‘There’s always hope’: GM workers and families pray

LORDSTOWN -- A small crowd braved the cold Thursday afternoon to pray with United Auto Workers Local 1112 at the flagpole in front of the Lordstown General Motors plant, where the overwhelming message was one of hope.

The automaker announced Monday it is idling the local plant, which makes the Chevy Cruze.

The short prayer service was led by active UAW Local 1112 Chaplain Norman Perry.

"We pray for wisdom for our upper management; we pray for wisdom for our leaders in our union both international and local. We want to lift up all those in the fab plant, the paint shop, the car assembly shop…" Perry said.

Workers who had just finished their shifts bowed their heads in prayer as Perry read several short passages from Psalms and Romans.

UAW Local 1112 Chaplaincy Committee member Sandra Hrabowy joined Perry to read a list of prayer intentions.

"As a chaplaincy committee, we care about all the employees," said Hrabowy after the service ended. "And we wanted to give them hope. Because there's always hope. That's the most important thing."

Hrabowy said the overwhelming mood at the factory since Monday's announcement has been fear.

"People are going to have to pick up their roots and go work somewhere else. Families want to be together, they don't want to be split up," she said.

That mood seemed to have changed at the prayer service, however. The new atmosphere was one of hope with a repeated message that God is in control.

"God is the ultimate sayer of everything," said Rick Smith, UAW Local 1112 financial secretary. "I think when you ask him for a request, he answers. He'll answer our prayers one way or another, right, wrong or indifferent."

Pastor Condridge Smith, a retiree who worked at the Lordstown plant for more than 30 years, spoke during a request for additional prayers. "We are asking that you will provide jobs, here at Lordstown, for this village is your namesake, Lordstown. We pray, Lord God," said Smith.

Dave Green, president of UAW Local 1112, said that the service was one of the first steps in the "Drive it Home" campaign, which kicked off last week.

"Every week going forward we're going to have different events," Green said.

Some handheld "Drive it Home" signs already have been distributed, and yard signs are in the process of being priced. Green admitted that parts of the campaign were still up in the air. "A lot of what was planned may be changing because of the announcement on Monday," he said.

Still, Thursday's prayer service was proof that the UAW Local 1112 and the Lordstown area have not given up, he said. The service concluded with all present singing "God Bless America."

For the non-Christian community, Smith also had a message.

"You have to have some belief in something. And whatever you believe in, if it's going to help us, then ask for it," he said.

avugrincic@tribtoday.com