Aurora, CO – Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) members from Denver, Colorado joined the UAW picket line, October 13, at the General Motors (GM) distribution facility in Aurora. That facility is part of the national strike of General Motors where workers are seeking to improved pay, to maintain high quality health care and to provide a path for temporary workers to become permanent workers.

GM has used multiple wage and benefit tiers, including ‘temporary’ workers, to slash wages and divide the workforce. It is reported that over 46,000 UAW members are out on strike all over the country since the GM strike started on September 16.

There are 48 union UAW employees at the GM warehouse in Aurora; they are all on strike and on the picket lines. These 48 workers manage to picket the warehouse 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Morale is high, as there is much solidarity from other unions and from the community at large. The Teamsters at UPS are not crossing UAW picket lines in Aurora, and it is reported that a large section of the local UPS warehouse is full of GM parts that are not being distributed.

Nicole Adams, a UAW member of Local 431, said she was confident of a victory in the strike and stated, “We are tired of lifting up these companies and they promise us this, and they promise us that, and they make money off of our backs.”

Fight Back! was distributed on the picket line and well received by the strikers. The FRSO members pledged to return to the picket line and to continue to act in solidarity with the Aurora GM workers.

#AuroraCO #SpecialCoverage #PeoplesStruggles #AutoworkersFightBack #UAW #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganizationFRSO #Strikes #Socialism #2019UAWGMStrike

Wyoming, MI – On day 20 of their strike, workers waved “UAW on strike!” signs as they walked back and forth, October 5. Six groups of determined United Auto Workers of Local 167 stood outside and blocked entrances at the enormous General Motors (GM) plant in Wyoming, a working-class Michigan town. A total of 46,000 union strikers are out 24 hours a day, seven days a week, across the United States. GM is losing millions of dollars while negotiations with the UAW continue.

Every few minutes, men and women passing by in cars and pickup trucks honked and yelled out their windows in solidarity. One UAW picketer said, “People flash their lights at night, instead of honking, so as not to wake the neighbors.” At one point a group of 25 motorcyclists roared past at funeral speed, fists raised in the air.

This West Michigan GM plant makes lifters, cam phasers, and axles for light duty trucks. In days gone by it employed over 3000. Today there are 700 to 800 workers on three shifts.

“The members out walking the picket line are in high spirits,” said Scott Poole, a UAW member who works in the plant. “Members from other UAW locals are coming down to support us. A group of four UAW retirees from Flint were here to walk the line in solidarity.”

The big issues for union members on the picket lines are health care costs going up and the fact that most temporary workers are now past three years of employment. Temps make about half the pay of full-timers. Temporary workers now comprise 7% of the GM workforce.

Negotiations are ongoing, with pay increases, pay progression for temporary workers, and pensions reportedly being haggled over. With GM making record profits in four recent years – a net income of $27.5 billion – workers are expecting to do far better than the past two UAW contracts.

#WyomingM #WyomingMI #SpecialCoverage #PeoplesStruggles #AutoworkersFightBack #UnitedAutoWorkers #GeneralMotors #Strikes #2019UAWGMStrike

Lansing, Michigan – The United Auto Workers (UAW) called a strike on Sunday, September 15. Fight Back! interviewed Jean “Johnny Bravo” Duchemin, an alternate committee member in UAW Local 1753 in Lansing, Michigan about the GM strike.

Fight Back!: How do you see the strike fitting into the broader labor movement and the current political climate?

Jean “Johnny Bravo” Duchemin: That one, I had to take time to think about that one. When it comes to the political climate and the labor movement, the labor movement in this country has been died out. A lot of people are uneducated. So, since the last major strike, and the last major movement, it’s been stagnant. Stagnated. So you have a whole generation of 30 years that hasn’t been educated on unions or any other kind of labor force movement. So they are unaware of the importance of the union, so now in today’s political climate it is extremely important, I feel, because... Let me think for a second. I don’t want to give a wrong answer here. So in today’s world we are under severe attack. We have the Right to Work law, which absolutely makes no sense, it just doesn’t make sense. Everyone has the right to work, but they don’t deserve union representation without paying for it. So laws like that, those are straight up union busting, and we’re under attack with these politicians. And so today our movement I believe is super important because it will, if we become victorious over this, I believe that other unions will fall in and stand up instead of accepting what the corporations offer them. That’s the word on the street that you hear. Because we get a lot of people yelling at us every day, “Just be grateful for what they give you,” “Just be grateful for the paycheck.” They don’t really understand the “why” we’re going on strike, why a movement like this is important.

Fight Back!: How many workers is this affecting?

