The Fox TV station in Detroit has again caught on video Chrysler union workers smoking dope and drinking before work and on their lunch break.

This time it was not in a public park, but in the parking lot of their nearby United Auto Workers union hall, before they headed back to finish their shift at Chrysler Group's Trenton engine plant that builds the new Fiat 4-cylinder for world use.

FOX 2 reporter Rob Wolchek says he got calls from two workers in the plant who told him that working with people who have been getting high is dangerous.

This is the same Fox reported who last fall caught workers at Chrysler's Jefferson North Plant in Detroit spending their lunch hour drinking beer before going back to build the newly launched Jeep Grand Cherokee. The video was a severe embarrassment for Chrysler, which took action against the workers, and for the union.

The station says Chrysler sent people to the station to review the latest video and the station posted on its website this reaction from Scott Garberding, Chrysler senior vice president of manufacturing:

"I just want to say I am both hurt and angered over what your cameras captured. Again, we have Chrysler workers in a compromised position, without regard for the impact of their actions, the reputation of their coworkers, the plant, of the company, not to mention their own reputation and that of their families. As a company, in the last two years we've come too far and made way too much progress to let the bad actions of a few put a shadow on the rest of the employees. And to be clear, we've got a code of conduct at Chrysler and some of the activities that we saw in your video are clearly outside of the code of conduct and unacceptable. The employees that we identify, as soon as we understand who they are, will be suspended indefinitely without pay and anybody else involved will be dealt with swiftly. It's very frustrating to us, we take it very seriously. We have a lot of very committed folks at Chrysler. We are very proud of our team. We have some folks who apparently do not want to be part of that team."

The union has not been successful in getting any of the non-U.S. automakers to agree to allow organizers into their U.S. plants.

The United Auto Workers still needs to reform, and a federal takeover remains an option, the U.S. prosecutor leading the investigation of corruption within the union told Reuters on Wednesday after the UAW’s former president pleaded guilty to embezzlement.

“The union needs to change, quite simply,” Matthew Schneider, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, said in an interview, adding that a possible takeover of the UAW “absolutely” remained an option.


“Now that we’re getting these pleas out of the way, there’s a more urgent need to reform the union and fix it,” Schneider said.

Former UAW president Gary Jones pleaded guilty to charges he embezzled more than $1 million of union funds. Schneider said he wants to meet as soon as possible with UAW President Rory Gamble as the investigation moves into a “new stage.”

Gamble on Wednesday said the actions of Jones and others involved “were selfish, immoral and against everything we stand for as a union.”

UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg said Gamble looks forward to meeting with Schneider.

“The UAW has made significant changes since Mr. Jones resigned and continues to look at ways to reform,” Rothenberg said.

Jones, of Canton, Michigan, entered the plea during a videoconference hearing held by the U.S. District Court in Detroit. Jones had entered a not guilty plea last month, but he had previously been charged in a criminal information, suggesting he had reached a deal with prosecutors.

“I apologize to my UAW family for the betrayal of their trust and pray they will forgive me,” Jones said during the hearing.

Judge Paul Borman accepted the plea and set a sentencing date of Oct. 6. Jones, who remains free on bail, agreed to cooperate with the government in the prosecution of others, which could lessen his sentence.

Jones, a certified public accountant, was charged with conspiracy to embezzle funds from the UAW from 2010 through September 2019, and with conspiracy to defraud the United States by failing to pay taxes on the money prosecutors charge he stole. He resigned from the union last November.

Jones, 63, faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. The sides agreed to a sentencing guideline range of 46 to 57 months.