chevrolet of Decatur sponsored the event for the Retiree Chapter, providing the fish. Our regular crew of “fish fryers” met early at the union hall and cooked up quite a bit of fish, French fries, hush puppies and white beans. The remainder of the menu was filled with many delicious deserts from the many fine cooks among the retiree chapter.

Retiree Chapter Chairman Chuck McDonald has used his contacts over the past several years to make certain the fish fry features special guest to speak to the crowd. This year was no different as Alabama Lieutenant Governor Lucy Baxley and UAW Region 8 Assistant Director Donny Bevis were in attendance to speak to the retiree chapter as they enjoyed their lunch.

South Alabama Native Lucy Baxley was elected Lieutenant Governor in 2002, after having served two terms as Alabama State Treasurer. She grew up on farm in Houston County and went on to serve in city, county and state government as well as developing a successful real estate career. She is a strong supporter of education and is the President of the Alabama State Senate.

Chuck McDonald introduced Lieutenant Governor Baxley as she greeted the crowd. “I want to thank each of you for allowing me the opportunity to serve you,” she stated. “I grew up like many of you on a poor farm where we had to scrape and save for everything we had. I have been blessed to see my hard work pay off, but there are a lot of people out there who have worked hard and not had the breaks I have. God has blessed this simple country girl and allowed me the opportunity to realize many of my dreams. Through each step of my life God has held to my hand and helped me through and I am so very thankful to him for that.

The recent tragedy down on the coast should remind us how lucky we are. I had the opportunity to travel just a few days ago to Bayou La Batre to visit with the victims there. While the devastation there is disheartening, watching the people of that community pull together and help each other out lifted my spirit. The people were taking care of each other; the homeless were taken in by those who had shelter, the hungry were being fed by those with food and everyone was comforting each other. I was reminded of Psalms 46: where David writes, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” God is our refuge and strength and we must never forget that. If we worked together we can accomplish anything with his help. It is not about our power, but his and we must recognize that. We have been placed here to help each other out and I saw that on my visit.

The good people of the State of Alabama have blessed me with the opportunity to serve you and I try to do what little I can. I know this state and I love this state. Today I am reminded of what makes us so great by the look on your faces. It is our strength that makes Alabamians unique. We have been through difficult times before and we always made it through and we will this time. Thanks again for bestowing upon me the honor of serving you as your Lieutenant Governor.”

UAW Region 8 Assistant Director Donny Bevis address the crowd as well. “I bring your greetings from UAW International President Ron Gettelfinger and Region 8 Director Gary Casteel. Director Casteel has planned to be here today but he was called away to assist with contract negotiations elsewhere in the region.

These have been difficult days for our brothers and sisters down on the coast recently and our thoughts and prayers go out to them. The region along with many local unions has been doing what we can to lend a hand. There have been thousands of dollars collected; many truck loads of supplies and lots of volunteer hours placed in the recovery effort. Labor’s very foundation is based on the idea of collectively working together for the good of all.

America’s working families are facing trials at every turn these days. Jobs continue to pour out of the country as the price of living is constantly rising. Health care cost keep spiraling upward and availability of health insurance continues to fall. There are over 43 million Americans with no health care coverage and that number is escalating every day. All across the country working families continually find themselves falling between the cracks, as opportunities for betterment grow more and more scarce.

America was built on working families and that has been evident since the early days of this country. It is her workers who have built the cities, paved the roads, driven technology, created the greatest economy the world has ever seen and built a nation. Now, it seems more than ever that working families are getting lost in the shuffle has corporations abandon pension plans, drive health care cost back to the workers and thunder out of the country in search of slave wages in the under developed locations of the world.

Labor has always been at the forefront of the fight for working families and we continue our efforts today. However, these days the political climate continues to turn further and further away from America’s workers as bill after bill is passed that favor the privileged at the expense of the worker. Labor is also under attack from many, who make the laws, constantly trying to stamp out the only voice left for the worker. But I can tell you that we are still here and we are still fighting for you. We will not be deterred nor will we be ignored. Working families are what we are all about and that isn’t going to change. Thank you for all your support. We know that our retirees have been there on the front lines for us in the past and we will continue to fight for you now and in the future.”