Louisville Courier-Journal op-ed: Service abroad and service at home: Why GE needs to reinvest in Madisonville | Opinion
EDITOR'S NOTE: Rodgers is a United States Army Reserves veteran and a 33-year member of IUE-CWA Local 83701 at the Madisonville General Electric Aviation plant, which makes engine parts for military and commercial aircraft. We thank Ashley Snider Ashley Snider, IUE-CWA Political Program Lead and the Kentucky State AFL-CIO vice president for sending us this op-ed from the Louisville Courier-Journal.
By JEFF RODGERS
As a veteran who served 24 years in the U.S. Army Reserves as a tank gunner and a drill sergeant, I’m keenly aware of the importance of quality craftsmanship and keeping American military manufacturing here at home. Homeland security matters to me, as does keeping our communities healthy and financially thriving.
I grew up in Madisonville, and raised my family here, working for General Electric. I started at GE in 1988 as an inspector and worked my way up. I’ve worked in the furnace room, where we coat ceramic wind turbine blades and vanes for military and commercial engines, and as a machinist and a grinder. I take pride in building state-of-the-art pieces for our military aircraft. For many years, it was the best-paying job in the area and I was lucky enough to get in when GE still offered pensions.