Duchemin: GM employees [are] 49,800 and change, but on top of that 49,000 you have all the other plants actually feed parts, and then you have Canada and Mexico. The plants can’t function without us. So this is actually affecting more than half a million people currently, and now if we stay on strike for another two weeks then we’re looking at maybe 2.5 million people being affected by this. GM right now is leading, it’s leading this.

A lot of people have been accepting lower wages and, you’ve seen it, you got your corporation’s CEOs getting 300-350 times more than the current employee, but the employee doesn’t know that they can actually negotiate and get more money, and then we can burn down that big gap in the middle. So our job as unions, as union members and union representatives, is to agitate, educate and get the community to participate, that’s the main three roles of any union member.

Throughout the past two years I’ve been trying my best to educate everybody, get them prepared for something like this, and they just think you’re crazy ‘cause again we’re in a generation that is uneducated about this and the media’s been raising everybody so they have mixed views. But now they can honestly see that the company gives you nothing. Nothing. Everything that a union has, has been negotiated. The wages, every single entitlement we have, GM gave us none of that. It all has been negotiated. So I feel that when this is said and done, and we all go back to work, at least the UAW will be stronger. And Ford and Chrysler, they’re going to follow suit. But hopefully, other unions outside the auto industry pay attention and stand up.

I try to tell my plant all the time when they say, “The union ain’t fighting for us, the union’s not doing this,” I have to really insist that they themselves are the union. The leaders are elected, they can be unelected, but you guys are the union, and when you all come in numbers you can actually change who’s in the leadership, and you can actually change policies.

Fight Back!: In general what do you hope comes out of the strike, both within and outside of the union?

Duchemin: I hope what comes out of this strike is a message to working class Americans that you don’t have to accept what the company gives you. You don’t have to accept, because they’re going to try all the fear tactics. “You trying to get higher wages? We’re going to have to close down. You want better healthcare? We’re not going to be able to afford your wages.” That’s all bullshit! Excuse my language. They’re fear tactics, so hopefully they can see us stand tall between all the GM threats that are coming out. They can take our healthcare, they can lock us out, they can lock us up, but if we stay strong and everybody stays strong, you’ll get what you want, as long as we don’t accept what they give us.

#LansingMichigan #LansingMI #SpecialCoverage #PeoplesStruggles #AFLCIO #AutoworkersFightBack #UnitedAutoWorkers #Strikes #2019UAWGMStrike #UAWLocal1753

“They plan to cut our elected officials down to half of what we have now by eliminating half our union offices. Despite agreeing with the UAW last year to wait until contract time, they did this today, one day before the election. They did this despite the people who took days off to campaign and who spent hundreds of dollars on their campaign flyers, buttons and pens et cetera,” said Jordan.

In the face of this attempt to disrupt the union, Jordan adds Kokomo autoworkers will continue to fight, “From elections to product lines, management is sabotaging our work here in Kokomo. The membership of UAW Local 292 will not continue to accept these actions.”

#KokomoIN #News #AutoUnitedAutoWorkers #AutoworkersFightBack #Delphi #UAWLocal292

Historically foreign companies like Honda often talked about building new plants up North, in places like Indiana, then typically built down South in the end. After stirring the pot a little – with state governments that are for sale to the highest bidder, and then spinning big business economic rhetoric to the masses, the majority of foreign auto makers almost always moved down to where majority of all the other foreign corporations are, the South. And for good reason: there are no unions. ‘Right To Work’ (for less) laws have played a role in this too.

Nowadays though, setting up shop in the South is not the issue for foreign companies like it was in the 1980s and 1990s. When was the last time you heard of workers in a Toyota plant being organized into a union? Indiana, Alabama, North Carolina, Michigan, it makes no difference. In 2005, American Honda sold 1.5 million Honda and Acura cars and light trucks, and North American counted for half of Honda’s annual global sales. 2005 was the ninth straight year of record annual sales.

To avoid unionization and to control wages and benefit levels the foreign-owned automakers generally match the unionized Big Three production wages. But they have a brutal policy of contracting out all the work that is not directly tied to production. What we need to realize is nearly a quarter of all the production workers in these plants are ‘temporary workers’ who do the exact same job as the old ‘permanent workers’ for half the pay and no benefits.

The pensions of workers at foreign-owned automakers are similar to the Big Three, but their legacy costs, such as retiree health care, are far less. What we must understand is that many of these workers will not last long enough to ever collect a pension at companies like Honda. Without an organized work force and a union contract they have a monstrous injury rate. As a result of this injury rate these temporary workers, our neighbors, are simply fired for the injuries they received while on their job.

Honda was hailed by Indians’s Governor Daniels and business leaders as a great opportunity for our state. Honda boasted about how they make the most profits per vehicle in the auto industry. What they did not boast or hail about was Honda’s industry wide record for worker injuries. Honda, according to reports from the United Auto Workers Union, injured workers at four to ten times the rate of comparable union represented plants.

