Rose Parade and GM Float

Your article on the GM Rose Parade float (“Roses’ Allure,” Dec. 29) was inaccurate and misleading. UAW Local 645 did not vote to boycott the float. There was no attempt by the local union to discourage participation by our members.

From its initiation the joint UAW/GM float was a symbol of the new participative work relationship, which was promoted by GM as critical to our survival. As workers, we met every challenge issued us in an attempt to keep our jobs. After GM’s July announcement that it would cease operations at the Van Nuys plant in August, 1992, it became unacceptable to our membership that the UAW celebrate our joint relationship with General Motors on Jan. 1st. There is nothing to celebrate! Accordingly the motion to remove our logo from the float passed unanimously.

Your article left the impression that the union discouraged our members from volunteering. This is untrue; there was no boycott. There was also no dissension to the decision to remove our logo. How far anyone wanted to distance oneself from the actual decoration of the float was a personal decision.

RICHARD A. RUPPERT

Shop Chairman, UAW Local 645

Van Nuys