GM Worker Killed on Picket Line in Tennessee

Today, a GM worker, Roy A. McCombs, was tragically killed on a picket line in Spring Hill, Tennessee, when he was hit by a car in the early morning hours.

“Roy A. McCombs tragically lost his life today on a picket line standing up for a better life for himself and his coworkers,” the UAW said in a statement. “Today’s [crash] is heartbreaking for UAW Spring Hill members. We will continue to work to ensure that safety is a priority on the picket line.”

A few weeks ago, I was at the spot where McCombs was killed, where I snapped the above photograph. There was no sidewalk there. Just workers standing on the shoulder of the road on an overpass overlooking Nashville Highway. 

The day felt festive as workers held signs and beckoned passing cars to honk for them. As a veteran of covering failed Southern union drives, the scene was inspiring.

“There has been so much honking, and you can just tell that thousands and thousands of the community, that they feel the same as the people here standing up for this,” said Adrian Mizzel, a local sheet metal worker as we stood on the highway that day. “The tide is changing.”

McCombs died on an overpass above Nashville Highway standing up for his union in the Deep South, an area where unions weren’t popular. May his memory be a blessing to the Southern workers, who will bear the fruits of his sacrifice.