According to another report in 2002 by UAW organizers, Honda accounted for over 1% of all reported ergonomic injuries in all industries in the United States from 1998-2000, peaking at 1.25% in 2000.

It is not just Honda. Nissan, Toyota and most other foreign auto makers moving factories to the United States have similar reports.

As wages and work rules decline at the Big Three through buyouts and plant closures, we can all expect these foreign automakers to follow suit. Without union contracts and representation in place, workers like those that Honda will employ in Indiana will suffer the brunt of these policies and changes.

Union leaders would tell us that we need to, “buy American” as the solution, but the strategy of protectionism here has failed. This strategy continues to keep organized labor around the world from uniting together. Unions needs to reformulate our strategy. Building a union hall across the street from every foreign owned auto factory in the country might be a good start. But we are going to need to first put current and new members in the ones we have built already.

The ultimate problem and challenge of organized labor is more than anti-worker laws, foreign companies in the South or big business politicians. The ultimate problem is labor’s own policies and strategies.

Until workers begin to understand their collective interest in organizing themselves, workers’ rights will continue to erode. As we have seen at Delphi Corporation, it only takes a few loopholes in the law and a $4 million hit man to pillage a company. Laws, just like politicians, serve only to divide and neither one can unite workers to their common collective interests.

The first step must be for workers around the world to dismantle their top-down bureaucracies and to build our unions into real, democratically organized, bottom-up fighting machines.

Todd Jordan is a member of UAW Local 292 and has played in the important role in the rank-and-file autoworkers movement.

#UnitedStates #Commentary #AutoUnitedAutoWorkers #AutoworkersFightBack #UAW #Honda #BigThree

Las Vegas, NV – The United Auto Workers International convention was held here, June 12 – 15. This was the first convention I have ever attended. It was an honor and a privilege to be elected by the membership (active and retired) to represent them at the convention. The convention was a thorough learning experience in regards to the issues that exist not only throughout our Local and International Union but our society as a whole. I was given a lot of information on what to expect so I was not stunned by what I observed. Nauseated, maybe – surprised, no.

When reviewing and voting on the rules we observed our first glimpse of the theme that was to punctuate every event of the week. Mike Parker, a convention delegate from Local 1700 Chrysler, made a motion to amend the rules allowing resolutions to be submitted from the floor of the convention and debated for adoption. Although Mr. Gettlefinger and others extolled the need for change in the UAW, delegate after delegate stood to proclaim their opposition to any change in the rules stating, “We have done it this way for 33 consecutive conventions; the rules are fair and democratic; don’t change them.” I attempted to speak in support of the motion waving a sign in an exaggerated manner. Even while I was waving the sign the chair President Gettlefinger asked if anyone was in support in region 4. The chair did not recognize me at any time throughout the entire week. The motion was defeated, with the exception of possibly a dozen delegates dissenting

Mike Parker also stated that due to the unprecedented attack on Auto Workers at Delphi, GM and Ford Motor Company we should have a more open discussion of the issues and democratic debate. The chair, Mr. Gettlefinger, stated that this was the Constitutional Convention and these were issues for the Bargaining Convention that will possibly, allegedly, maybe take place in 2007. This was a startling statement considering we were voting on resolution after resolution that had nothing to do with the Constitution.

Day two saw another blow to democracy. Gary Walkowitz brought to the attention of the delegate body a proposed submitted resolution that would have allowed retirees the right to vote on those contracts that diminish their retirement pension, health care or other benefits. It required 207 delegate votes simply to get it on the floor to debate it. When the chair called a vote to call the submitted proposal up for debate only nine delegates voted in favor of allowing a debate. While on break I asked a delegate wearing a Ford hat what he thought of the proposal and he said, “I thought we should at least discuss it.” When I asked him if he raised his hand in favor of bringing it on the floor he said, “Oh no way.” “Why not?” I asked. “Because they are watching me,” he replied.

Wednesday brought a farce called an election, the preordained replacement for retiring Vice Presidents and Regional Directors. On Tuesday afternoon an invitation was passed around inviting people to a Sunshine breakfast provided by the Administrative Caucus. I am not a member of the Administrative Caucus so I did not attend. When arriving at the Convention Wednesday morning it was adorned with thousands of balloons and on every table was poised Administrative Caucus election material. Virtually everyone was wearing a nauseating sticker that proclaimed, “I am on Ron’s Team.” I was asked why I didn’t come help decorate. My reply was, “Because I was not invited to decorate. I was invited to an Administrative Caucus breakfast.”

