A letter from UAW President Bob King to federal planners in June appears to endorse Gov. Rick Snyder's New International Trade Crossing, a seeming contradiction of his neutral position announced Saturday, Brent Snavely reports in the Free Press.
The letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood endorses Snyder's desire for an exemption to use foreign steel on the new bridge and describes the project as a boon for jobs and the economy. In the letter, he refers specifically to the NITC.
"This important project will create many thousands of well-paid construction jobs and additional spin-off jobs during construction," reads King's letter, posted publicly on the Federal Highway Administration's website Monday. "Completion of the (NITC) will assure adequate border mobility for the auto industry for many decades into the future."
King's opinion is in the spotlight this week because of reports that the UAW has considered supporting anti-bridge Proposal 6, bankrolled by billionaire Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel (Matty) Moroun, in exchange for his financial support of Proposal 2, a campaign to enshrine collective bargaining in the state constitution. The proposals go before the voters on Nov. 6.
