LIVONIA, Mich.( WXYZ) — You can often see customers lined up to buy carryout burgers at Bates' in Livonia, which is a landmark restaurant. But staff members say as the United Auto Workers strike continues, they are concerned about the state of the local economy.
Inside Bates' Burgers, worker Patti Grant says she’s proud to serve factory workers from nearby Ford Motor Co. Livonia transmission and other plants.
“Over half of our clientele are men. They’re doing their lunch break here. Dinner time is family time,” Grant said.
Outside the restaurant, families are talking more about what this means as they pick up their orders.
“My son and husband both work at Ford. It’s important the economy keeps going and growing. When you see people on strike, they are used to a certain salary, but getting $500 a week,” Sherrie Haushalter said.
Another customer Clarence Quinton-Heath works for General Motors and says, “This is serious business when you talk about community.”
Quinton-Heath spent years working in Flint.
“2019, I was in Flint. I worked at Flint Assembly. I know two businesses for sure located close to the plant that never opened again. Same thing for Orion,” he said.
As a retiree from Ford, Mark Czajkowski believes the larger impact of the strike after 21 days could get worse if a deal isn’t made soon. He’s also worried about hundreds of layoffs at the Ford Transmission Plant in Livonia.
“It’s not good. Not good at all. It’s a trickle-down effect,” Czajkowski said.
Also sharing his view and weighing in is professor of economics at Oakland University Michael Greiner.
“I did see figures that say in the first two weeks of the strike, there are estimates that 4 billion (dollars) was lost to the economy. We in Michigan feel it more. We are most affected by the strike and have the most UAW workers,” Greiner said.
Bates' staff told us they’re proud to have survived the pandemic and other strikes of the past. They’re hopeful to see a new contract that works for everyone soon.