Thursday brought more regurgitation of the same rhetoric of the previous part of the week. John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO, spoke and there were more resolutions to stamp. Sunday when we arrived I browsed through the resolution book and when I saw the resolutions on Veterans Protection and National Security I decided I would put a speech together. Being a veteran I thought I am entitled to speak to these issues I earned it through ten years of service. Again I was denied access to the floor and was not recognized by the chair.

The last resolution to come up was one for protecting the 40-hour week. I was stunned when I realized there was not one word in the resolution about protecting the eight-hour day. I began to realize that the other delegates might be unaware that at Caterpillar Inc. they have started Alternative Work Schedules (AWS) and Irregular Work Schedules (IWS) that are three thirteen-hour, twenty-minute days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) over the weekend. The Alternative Work Schedule might also be three twelve’s (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and four hours on Monday. I was planning to oppose this resolution from the floor, merely to point out the fact that in some places the eight-hour day is being violated. The plan was cut short when someone made a motion to bind the remaining resolutions together and vote on them. The motion passed with one person speaking in favor and one opposed then someone called for the question and the motion passed unanimously with myself abstaining.

To summarize: I along with the other four delegates from Members for CHANGE represented our active and retired membership as promised. We hand-delivered a letter with the issues we ran on to the International Executive Board; additionally we mailed the letter to the president’s office and to the media. We voted in favor of debating the retirees’ right to vote on contracts that took any benefits away from them. We met and networked with other delegates.

There is not an enormous difference between the strategy set forth by the UAW International and that of the recently split off Change to Win Coalition that left the AFL-CIO last year. They give lip service to ‘organizing the unorganized,’ while ignoring the needs of the already organized. The UAW allegedly will diversify their portfolio, leaving current active members at Delphi, Ford, GM and other major industrial manufacturing employers such as Caterpillar wondering whose survival are they worried about.

The UAW convention demonstrated that that the labor movement needs real change. We needed a labor movement that bases itself on the principals of democracy, solidarity and the recognition that an injury to one is an injury to all. There is no seniority date for dignity and justice.

#LasVegasNV #Commentary #AutoUnitedAutoWorkers #AutoworkersFightBack #UAW #Delphi

The Members for CHANGE! candidates elected were George Cornwell, the first shift Grievance Committeeman in building KK; Brian Kerr, the Chairman of the KK Grievance Committee; Rob Wilson, a delegate to the General Council and Alternate Grievance Committeeman; James B. O’Connor, a retiree and former president of UAW Local 974; and Sharon Clarkson, a retiree and longtime UAW activist.

James B. O’Connor, former president of UAW Local 974 stated, “This election is historically a precursor to the general election for executive offices; normally whoever takes these delegate positions are the ones going in next election.”

The Members for CHANGE! team demonstrated a renewed commitment to rank-and-file workers, who turned out in astonishing numbers for the election. The Members for CHANGE team also vowed to build intergenerational solidarity between retirees and the next generation of UAW men and women.

Rob Wilson emphasizes, “Power at the bargaining table comes from an involved, informed, empowered and mobilized membership and community support. Rank-and-file active workers and retirees have made a definite statement, ‘We believe it’s time for change.’”

Local 974 represents approximately 5800 UAW members who are employed by Caterpillar Inc. and workers at amalgamated units Norforge, PMP, Tazewell Machine, and LTD Industries. Local 974 is also the lead bargaining local during negotiations with Caterpillar.

“This is a victory for the membership – active and retired. They won one for themselves, and they deserve and will get all the credit,” said Wilson.

The UAW Constitutional Convention, held every four years, is the highest policy-making body of the union. The Constitutional Convention delegates have the sole authority to amend the UAW constitution, debate and adopt resolutions and define the powers of the International officers.

The Convention comes at a critical time for UAW members. The auto corporations and other employers have lunched big attacks on wages and benefits. Delegates who want to resist these attacks have a vital role to play.

#PeoriaIL #News #AutoUnitedAutoWorkers #AutoworkersFightBack #MembersForCHANGE #UAWLocal974 #UAWConstitutionalConvention

Flint, MI – Chanting, “Not one dollar, not one dime! Cutting wages is a crime!” more than 75 auto workers joined together here for a spirited picket line at the Delphi auto parts plant, Feb. 16. Many on the picket line were members of the rank-and-file auto workers organization, Soldiers of Solidarity. Coinciding with the end of sparkplug production at the plant, the protest slammed Delphi/GM’s demands for concessions.

The picket line took place despite a decision of by the heads of UAW Local 651 to cancel the protest that was planned for that day. As many see it, Local 651 officials used bad weather as an excuse to cancel the picket, march and rally that they never wanted to hold in the first place.

After the picket line, auto workers packed a nearby sports bar for an indoor rally. A banner reading, “Spark the movement,” hung out front. Speakers called for a serious and determined resistance to concessions at Delphi.

