In addition to the internal debates over the future of labor, there are two struggles over foreign policies that will happen at the July convention of the AFL-CIO. One is a campaign underway to get the AFL-CIO to break its ties with the National Endowment for Democracy. A second is to end AFL-CIO support for the state of Israel’s occupation and oppression of Palestine.

Currently, as the top AFL-CIO officials discuss the future of the labor movement, management is attacking one of the few remaining densely unionized, high wage sectors. Airline workers are suffering a devastating attack on wages, pensions and work rules that are gutting union contracts over 50 years in the making. In the last several years, by using the bankruptcy courts and under the threat of financial liquidation, management has slashed billions of dollars out of airline workers’ pockets.

Contributed by a labor activist with experience in airline industry

Minneapolis, MN – On August 26, rank and file flight attendants rejected a proposed contract with Northwest Airlines (NWA). The contract was endorsed by sell-out Teamsters International President, Jim Hoffa, Jr. Over 69% of the 10,000 flight attendants voted down the contract in this hard fought election.

At the top levels of the labor bureaucracy in Washington D.C., a debate is raging about the future of the labor movement. Underlying the debate is the failure of the top labor officials to stop the decline of organized labor. When John Sweeney was elected president of the AFL-CIO in 1995, he pledged to increase organizing. Since then, despite a push to organize, the percent of union members organized has dropped.

Gregg Shotwell, a key leader of rank-and-file autoworkers was interviewed by Fight Back! shortly before the ratification of the Chrysler contract. The contract at Chrysler passed by a relatively narrow margin following an aggressive campaign by UAW officials.

Kokomo, IN – “It is clear to us, the rank and file at Delphi, that management and union cooperation is over,” states Todd Jordan, an autoworker at the Delphi plant here. Company officials canceled the March 2 special elections that were to replace retiring union officials, announcing they will be redistrict the committeemen and zones in the plant.

Rank-and-file activists in auto and other industries are organizing a Solidarity Sleigh to support the strikers of United Auto Workers Local 364 who have been on strike since April 1. From cites around the Midwest they will caravan to Elkhart, Indiana joining striking workers Dec. 16. They will bring gifts for the children of strikers, donations for the food bank, financial contributions and, in the words of organizers, “hearts filled with solidarity and holiday cheer.”

UAW Local 974, located in East Peoria, Illinois, held an election for delegates to the UAW International Constitutional Convention April 23 at the UAW Local 974 union hall. In a stunning upset for the incumbent caucus, the Members for CHANGE! Group, led by Rob Wilson, won a majority of five delegate positions out of eight.

Detroit, MI – More than 600 rank-and-file auto workers demonstrated here, Jan. 8, to protest attacks on working people by Delphi and General Motors. The Delphi Corporation, which makes GM auto parts, wants to use bankruptcy proceedings to make huge cuts to wages, benefits and pensions.

Interview with Rank-and-File Leader Gregg Shotwell

Fight Back! interviewed Gregg Shotwell, a key leader of the rank-and-file movement that is growing inside the United Auto Workers. A worker at the Delphi auto parts plant in Cooperstown, Michigan, Shotwell helped organize the mass meetings of autoworkers that took place over the past two months. These meetings led to the formation of the rank-and-file organization, Soldiers of Solidarity.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) will sit down in August to negotiate a new contract with the Big Three automakers – General Motors, Ford and DaimlerChrysler. Many union activists expect the negotiations to be characterized by concessions to management. Detroit launched an assault on autoworkers years ago, and it continues. For example, GM slashed some 120,000 jobs in the 1990s.

Inglewood, CA – Twenty thousand people demonstrated here, Jan. 31 in a powerful display of solidarity with the striking, locked-out United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) grocery workers. Trade unionists – including strikers and their families, longshoremen, public workers and Teamsters – along with community supporters marched on Safeway-owned Vons market.

On March 23, Robert Walston, former Local 743 president, pled guilty to stealing two union elections and attempting to purchase $150,000 of cocaine.

The workers at Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago are calling on supporters in Chicago to join them at a protest at Bank of America, 231 S. LaSalle today, Wednesday, December 10 at 12:00 noon.

Rally on Wednesday, Dec 10 at noon at Bank of America 231 S. LaSalle Avenue in Chicago

Chicago, IL – Sunday night, Dec. 7 in Chicago brought more good news to the workers occupying the Republic Windows and Glass factory. The enormous outpouring of support was instantly noticed in the front room outside the worker-guarded doors by the wall to wall notes of solidarity from the hundreds of people who have come by. The workers described how happy they were to get Reverend Jesse Jackson’s support earlier in the day and the cheers that happened in the cafeteria when they heard about President-elect Obama’s statement of support for their cause. They then set their sights on getting Governor Blagojevich to weigh in on the demands for the over $1 million owed these 200 workers.

Video of UE Local 1110 President Armando Robles speaking at the People’s Thanksgiving, a Fight Back! event. A collection was taken for the workers occupying the Republic Windows plant. Afterwards a group of 25 people drove to the factory to personally deliver the $1500 raised.

Los Angeles, CA – Over 2000 Mexican and Central American workers marched here, July 29, to demand legalization and an end to the mass firings of immigrants. The mass firings have been brought on by the Department of Homeland Security’s push – backed up by the threat of sanctions on the employer – to identify undocumented workers by auditing companies’ employee data.