Kokomo worker's song inspires delegates

By Ron Russell
NTC Communications

Paul Stout, a UAW Local 685 member from Kokomo, Ind., stole the show at the annual UAW-DaimlerChrysler leadership summit as he performed his country music salute to the American work ethic and unionized workers.

The unassuming employee at Chrysler Group’s Indiana Transmission Plant II ignited a standing ovation from a throng of more than 3,000 people that included Chrysler President and CEO Tom LaSorda and UAW President Ron Gettelfinger.

Paul Stout

“I felt really honored – I was blown away by the chance to do my song for the convention,” said Stout. “Normally, I just go to work every day and do my job.”

Stout was center stage at the Opening Ceremony of the 2006 UAW-DaimlerChrysler Annual Meeting and Joint Training Conferences when he sang “World Class Fine.”

He created the autobiographical musical tribute to workers last fall when a supervisor asked him to write a song that might be used at a town hall meeting.

“They are always preaching to us about making world-class transmissions. We don’t just shove them out the door,” Stout said.

The words to “World Class Fine” embody that commitment to high standards of quality, workmanship and faith in the products built at Indiana Transmission II.

One verse of the song says, “The cars we build are world class fine, no one does it like we can.”

Stout’s song made its debut at an Oct. 31 town hall meeting at Indiana Transmission II, and it was an instant hit with his co-workers. Former Plant Manager Ed Vondell was so impressed that he had his communications team use it as the inspiration for a DVD that included footage of people working in the plant.

UAW Vice President Nate Gooden (left) and Chrysler Group CEO Tom LaSorda pose with the worker-musician.

Shortly afterward, Stout performed “World Class Fine” for workers at the neighboring Indiana Transmission Plant I. The DVD also was sold for $5 each and raised $1,300 for the United Way campaign at Indiana Transmission II.

Along the way, Vondell brought the song to the attention of LaSorda and other top Chrysler Group executives. LaSorda got behind the idea of inviting Stout to Las Vegas to perform “World Class Fine” to help set a positive tone for this year’s Annual Meeting.

Stout, 35, said he has written country music since he was 17 years old. He has performed at street festivals, fairs, clubs and other events in the Kokomo area, but his participation in the glitzy UAW-DaimlerChrysler meeting was the biggest production of his fledgling singing career. 

As it happened, Stout shared the stage Sunday night with comedian John Reep, who has gained fame in Dodge TV commercials as the engaging hillbilly with the line, “That thing gotta’ Hemi?”

It was an evening that Stout – and 3,000 others in the audience – won’t soon forget,

“Everything turned out real cool; this is what I want out of life – to write music that touches people,” Stout said. “And, I even met the Hemi guy.”