Delphi CEO Robert Miller wants to cut wages and benefits by more than 60%. This is the leading edge of an attack by the owners of the auto corporations. Their goal is to destroy an entire way of life for workers and their communities, transforming the industry into one characterized by low wages and benefits. The outcome of this battle has an impact on the livelihood of everyone who works for a living.

#FlintMI #News #AutoUnitedAutoWorkers #AutoworkersFightBack #UAW #Delphi #SoldiersOfSolidarity

Decatur, IL – Nowhere in organized labor is the failure and treachery of business unionism more indicting than in the United Auto Workers (UAW). Today, that treachery threatens not only the existence of the organization, but the fundamental values upon which the union was built. If there exists a saving grace for the UAW, it is not in the halls of Solidarity House [UAW headquarters in Detroit], but in the rank and file resurgence against the devastating concessions at Delphi and Visteon, parts suppliers to the auto industry. The massive job losses and concessions, including tiered wages and benefits, are not a new occurrence, but a carefully crafted course that involves not only the bastards of the boardroom, but top UAW leadership as well.

Looking back at the UAW and its transformation from a fighting union to one of compliance, partnership and ‘jointism’ with the employing class we find a sorry record.

Doug Frazier became UAW president in 1977. He joined Chrysler’s board of directors and defined the path of destruction the UAW would follow. But no UAW leadership team could equal the incompetence of Frazier’s successor, Owen Beiber, who took over in 1983. Rather than fight for UAW members, he immersed the UAW in jointism – labor/management cooperation schemes that signaled to the auto corporations that the UAW was an easy mark. Under Beiber, the policy concessions, now so vivid in the Delphi debacle, took root in the agriculture and implement division of the UAW at Caterpillar Tractor and John Deere.

In 1992, the UAW struck CAT only to voluntarily return months later. Tiered wages, erosion of benefits for retirees, health care cost-shifting and attacks on the parts division were at the center of the dispute. The struggle continued more than six years while UAW members worked under imposed conditions. During the dispute, UAW President Beiber retired, passing the briefcase to Stephen Yokich. Caterpillar amassed a record 450-plus labor violations, many of which involved 250 illegally terminated employees – bargaining chips for a ruthless corporation. So confident was Don Fites, CAT CEO, that he could cut a deal, he openly boasted the company would be vindicated of all charges. How could he have known this unless he was receiving assurances from UAW leadership? During the length of the dispute, it was clear the UAW had no winning strategy and was doing nothing to secure a victory.

In 1995, at the AFL-CIO convention in New York, President Yokich stood before Decatur, Illinois unionists, including UAW local leaders from CAT announcing, “I will not hold up a contract for thousands of UAW members for a few hundred discharges.” Most of those discharged had done nothing wrong, but Yokich was willing to sell them out, angering Decatur unionists.

At CAT, Yokich forced a vote on a sellout contract several times, but a savvy rank and file rejected it – insisting discharged members be returned to work. The Decatur local, under the leadership of Larry Solomon, was key in rejecting attempts to settle without justice for the discharged members. The largest local, 974 in Peoria, Illinois, voted in favor, after the former local president, Jerry Brown, who vowed never to accept it, was given an international union job and returned to sell the contract.

Perhaps the defining element in the Caterpillar battle was the treatment of the parts division. Thousands of jobs were lost; benefits were cut and most alarming, tiered were wages so low UAW members were eligible for food stamps. The distribution center in York, Pennsylvania was mostly moved to a new nonunion facility in North Carolina. So horrible was the sellout, the local president in Denver, Colorado, Joe Vasquez, committed suicide when his members voted to accept it. During the dispute at CAT, the John Deere contract was settled under similar conditions without so much as a whimper from the UAW.

Both contracts were negotiated under the direction of Richard Shoemaker, who headed the agriculture-implement division of the UAW. Both contracts gave a glimpse of the future for the parts divisions in the auto industry and showed where UAW leadership stood on the issues and who they were standing with.

In 1998 another struggle took shape in Henderson, Kentucky, involving UAW Local 2036 and Accuride Wheel, a parts supplier. After a short strike and return to work, Accuride locked out the 650 members of Local 2036. Accuride demanded a contract no union could agree to, except of course, the UAW.

After more than a year of paying strike benefits, the UAW told Accuride (a week before they told Local 2036 leaders) that they were ending strike benefits to local members. Maintaining wages and benefits at this parts supplier would go against the concessions at CAT, John Deere and where the auto industry was headed.

