Last month, Ford suspended factory worker T.J. Sabula when he called President Trump a “pedophile protector” during a tour of a Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan. However, it was unclear at the time whether Sabra’s suspension would eventually lead to Ford firing him. He has the support of the auto unions, but would he want to come back even if he wasn’t fired? That remains to be seen, but sources who spoke to her say Sabra’s suspension has been lifted, industry reporter Phoebe Wall Howard reported.
In a recent post on Substack, Howard reported that her sources said that not only is Sabra no longer suspended, but he is still “a member of UAW Local 600 in Dearborn and employed by Ford.” However, it’s unclear whether he has returned to work or is still on leave, and she was unable to reach Sabra to discuss his plans. Personally, I choose to believe that he didn’t return her calls because he was somewhere on the beach, drinking a cold fruity drink and not answering the phone, but that’s more of a thought in the head than a fact supported by evidence.
When Howard reached out to Ford for a statement, the representative declined, saying “the company does not comment on personnel matters.” Meanwhile, Laura Dickerson, vice president of the UAW, which oversees the union’s Ford division, said the UAW still supports Sabra and has done its best to ensure he is treated fairly under the terms of his contract, but said she could not comment further. Nonetheless, multiple unnamed sources reportedly told Howard that Ford’s contract with the UAW will allow Sabra to take personal leave if he wishes.
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But what about other workers’ hurt feelings?
Donald Trump and his best friend, convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein – Davidoff Studio Photography/Getty Images
As Howard pointed out, Sabra is technically already on paid leave during the suspension while Ford tries to figure out what to do with him. Apparently, multiple sources “…close to the situation” told her “[a] The second question dealt with the drama associated with employees returning to politically diverse work environments, “because”[a] A large number of UAW members supported Trump on Election Day. “
Whether Sabra chooses to return to work or not, the good news is that he doesn’t have to worry about money just yet. In response to Sabra showing more courage than so-called Democratic leaders, supporters launched two separate GoFundMe campaigns to help Sabra out of his financial troubles. Those GoFundMes ended up being so successful that not only did he raise nearly $800,000, he also paused the campaign and asked supporters to donate to other causes.
Even if Sabra doesn’t plan to retire early in a country with a lower after-tax cost of living, it’s still a big change that should give him plenty of options, including the ability to get more deeply involved in political organizing or advocacy. Personally, I’d probably take a nice long vacation, buy a new Corvette, and go back to work just to make everyone who supports Epstein’s best friend feel uncomfortable, but I’m also petty and that’s probably not his style. Wherever Sabra goes, though, I hope he never has to pay for a drink again.
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