UAW Refuses to Sponsor Rose Float With GM

The United Auto Workers union at the General Motors plant in Van Nuys is refusing to co-sponsor a Rose Parade float with General Motors this year, a protest against the company’s decision to close the plant next August.

For the past three years, GM and the UAW have jointly sponsored prize-winning floats in the New Year’s Day parade through Pasadena. The union’s Local 645 has provided most of the volunteer labor.

A GM official said Monday that there will still be a company float, predicting that the boycott will not deter many union workers from helping decorate it with tens of thousands of flowers.

The GM-UAW floats have gained a reputation for being among the most ambitious in the parade. Last January’s $300,000 entry captured the Grand Marshal’s Trophy for excellence in creative design and concept.