Lany Lifihitz, left,
of Lorbec Metals USA
Ltd., talks to warehou.s
manager Rob Thomas. :
Business has slowed
because of the strike.
,••••■•,,,
•
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Ripples From A Strike
Flint's Jewish community is beginning to
feel the effects of the UAW walkout.
ALAN ABRAMS
Special to The Jewish News
r
lint, the epicenter of the
month-long UAW strike
against General Motors, is
home to 2,000 Jews, some
directly connected to the auto indus-
try, others only peripherally so.
And while the impact of the strike
on Flint's economy is expected to be
devastating, the Jews who live and
work in the city of 150,000 residents
are only beginning to measure its
effect on them.
Roughly 9,500 workers from two
Flint plants are on strike and thou-
sands of others are laid off because of
it. The city's Jewish Federation says it
doesn't know if there are any Jews
among the autoworkers.
"In terms of our annual campaign,
virtually no donors are factory workers
— at least that we can track," said Joel
Kaplan, executive director of the
Federation and executive vice presi-
dent of the Jewish Family and
Children's Services.
Kaplan fears a prolonged strike's
impact on Jewish doctors, dentists,
lawyers, service providers and retail
merchants could result in fewer dona-
tions to synagogue and Federation
campaigns. .
Another potentially significant
impact on the Flint Jewish community
involves an annual allocation from the
United Way, which historically sur-
passes its fundraising goals in Flint,
7/10
1998
9