United Auto Workers retiree Jerry Sykes, 82, urges his union brothers and sisters to join anti-Trump protests where they live for a brass-tacks reason: “Your living depends on it.”
Sykes, from Marshall County in rural western Kentucky, is a Four Rivers Indivisible activist. Four Rivers is a local branch of the national progressive Indivisible organization.
“Jerry has been such a faithful attendee at our events, especially when we first started out and were afraid we couldn’t get enough people to show up,” said Four Rivers co-leader Leslie McColgin. “Jerry has always been there.”
Added McColgin, from rural Graves County: “As a leader, it encourages me, knowing I have somebody I can count on. Jerry is always willing to help and do whatever needs to be done, including wearing a chicken suit.”
More on the fowl costume in a minute.
“If you think that the Trump administration is going to serve you or do anything for you as a union member or for your union brother or sister – it’s not going to happen,” warned Sykes, a Tennessee native who worked for Chrysler in Warren, Mich., for 30 years.
“Donald Trump is absolutely against unions. He’s always been against unions. Whether it’s the NLRB or whether he’s doing whatever he can do to stifle our rights as union brothers and sisters to better ourselves and our families.
“Our families are depending on our unions to carry us through this, and I’m hoping that more and more union brothers and sisters will pick up the banner and get out there and show their support. Our future, our children’s future, and our grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s future is seriously at risk.”
Western Kentucky is Trump territory. Even so, Four Rivers has hosted 19 protests since January, and number 20, another “No Kings” rally, is set for Oct. 18.
Many of the protests have been aimed at First District Rep. James Comer over his refusal to hold a town hall in Paducah, the area’s largest town. The group has frequently picketed outside his local field office.
Back in March, Sykes and four others donned bright yellow chicken suits. The idea was to shame Comer into meeting the homefolks.
“He’s a chicken if he won’t,” announced Sykes from inside his outfit that featured an oversized head, red beak, and matching red feet and bow tie.
The fowl five ruffled Comer’s feathers. He had his staff fire off a statement that said their boss “does not plan on holding therapy sessions for left-wing activists suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
According to Sykes, “all Comer wants to do is carry water for the administration. He doesn’t care about his constituents here in western Kentucky.”
While most union members voted for AFL-CIO and UAW-endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president last year, many didn’t. “They were misled into believing that immigrants were taking over our country and our jobs,” he said. “If they don’t wake up soon, we’re going to be in an even more disastrous situation. They need to listen to our union leadership and to get educated on what we need to do to protect our future.”
Sykes said he’d be happy to zip himself into a chicken suit again. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get the message across. I don’t want to have to go back someday and say, ‘I told you so.’ But I may have to someday.”
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