During his speech two months ago at the Jefferson North Chrysler plant in Detroit, President Barack Obama proclaimed his confidence in the American worker, saying he would bet on the American worker any day of the week.

The exuberant crowd cheered the man who signed over $6 billion in government funding to help save their jobs.

Having the president come to your work would be a real kick in the leg to most people, a morale booster. However, to some assembly line workers at Jefferson North, it means consuming alcoholic beverages and smoking (what appeared to be) joints during their lunch.

That was all real footage uncovered by a Detroit news station. They followed the 15 workers on ten 10 different days from the time they left the plant for their half hour lunch, to the party store were they bought beer and to a park where it was consumed. Then it was back to work to build cars.

I know what you’re all wondering. How did they manage to do all of this in a half hour? Short answer: chug. Oh wait, you’re worried about your safety in an American made automobile? Maybe you should be. People claiming to be union auto workers on a Detroit talk radio station suggest that’s how it is at assembly plants.

I guess that’s what happens when your humanity is reduced to machinery. It is easy to sympathize with the auto workers. They have undoubtedly been through a lot with questions about job security and not to mention working on an assembly line. That has to be one of the most mind numbing jobs.

I’m not making excuses for assembly line workers. After all, they have jobs while the unemployment rate in Michigan is still abysmal, and more importantly, they make cars; cars we drive. Our safety is at risk and their income, as of now, is our tax dollars. Fact: Alcohol, even in low doses, can impair decision making and coordination. Look out for the guy driving the forklift.

Their actions are inexcusable, and if this is any indication of the assembly plant culture, more news might follow. The 15 Chrysler employees were immediately suspended after the report aired Sept. 22, and recently 13 of them were fired. Even the United Auto Workers put on their PR seat belts and condemned the actions of its union members when normally they’d stand beside ready to fight.

Assembly plant workers have a tough job. Technically it might be easier than rocket science, but the psychological aspect, for some, is hard to overcome. I do not condone getting loaded on the job, on the American dime. I’m suggesting there are other issues. Alcohol is an anti-depressant. Some people cannot function until they’ve had a couple, or chugged a 40-ounce beer during lunch. I’m not an expert but those might be signs of alcoholism.

It’s unfortunate they were made an example of, but what other option was there. The American auto industry has made great strides against foreign manufactures during this past year. Something like this can certainly slow that momentum and President Obama’s confidence in the American worker. President Obama bet on us, let’s try not to let him down.