Union members no fan of Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker

Louis Aguilar / The Detroit News

In the homes of many a United Auto Worker, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker from Tennessee is a household name — and not in a good way.

"He’s a sell-out," said Bill Bagwell, a second-generation auto worker who drives a forklift at General Motors Corp.

"I just don’t think he has much of a clue," said Bill Jordan, president of UAW Local 599 in Flint, which represents GM workers. "He’s one of those people who wants to kill the American middle-class to help foreign companies," said Jeffrey Foy, a 12-year Chrysler LLC assembly line worker.

To many UAW members and supporters, the Republican senator is the symbol of everyone who doesn’t understand Detroit’s Big Three. It’s hard to imagine his Tuesday afternoon visit to the North American International Auto Show is going to change that image.

Corker became the face of the opposition to federal loans to the automakers during December’s congressional hearings. His grilling of Chrysler’s chief executive, Robert Nardelli included the comment that, "There is not a human being alive in the automobile world who thinks that Chrysler is doing anything other than hanging around long enough until it finds somebody to marry."

Corker later suggested it would be better to allow Chrysler to go belly up.

But what’s really made Corker their favorite fiend in the eyes of many UAW supporters was his demand that union wages should be immediately cut to match what transplanted foreign automakers pay workers in their U.S. plants.

Corker also wanted the UAW to agree to take automakers’ stock in place of half the money they owe to a union-run retiree health care trust fund.

Watching Corker on television interviews, "I wanted to punch my television screen," Foy said. "You not only want to kill my job, an entire industry, but you want to do it for a few foreign companies. Man, you’re selling this whole country down the river."

At a Sunday protest outside the auto show, UAW supporters held placards demanding Corker take a pay cut and benefit cut. Another suggested his job should be outsourced.

Corker’s state has a G.M. factory in Spring Hill that used to be home to Saturn, but now builds vehicles for Chevrolet. Several hundred active and retired UAW members picketed Senator Corker’s Nashville office after his congressional exchange with Nardelli

Corker has been a strong advocate for investment by foreign auto companies in Tennessee. Nissan has two plants and its North American headquarters in Tennessee. Volkswagen is building an assembly plant in Chattanooga.

In a press statement, Corker said he "looked forward" to visiting the auto show. He added: "It will be informative as we continue to seek solutions."