Local activists and supporters from across America organized a picket of the UAW headquarters in Detroit. Yokich responded to the embarrassment by restoring benefits at double the rate, but only for several months. Less than a year later, Yokich decertified the local and handed the jobs of 650 loyal UAW members over to scabs forever. Many of those members, including local President Billy Robinson, had helped build the 22-year-old local from the ground up. The UAW Regional Director who vowed to stay with the local, “for as long as it takes,” was none other than Ron Gettlefinger, current UAW International President.

This past year, Gettlefinger negotiated a poverty-level contract at a parts supplier in Indiana that allowed some members to move to another facility and maintain current wages and benefits, but denied those members the right to vote on the contract. In spite of the UAW constitution, Gettlefinger has played a major role in forcing UAW members to work under conditions that place them at the poverty level. A rank and file resurgence is now threatening his poor leadership and his credibility with the executives in the big three. Gettlefinger’s occasional militant speech now rings hollow with UAW members – and it should. His history is one of defeat, maybe even betrayal, and the gruff persona he portrays, hypocritical. One is reminded more of the blowhard caricature, Yosemite Sam, than Walter Ruether.

The growing rank and file movement in the UAW has its work cut out. The auto corporations are out for blood. It’s time UAW members take things in their own hands.

#DecaturIL #Commentary #AutoUnitedAutoWorkers #AutoworkersFightBack #UAW #Gettlefinger

A statement from Soldiers of Solidarity, the group that organized the march, noted, “ Corporate greed, not necessity drives GM/Delphi’s planned attack on workers and our communities. Delphi was a healthy, debt-free corporation in 1999 after they were spun off from General Motors. The pension was fully funded. Delphi had no retirees. Six years later Delphi is broke. They drained the pension fund and the stock is worthless.”

“Delphi ’s failure is not the fault of workers, it is the fault of overpaid, incompetent frauds. GM/Delphi planned the bankruptcy in order to break the contract and dump their responsibility to retirees onto American taxpayers. If the court sanctions this scam, other multinational corporations will follow suit. Delphi is the test case, ” the statement continued.

Most of those at the demonstration were rank-and file-members of the United Auto Workers. The UAW did not endorse the protest and has a record of making big concessions to the auto corporations.

The stage is set for a major confrontation between this crucial section of the working class and some of America’s biggest corporations. All workers have a stake in the outcome of this battle.

#DetroitMI #News #AutoUnitedAutoWorkers #AutoworkersFightBack #UAW #Delphi #SoldiersOfSolidarity #GeneralMotors

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.

Delphi workers make auto parts for General Motors and for all practical purposes the two companies are the same. Delphi has filed for bankruptcy. Bankruptcy courts are used by many corporations – for example those of the airline industry – as a vehicle to escape union contracts, slash health benefits and gut pensions.

This rank-and-file upsurge in auto has put the heat on UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. On Dec. 30 the Wall Street Journal noted, “Growing resistance from auto workers is putting pressure on the head of the industry’s most powerful union and threatening the tenuous ties he has forged with Detroit's Big Three.”

As Fight Back! goes to press, negotiations concerning Delphi workers are continuing between the UAW and GM.

Fight Back! : General Motors and Delphi are pushing for huge concessions. What do they want from Delphi workers?

Gregg Shotwell: Cheap labor. Delphi wants to dump their obligations to retirees – pensions and health insurance – onto the taxpayers. Delphi also wants to cut our wages in half, reduce benefits, close plants and lay off workers. But it’s not just about the money. Delphi wants to break the union by imposing a contract that would make our day-to-day life in the factory miserable. Delphi does not want to honor seniority rights or human rights. For example, no excuses would be accepted for absence from work and discipline would not be grievable.

Fight Back! : Rank-and-file meetings of auto workers have drawn large numbers and the organization Soldiers of Solidarity has emerged from these mass meetings. Why such an enthusiastic response? What are the goals of Soldiers of Solidarity?

Shotwell: The enthusiasm is a direct result of two things: One, the severity of the threat and two, the lack of a strong response from the leadership of the UAW to the threat.

In the meetings we turn control over to the members. People who never had a voice before are given an opportunity to speak their minds to an attentive audience of peers. Participation is direct and energetic. It makes for an exciting atmosphere.

Our goals are simply to resist concessions and to exert rank-and-file power by involving all the members in an organized effort to assert our dignity. We are not helpless victims. We control production. We can make or break profits. We have power.

Fight Back!: A call has been made to ‘Work to Rule.’ Practically speaking what has this meant?

Shotwell: Work to Rule is a method of challenging management control by insisting that all rules – safety, production and quality standards – be observed to the letter of the law.

When we Work to Rule we stop giving the boss that extra effort that makes the difference between profit and loss. We withhold our knowledge because the bosses do not show us respect. We used to give a baker’s dozen for the price of twelve. But with Work to Rule the boss gets just what he deserves.

