Business & Tech

UAW Local 5960: Obama Visit is 'History in the Making'

President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee will visit GM's Orion Assembly plant Friday.

As United Auto Workers President Bob King is touting the recent approval of a free trade agreement with South Korea, UAW Local 5960 Vice President Louis Rocha is preparing for a day he believes could be "history in the making" for the GM Orion Assembly Plant in Orion Township, MI.

Friday, President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee will , which employs more than 1,700 workers. Many of the employees at the assembly plant are members of UAW 5960, which services the membership of the General Motors, Lake Orion Assembly Center, Jones Lang Lasalle, Eurest/Team and Linc Logistic Services, according to the union's website.

"How exciting," Rocha said. "It's history in the making, if you will, not only to have the president of the United States, but also the president of South Korea.”

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Rocha, an assembly line worker from Saginaw who has worked at the Orion Assembly plant since 2006, said the workers at the plant are very excited about Obama's visit.

"There's a lot of energy in the plant right now," Rocha said. "There's a lot of happy people."

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Rocha said he and other workers found out about the president's visit on Monday and were given a chance to sign up to attend the event. Employees could enter a raffle to have a chance to attend the event, he said. Approximately 300 employees were chosen to join members of the media at the Friday afternoon event, which is not open to the public.

"It's been cool seeing the Secret Service running around," he said, adding that helicopters have been flying to and from the plant all week. "It’s very good, it’s very exciting for President Obama to see what the stimulus money has done for Michigan and the automotive industry."

Rocha said some members of the UAW are still skeptical of the trade agreement between the United States and South Korea, though he views it as a step in the right direction.

"This is supposed to bring some more jobs here back to the country. ... There’s a lot of good opportunity for growth here in Michigan."

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