The Big One Page #5

really kind of

an interesting book tour.

His is the most

fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants...

book tour I've ever seen...

and I've been doing this

for seven years...

where things are

just sort of scratched...

and things are added,

and people want him constantly,

to talk to him,

to chat with him...

and he obliges,

which is very nice...

but it throws

the schedule a curve.

MAN:

How does that make your life?

MARY:
Do I have a twitch yet?

MOORE:
Union leaders have hopped

into bed with management...

over the last two decades...

and every time management

snapped their fingers...

unions would jump...

and they gave

all these concessions...

in the '80s... Remember that?

MAN:
One of the, actually,

very funny pieces...

in this book

is about your attempt...

to see if candidates would

accept money from anybody.

MOORE:
Right.

Tell us about your campaign

contributions that you made...

Michael! We have to go!

MAN:
What were you saying?

I said he needs a mother.

He's making me repeat this.

I really don't want

to be yelling at you.

MOORE:

You haven't yelled at all.

You're the kindest escort

I've had.

MARY:
Oh, well,

then I can get tougher.

MOORE:
Yeah.

You're way too easy on me.

[Alarm wailing]

What the hell?

We got an air raid going here.

MARY:
That's the noon whistle.

MOORE:

That's the noon whistle?

That's a frightening

noon whistle.

Does that happen every noon?

- I think so.

- What's the point of that?

MARY:
I think it means

that you can have lunch now.

MOORE:
Well, that's true.

Actually,

I lived in a town like that.

MAN:
Johnson Controls...

whose worldwide headquarters

are located in Milwaukee...

announced

today they are closing...

their Milwaukee

Humboldt facility.

Johnson Controls...

a major supplier

to the auto industry...

of engine parts,

seat covers and hydraulics...

said the Milwaukee production

is being moved to Mexico.

[Moore sighs]

[Turn signal clicking]

MOORE:
Just turn in right here.

[Clicking continues]

[Whistling]

MAN:
What's the deal here?

We're not gonna get...

MOORE:
The deal is

you never turn the camera off.

That's the deal.

Let's go. Ready?

Everybody ready?

I'm on? I'm on, right?

MAN:
What's going on right here?

MARY:

I'd like to know that, too.

I'd like to know

what they did on the inside.

I'm trying to stay out

of the way of Johnson Controls.

Actually, I heard a siren...

and I thought maybe that had

something to do with Michael...

and so I decided

I'd get into my car...

rather than being rousted

by the police...

But it was

an ambulance going by.

MAN:
Do you know why

he went in to Johnson Controls?

MARY:
I know that they've just

laid off a lot of people...

but I don't know specifically

what he was doing in there.

- Nice to meet you.

- Nice to meet you.

- And you are?

- I'm Bev Jakowsky.

- And you're with?

- Johnson Controls.

Do you know Mr. Keyes,

the chairman?

- I do.

- Yes?

Well, I would like

to present him with a check...

a little gift from me,

a going-away present.

I don't think

this is appropriate.

Hi. How ya doing?

I'm Michael Moore.

Hi, Michael.

Hi. I just brought

a little present here for you.

Eighty cents to pay

the first Mexican worker...

for the first hour of work.

This is what you'll be paying

Mexicans down there...

eighty cents an hour.

And, just to help out,

you know...

because I guess you're hitting...

You've had hard times, right?

No, we haven't had hard times.

MOORE:
You've only made

a half a billion dollars...

in the last

three years in profits.

Yeah, our company

is reasonably successful...

and we're committed

to continuing to be successful.

MOORE:
Why would you leave

Milwaukee if you're successful?

Because we need to remain

competitive in our businesses.

- Thanks very much for coming...

- You want to be more successful?

We need to continue

to be successful. That's right.

MOORE:
And the families here

who will lose their jobs?

The families who are here

who will leave their jobs...

we're gonna do the best

we can...

to help them out

in making the transition.

MOORE:
To where, Mexico?

The families are going

to Mexico with you?

To help them find other jobs

at Johnson Controls...

or other good jobs for them

going forward.

So thanks very much.

We appreciate it.

- Will you take this?

- Sure. Thank you.

All right. Eighty cents.

Give it to Mr. Keyes.

OK. Very good.

- Any way I could meet him?

- I'm afraid he's unavailable.

Because, actually,

I have another present for him.

This is the Downsizer

of the Year award...

and you win it for Milwaukee.

Each city that

I'm in on my book tour...

I'm giving out

various Downsizer Awards...

to the companies that make

millions in profits...

and then throw people

out of work.

And because you've done that

here in Milwaukee...

I want to thank you.

You're sure

Mr. Keyes won't see me?

Yeah. I'm afraid

he's not available.

- I'd like to request...

- But he is here?

He's unavailable.

I'm really not sure...

You should tell him I'm here.

He'll know who I am.

- I'm not sure...

- He supplies G.M.

I would like to request that

if you'd like to come back...

make an appointment,

we can talk some more.

MOORE:
I'd be glad

to make an appointment.

But I'd like to request...

Jack, if you could help me out?

Jack, how ya doin'?

Michael Moore.

- What's your job here?

- Jack Higgins.

- What do you do here?

- Human resources.

That's always

my favorite department...

because they take care of

the people here, right?

All the people that

you're gonna be laying off.

The human resources?

It's not actually in my area...

but, yes,

we will be dealing with that.

- What does human resources do?

- OK. Let's hold on.

I think

we've had enough discussion.

MOORE:
You brought

Jack out here to talk to us.

Yeah, Jack came out

to keep us company.

We've had our little discussion.

Thanks very much for coming.

I wish you had called

to let us know...

and maybe we would have been

better prepared...

for your cameras and your show.

We wish you would have called

and told all the workers...

so they would have been

better prepared.

- They were.

- Yeah. Yeah.

We've been talking with

our employees continually.

They've known this

for years, right?

That you'd be leaving here?

Each year, as you made

a bigger and bigger profit...

they knew

you would leave Milwaukee...

because they did such a good job

you made so much money.

I think our employees have got

a much better understanding...

of what's happening than you do.

I have 20 years here,

coming on Friday...

and we were told yesterday...

that the entire plant

would be closed.

MAN:
You know where

they're gonna relocate?

Yes. It's going to Mexico.

Reynosa, Mexico.

MAN:
Once you're laid off,

what's your plan?

I don't have one right now.

I don't know.

You know, I have

to see what my options are...

and go from there.

MOORE:
I asked Ed

if he'd like to head over...

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