With a UAW strike possible and local workers facing the possibility of living off $500 a week in strike pay, local food pantries and volunteer groups are preparing to see an increase in families needing assistance.
"It's a tough time. This is a tough contract, and everybody's got to get together on it," said Lyle Doehr, an engine assembly technician working at Brook Park's engine plant.
Thursday, Doehr dropped off boxes of macaroni and cheese to a food pantry set up inside his UAW Local 1250 union hall.
"What compelled you to do that today?" we asked.
"Brotherhood," Doehr said. "Union people are going to need to eat."
He said if a strike happens, he's most concerned about his colleagues with less tenure and those with young kids being home.
"You're going to feel it. You're going to feel it- you know," Doehr said. "Bringing in a big paycheck to maybe like half, if that, it's going to affect a lot of people if it comes down to it."
Audrey's Outreach Food Pantry is a 5-minute drive from the plant in Brook Park.
Margi Jay remembers UAW's 6-week strike in 2019.
"We did have an increase of people then, and they came," Jay said. "It is such a struggle for these families, and we'd love to help them any way we can. We do give out food. We give out personal items. We have baby diapers (and) pet food."
The pantry helps about 200 families a week. It's open Mondays from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. It's available to families in Cuyahoga County.
Individuals should bring a photo ID, two pieces of mail containing their address and the names and birthdays of those in the household. Families get enough food, including frozen meat, to last three to five days and can visit the pantry once every four weeks.
"And, then we direct them to other pantries that can help them too," Jay said.
She said for some families, it may be their first time needing food assistance.
"We try to reassure them and tell them things are going to get better," Jay said.
Food Not Bombs Lake County and East Side CLE also helped union workers during their 2019 strike. They provided fresh produce, bread and other items to employees at the Parma Metal Plant – UAW Local 1005. The group is also ready to help again if there's a strike.
"We are meeting with the strike committee reps to see what support is needed," said Maggie Rice, one of the volunteers.
She said the Lake County and East Side CLE chapter always stands with union workers and the working class, who often struggle to make ends meet.
"A lot of times when workers go on strike, the corporate strategy is to starve them out right to force them back to work without an equitable deal," Rice said. "And we said, 'We're not going to let that happen on our watch.'"
Doehr said he's remaining optimistic about the union and automakers reaching a deal.
"I hope it (strike) doesn't last very long if it does take place," he said.
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank said it's monitoring the situation. For now, they encourage people needing food assistance to contact the Food Bank’s Help Center at 216-738-2067. The organization said they're also alerting their more than 1,000 partners, especially those close to UAW facilities, that there may be an uptick in need.
Watch live and local news any time:
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
