UAW Local 211

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In the year 2000, the Foundry Simulation Team consisted of three UAW members and one GM salaried employee, and debuted in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the AFL-CIO Union Industries Show. The charter members were Norman Jones, Dave Heitmeyer, Gary Prehauser, and Jim Gary, and the team demonstrated the foundry process by pouring miniature castings in front of a live audience. Milwaukee was a very busy show, and the team was most impressed with the high school students, who attended the event in busloads, armed with questions about union represented jobs. The team soon learned that several area high schools taught a foundry class as part of their curriculum, so their questions were far from basic ones. When the general public visited the show, it was evident that many show goers had real foundry experience, and were glad to see the casting business being explained.

Norman Jones, Dave Heitmeyer,
Jim Gary, Donnie Carrizales,
Jennifer Milek and Craig Tuttle

Since the initial event, the Foundry Simulation Team has exhibited at the AFL-CIO Union Industries Show and visited seven major cities including:

	2001 Los Angeles, California;
	2002 Minneapolis, Minnesota;
	2003 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;
	2004 St. Louis, Missouri;
	2005 Portland, Oregon;
	2006 Cleveland, Ohio;
	2007 Cincinnati, Ohio; and,
	2008 Detroit, Michigan (Cobo Hall).

Pictures of the Foundry Simulation Team in Portland, Oregon
Show Pictures of the Foundry Simulation Team
The 2008 America@Work Show, formerly known as the Union Industries Show, was held in Detroit from May 16-18.

There have been many memorable experiences at each location. Perhaps one of the most unforgettable happenings was in Minneapolis, when the inception of their trademark red, white, and blue patriotic hard hats first started. Those symbolic hard hats, which have become a continuing icon for trade shows, further enhanced the limelight for not only GM and the UAW, but for our Defiance plant as well.
The team has not only participated in eight national shows, but they have also exhibited at four Region 2-B Trade Shows, enjoyed a booth at eight GM New Car Shows in Defiance, has been invited six consecutive years to the Putnam County Fair, took part in the Defiance County Bicentennial Bell Casting, as well as helped promote Earth Day at GM Defiance Powertrain to many area sixth graders.
Other employees have assisted the team over the years in various venues including Mary Lucas, Dave Schimmoeller, Lisa Brown, Craig Tuttle, Howard Mains, Terry Warner, Glen Richards, Shannon Lopez, Marv Lucas, Charles Askins, and others. All that have had the opportunity to work as a team member have shared the same response that it is and has been an honor and privilege to promote GM and UAW Local 211 to national, regional and local audiences.

2008 AFL-CIO Union-Industries Show Labor-Management Award