WHAT OHIO WORKERS ARE SAYING: Moreno “Sold Out American Workers”
May 3, 2024
Columbus, OH – After reporting revealed that Bernie Moreno lied about selling the Chinese-made Buick Envision, workers from across Ohio are saying they “cannot trust Moreno” because he “sold out American workers” and contributed to “Ohio jobs being shipped overseas.”
Read / Watch What They’re Saying:
WLIO: Ohio UAW Members Slam Bernie Moreno
WLIO: “The workers called out Republican nominee Bernie Moreno, claiming he’s lied about past business decisions and doesn’t go to bat for autoworkers…Union reps say there are plenty of social media posts and other sources showing [Moreno] did, in fact, sell the Envision for several years and profited off Chinese-made vehicles. They say this pattern of lying makes the members of the UAW unable to trust Moreno when they’re looking for a Senator who has their back.”
Jeff Adams, UAW Local 1219 President: “If someone lies about something as simple 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….Bernie Moreno’s proved he does not have our backs, especially as an autoworker, selling vehicles that were made in China.”
Tribune Chronicle: Labor leaders blast Moreno
David Skolnick
- Local labor leaders, who are backing U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s reelection campaign, criticized Bernie Moreno, his Republican challenger, for selling the China-made Buick Envision at a dealership he owned.
- “Bernie Moreno is a shady car salesman, that’s what he is,” said Jose Arroyo, vice president of the Mahoning-Trumbull AFL-CIO Labor Council and staff representative for the United Steelworkers union. “Sometimes they are what we think they are.”
- Mary Ola Stemple, UAW Local 1112’s administrative assistant and a former Lordstown GM employee, said: “Moreno’s business decisions hurt Mahoning Valley workers and families, and he has proved he will not fight for us.”
- Those speaking at the event say…Moreno, who emerged from a three-man Republican primary for the party’s nomination, can’t be trusted.
- Jim Devlin, UAW Local 1112’s vice president and a former Lordstown GM worker, said the Envision “takes jobs away from Americans. We protect ourselves and buy American.” He added about Moreno: “When you lie about things, I can’t trust him.”
- Moreno’s various auto dealerships also sold numerous foreign luxury cars, including Rolls-Royce, Maserati, Porsche and Aston Martin.
- Darwin Cooper, UAW Local 1112 president and Lordstown GM retiree, said he was angry about Moreno settling several wage theft lawsuits after a Massachusetts jury ordered him to pay more than $400,000 to two former employees for failing to pay overtime in violation of that state’s labor laws.
- Arroyo said of Moreno: “To sell Chinese cars and mistreat your employees and lie about it on the campaign, you can’t position yourself as a buy-American first, put-Ohio-workers first (candidate) when your history says different.”
The Toledo Blade: Labor leaders hit GOP Senate candidate Bernie Moreno over China-made vehicle sales
David Barkholz
- Local labor leaders supporting U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s (D., Ohio) re-election bid held a rally in Toledo on Thursday to bash Republican opponent Bernie Moreno for telling untruths about selling China-made vehicles…
- On the campaign trail, Mr. Moreno said he refused to sell the China-made Buick Envision when he owned a Buick-GMC dealership near Cleveland… said Tony Totty, president of UAW Local 14, which represents 1,500 workers at General Motors’ Toledo Propulsion Systems plant.
- But the record shows he did sell Envisions for years despite knowing where they were made, Mr. Totty said.
- “It’s important for us as leadership to protect our members against the lies of a businessperson like this who isn’t on our side,” Mr. Totty said.
Mahoning Matters: Mahoning, Trumbull union members discuss Bernie Moreno’s anti-worker allegations
Kelcey Norris
- Union officials shared reports that Moreno owned a Buick GMC dealership in Beachwood and told voters he’d “refused to sell a Buick SUV model made in China, the Envision,” according to Spectrum News. However, a Facebook post made in 2019 revealed that the Chinese-made vehicle had been sold for years at the Beachwood dealership.
