I think you're making a mistake not buying American just because some Union guy was a dick. My family has 2 Dodges, 1 GMC, 5 Fords. They range in age from 1 to 9 years. We have never had a problem with any of them. The last two foreign cars we owned should have been painted yellow, they were so bad. Buy American and let your local Union rep know they are being led by idiots.
My Lovely Bride drives a 2001 Dakota Quad-Cab and if given a choice between her truck or me, well it would be too close to call. I drive a 2003 T-bird and it's a blast!
Semper Fi
Well, if you aren't not motivated to exclusively "buy American" and don't mind buying from one of our few remaining allies (the folks who once brought us Pearl Harbor), you might consider tracking down a Honda Pilot coming off lease or whatever. Do some reasearch re: the trannies for the first year or two of the model (2001 and 2002?). I vaguely recall there were some issues with early breakage and replacement with rebuilds. Roomy, sturdy, comfortable, and capable and it's darned difficult to fault Honda's reliability and longevity.
Re: the union thing... Unless it is the French or Hollywood I don't generally boycott products for political reasons. The sort of union inanity you pointed to is, however, not simply the case of one union guy, or even one local, being dickheaded. The "no foreign cars" and attacks on free speech (the bumper sticker ban) is pretty common among unions.
When it comes to autos I don't "buy American" for the benefit of the UAW and I won't boycott American vehicles because the UAW behaves stupidly. I buy whatever best fits my requirements and budget which seems to have yielded about an even split between US and "other" over the years.
If you're going to buy a Japanese car buy one that was made in America--Made by Americans with American made parts and union-free.
Thank you all for sounding off.
I wrote in a fit of pique, for sure, but my limited direct union experience has been unfailingly negative across the board, and when this article popped up and happened to involve the Marines I just shot from the hip.
Our Steelworker's local used to operate out of an old frame building about three blocks east of our home. They did indeed have a similar sign in their lot, too. I was obliged to park my old Landcruiser across the street when my daughters had Girl Scout events there.
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