It’s simple. The machine stops. The boss says, “What’s wrong?” I say, “I don’t know.” He asks the job setter who replies, “I don’t know.” He asks another coworker who replies, “I don’t know.” Then we all look at the boss and he starts sweating because he really doesn’t know.

Bosses like to boss. So do them all a favor and give them lots of bossing to do. The boss will like you for it and everyone will be happy keeping labor costs down by outsourcing all decisions to the boss.

Work to Rule is safe and legal because we insist on following every rule and code in the book. We observe the high quality standards that the bosses demand. We observe all the safety procedures that the laws demand. The result is a slowdown in production but by the bosses orders, not ours. We just do what we are told, no more, no less.

Fight Back! : Do you think it will be necessary to strike against Delphi and/or GM? Why or why not?

Shotwell: The president of the UAW has stated that it appears we are on “a collision course” with Delphi. GM and Delphi are one and the same. We have to impact both companies to reach a fair agreement. I believe a strike is inevitable because GM-Delphi is determined to impose drastic wage and benefit reductions and to severely weaken our union.

If we do not fight back and resist this anti-worker agenda, I believe that all workers, not just auto workers, will suffer.

Full employment is a workable reality. A living wage is simple justice. Security in our old age is a fair reward for a life of labor. A national insurance plan that covers everyone is the only reasonable solution to the medical crisis in America. Health care is a human right.

A nation’s prosperity depends on a system of just rewards, not the degradation of the working class.

#UnitedStates #Interview #Interviews #AutoUnitedAutoWorkers #AutoworkersFightBack #UAW #Delphi #RonGettelfinger #SoldiersOfSolidarity

Delphi filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Oct. 8. With Steve ‘The Hatchet’ Miller, CEO of Delphi, at the helm, the company blames health care payments for retirees and labor costs as factors contributing to Delphi’s financial crisis. Approximately 24,000 General Motors workers were sold out in 1999, when GM spun off parts manufacturing and created Delphi Corporation. Now Delphi is trying to renege on collective bargaining agreements and pensions that they are obligated to pay. The company is asking for enormous benefits concessions and wage reductions – from $27 an hour down to $9 an hour – or it will ask a bankruptcy judge to nullify the contracts with UAW-represented employees.

Since early November, auto workers across the nation have rallied to what some union officials are calling ‘rebel’ rank and file meetings. The meetings were initially called by Gregg Shotwell, a longtime UAW activist and Delphi worker. The meetings began in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Nov. 6. The Nov. 6 meeting saw hundreds of UAW members from across the auto industry, including General Motors, Ford, Visteon, Chrysler, Caterpillar and John Deere, who came to hear and voice concerns.

Another meeting held Nov. 13, in Kokomo, Indiana saw another good crowd of concerned workers from the local area and across the nation. December meetings were held in Saginaw on Dec. 4 and in Flint on the 11th. During the Saginaw meeting an open motion was made from the floor to adopt a name for this workers’ movement. They unanimously approved the name “Soldiers of Solidarity” and decided to create buttons featuring such slogans as S.O.S. and WTR, for ‘work to rule.’

The meetings have not only focused on the crisis but on direct shop floor actions such as ‘work to rule.’ Work to rule emphasizes building communication on the shop floor and building solidarity among workers by strict adherence corporate and safety regulations. Following these rules to the letter has the effect of slowing production.

The meetings also talked about preparing for a strike and working without a contract. Larry Solomon, former President of Local 751 and present Chairman of Solidarity Now and George Cornwell, a UAW Local 974 Grievance Committeeman – both UAW veterans of the mid-1990s labor war with Caterpillar Incorporated – talked about their experiences working without a contract and work to rule.

The crowds at these mass meetings have been diverse, drawing from across the auto industry. The mood of the attendees is that a great battle is coming their way and the consensus is that every concessionary contract sets precedence for the corporations’ demanding more concessions. The broad-based support and concern prompted Shotwell to open the December meetings up to all workers, union and non-union, who are concerned for the Delphi situation.

For decades auto workers have enjoyed the fruits of the previous generations’ efforts and now there is a call from many at the meetings for a broad social movement uniting all workers and every faction with interests tied to the current corporate warfare against working people. While the labor movement has always emphasized political action, many people voice tremendous distrust for all the politicians within the current two-party system. Feeling betrayed by the Democratic party, many believe that only a united nationwide movement will force political change.

Rank-and-file auto workers plan to picket the Detroit auto show on Jan. 8, the showcase event in the automotive capital. Subsequent meetings are planned for Milwaukee, Jan. 15 and an unconfirmed date for Troy, Michigan in late January.