- “Bernie Moreno has shown Ohio workers over and over that he does not care about anyone besides himself,” said Arroyo. “He lied to us about selling cars made in China at the expense of Ohio workers and lied to us about not paying his employees the overtime wages they earned. It is clear that Bernie Moreno is not on our side and that we can’t trust him.”
- “I know what it means to stand up for Ohio workers. Bernie Moreno is not standing up for people like me, he is too busy putting himself and his profits first,” said Stemple. “Moreno’s business decisions hurt Mahoning Valley workers and families, and he has proved he will not fight for us.”
- “I know that Ohioans need a Senator who will fight to keep our jobs here – not one who made his fortune selling cars manufactured in China, because decisions like that led to Lordstown closing and Ohio jobs being shipped overseas,” said Devlin.
Hometown Stations: Lima UAW and AFL-CIO members hold a news conference speaking out against Bernie Moreno
Casey Mulcahy
- [Members of the Lima UAW and AFL-CIO] 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.
- 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…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…” stated George Jeffries, UAW Lima/Troy area CAP council president.
Spectrum News: Union workers criticize U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno
Cassidy Wilson
- Some union workers are criticizing U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, a week after a Spectrum News report showed he sold cars that were made in China, despite telling voters multiple times that he would not.
- Union workers say they cannot trust Moreno.
- The controversy stems from the Buick Envision, a Chinese-made car that Moreno said he told GM he wouldn’t sell when he owned a dealership in Beachwood.
- “He lied about selling foreign cars, well Chinese cars,” said Jose Arroyo, Vice President of Mahoning/Trumbull County AFL-CIO. “…you don’t go and lie to the American people, not lie to Ohioans or lie to people in the valley about your business records.”
Lima News: Lima autoworkers call out Moreno
Jacob Espinosa
- Local autoworkers said the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, Bernie Moreno, sold out American workers in a press conference Thursday.
- “Moreno did wrong by workers in Lima and across Ohio,” local president Jeff Adams said. “Moreno claims he took a principled stand and that he refused to sell the Envision, but that’s not true. The vehicle was always made in China, and when GM first announced they were importing it to the United States, the UAW called that choice a slap in the face to autoworkers.”
- UAW Local 2147 member and Lima Troy Area CAP Council president George Jeffries said Moreno lied about this and sold the car for five years.
- “When he got caught on his lies, he doubled down and covered it up,” he said. “We can’t trust him to represent the Ohio Workers if we can’t trust him to tell us the truth about what he’s selling.”
- Jeffries said Moreno was still at fault [for contributing to the closure of Lordstown] and lied about that too.
Spectrum News: Ohio Workers Say They Can’t Trust Bernie Moreno
Spectrum News: “Members of the UAW and AFL-CIO along with labor advocates gathered near Youngstown, collectively, to say that they don’t trust Moreno…The Envision is made in China and Moreno owned a car dealership in Beachwood. Moreno told GM at that time that he would not sell those vehicles, but Spectrum News found testimonials on his website from customers who bought the vehicle from him.”
Jose Arroyo, Mahoning-Trumbull AFL-CIO Central Labor Council Vice President: “He lied about selling…Chinese-cars…You don’t go and lie to the American people, not lie to Ohioans, lie to people in the Valley about your business record.”
WFMJ: Moreno Lied About Selling Chinese-Made Cars
WFMJ: “Recent comments from Moreno have made headlines, claiming that when he owned a Buick GMC dealership in Beachwood, Ohio he refused to sell a Buick SUV model made in China, known as the Envision. The UAW says despite Moreno making the claim [he never sold Buick Envisions], those vehicles were still sold on his lot.”
Jim Devlin, UAW Local 1112 Vice President: “It [selling the Chinese-made cars] still has a lasting impact, and [Moreno] lied, he didn’t sell them. When you lie to me, that tells me I can’t trust you.”
###