UAW Takes on the Marines ... OOPS!

Ron Gettlefinger is a Detroit United Auto Workers Union exec in Detroit with a bad eye for PR. He thought he'd get a little good ink for the local by taking on the Marines; specifically:

Seems Gettlefinger has had enough of US-hating Marines betraying their country by driving Toyotas between stints in the Sunni Triangle. Even more shocking, he apparently thought the country would take his side.

"While reservists certainly have the right to drive non-union-made vehicles and display bumper stickers touting the most anti-worker, anti-union president since the 1920s, that doesn't mean they have the right to park in a lot owned by members of the UAW," the union said in a statement.

According to PR Week (subscription required), which gave Gettlefinger a PR Play Rating of 1 ("clueless"), it took less than 24 hours for the UAW to apologize and reverse its stance.

A Marine spokesman made it clear that apologies notwithstanding, he didn't think any of his troops would be parking on UAW pavement any time soon.