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STAMFORD, Conn. — Members of the local United Auto Workers tried to make Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney feel unwelcome at his fundraising event at the Stamford Marriott on Wednesday evening.
With signs and chants of “We are … the 99 percent,” and “Hey, hey, ho,ho Romney’s greed has got to go,” the 10 female union members showed their unhappiness with the presidential candidate. They say he supports policies that would decrease the middle class and that he is attacking unions by wanting to privatize more and more jobs.
“It’s very disrespectful of workers and their families,” June Benjamin said of Romney and her belief that he cannot relate to the middle-class worker. She further described his policies as “anti-worker.” She and her fellow union members say they wanted him to rethink his current stances and make their displeasure known.
Stamford police kept the protesters across the street from the hotel where Romney was, outraging the group who wanted to be closer. Benjamin added that their group was allowed to be out front at a similar demonstration at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, where the Republican appeared earlier Wednesday.
Despite the union protest, the former Massachusetts governor has much support in the county, receiving more in campaign contributions than other candidates in Greenwich, Easton, Wilton, Weston, Darien and Westport. President Barack Obama has received more contributions than Romney in Stamford, but he leads all Republicans.
Romney also won a straw poll over Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum that the state’s Republican Party ran at the end of January.
The fundraiser attendees included Senate hopeful Chris Shays, Congressional candidate Christopher Meek and Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia.
Connecticut’s Republican primary will take place April 24.
Comments (4)
Idiots.
How about the GM white collar workers? They got totally screwed on their pensions and healthcare. Not to mention GM shareholders and bondholders.
BUT the President took good care of his UAW chums. THEY are the priveleged characters in this story.
Why aren't they at work? I feel bad for these folks - at the rate things are going, the structure can't continue to support them. Also, these folks need to recognize that the current President is also the 1% and at least Romney has worked for a company and made a paycheck.
These protesters are the 1% that got billions in gov't bailouts while the other 99% of workers that did not drive their companies into bankruptcy got nothing, zip, nada.