LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Members of the Lima UAW and AFL-CIO held a news conference on Thursday concerning candidates for Ohio's spot in the U.S. Senate this coming election.
The workers called out 2024 Republican nominee Bernie Moreno and how they say he has lied about business decisions in the past and does not go to bat for auto workers.
According to the union's sources, when Moreno was a Buick-GMC car dealership owner in Beachwood, Ohio, he stated that he denied selling any of the Buick SUV Envision models, which are made in China. He allegedly stated he was firm on not selling any Chinese-made vehicles because it was a slap in the face to American auto workers.
But according to union officials, there are multiple social media posts and other sources showing he did in fact sell the Envision for several years and profit off of Chinese vehicles, contrary to what he said he wouldn't do.
They say this pattern of lying makes the members of the UAW unable to trust Moreno when they are looking for a senator who has their back and can be transparent with the union workers.
"Something to be aware of if someone lies about something as simple as if they sold a vehicle or not that was made in China at their dealership they owned, that's a pretty serious lie to me. Also, you know, as I said during about the unemployment, Sherrod Brown was the only one that was there for us. He showed he's proved he's had our backs. Bernie Moreno proved he does not have our backs, especially as an auto worker selling vehicles made in China," stated Jeff Adams, UAW Local 1219 president.
"Well, Bernie, for more than a 5-year period, sold these Chinese-made cars. He sold it to people who didn't realize it was a Chinese-made car; with the Buick nameplate, it looked like an American car. And then, when Lordstown closed, he decided well, 'I'll quit selling them.' But when I was a kid, we were taught that 'you don't close the barn door once the horse is gone.' It don't do any good, and that's kinda what we tried to do," stated George Jeffries, UAW Lima/Troy area CAP council president.
Moreno will face incumbent U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown in the November 2024 general election.