#UnitedStates #News #AutoUnitedAutoWorkers #AutoworkersFightBack #UAW #Delphi #DetroitAutoShow

The contract creates what amounts to a four-tier wage system: Full wage employees (pre-1998), ‘New Hires’ (with a 35% reduction in wages), ‘Competitive Wage’ (at the Morton parts division) and the nationwide ‘supplemental’ employees (who get wages only – no health care benefits, paid holidays, vacation or sick days etc.).

The contract also forces workers and post-1992 retirees to pay premiums for health care coverage, as well as deductibles and co-pays beginning in 2006, ranging from $1000 to $3000. The premiums in the last three years of the contract are said to be fluid, with rates to be a percentage based upon the corporate cost of the premium which could be anything, considering it is the company’s plan.

Making matters worse for unionism, the ratified agreement included UAW-endorsed concessions which sacrificed the union members’ incentive compensation pay (a benefit worth far in excess of an estimated $20 million per year) in exchange for marginally reduced premiums and co-pays.

Union members resoundingly rejected – by over 90% – a similar company proposal in April 2004. In August 2004 union members again rejected what the company referred to as its, “last, best and final offer.”

During negotiations, CAT CEO Jim Owens was quoted as saying we need to eliminate the, “us – theyisms within Caterpillar.” The company is plugging a ‘one team’ culture ideology, and according to them we are embarking on a ‘cultural journey.’ They have spread the Team Leader (Junior Foreman) concept to more business units, heavily recruiting from the underpaid UAW new hire ranks.

In dealing with workers the company uses the ‘my way or the highway’ and ‘shoot first and ask questions later’ approaches to disciplinary action. At times the company abandoned all forms of progressive discipline (like verbal or written warnings) and put workers on the street for the first offense and sometimes for minor infractions, especially for union reps.

Another slap in the face: The corporate propaganda technique of taking workers out of the shop on company time for reward lunches when a division meets sales goal. On Sundays in the Peoria area, the company has taken workers on chartered buses to Chicago for an all expense paid, all you can eat, day at the ball game. These are just examples of the corporation throwing crumbs to working people while shareholders rake in the billions and managers get record-breaking profit sharing checks at the expense of working people.

Meanwhile many of us, particularly New Hires, with wages reduced by 35%, merely wish we could afford to take our wives and children out to dinner in a local area restaurant. Many of the UAW members in all the locals from Decatur, Peoria, Aurora and nationwide drive distances of 60 miles (or more) to go to work at Caterpillar – yet with fuel prices ranging over $2 per gallon the company has done nothing to help us. That does not begin to touch on the pain felt by the Morton parts division employees, referred to as Competitive Wage, who make far less than the manufacturing New Hire rate.

The company justification for the wage concessions was that they wanted to pay the average national manufacturing wage. The national average is arrived at by taking the highest known wage and the lowest and calculating the middle. Traditionally, major corporations like Caterpillar have made up the high end of the wage spectrum, which helps hold the average up. When enormous transnational corporations begin making average wages their goal, the average just keeps getting lower and lower.

Members want change!

There is growing support and interest in the Members for CHANGE team of UAW activists founded in the UAW Local 974. A young up-and-coming union activist, Rob Wilson, and a 30-plus year seasoned veteran, George Cornwell, joined forces in early 2005 to make bids for president and bargaining chairman of the local. While the bid was unsuccessful, they utilized it as a launch platform for local union-wide and community-wide activism.

Wilson, uses his veteran planning and strategic skills to the advantage of unionism, while working to build community support – frequently writing in local area newspapers challenging the corporate propaganda and writing for the Local union paper on shop floor issues. George Cornwell combines the visionary leadership style with a worker rights agenda and an in-depth knowledge of arbitration precedence that wins shop floor grievances.

Caterpillar struck back at the growing rank-and-file movement by discharging George Cornwell in March, within days of his nomination for the Local-wide bargaining chairman position. CAT claimed ‘inappropriate behavior,’ stemming from a verbal altercation with management during a grievance procedure. Cornwell was performing his duties as Grievance Committee Chairman (a federally protected status) when the episode took place. He was reinstated to work on Sept. 19 and the group celebrated with the first of many Solidarity Day rallies on Sept. 24.

#PeoriaIL #AutoUnitedAutoWorkers #Statement #AutoworkersFightBack #Caterpillar #UAW

Canton, IL – About 100 trade unionists and others gathered here, July 8, for Solidarity Day 2. This second annual picnic and program celebrating the solidarity of working people brought together labor activists from Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Missouri. Rob Wilson, a rank-and-file leader of UAW members at Caterpillar told the crowd that the corporate elite that run this country do not care about anyone or anything except their bottom line. Larry Solomon, retired president of Decatur UAW Local 751 and a legendary labor leader of the mid-1990s battle with Caterpillar, gave the Solidarity Day address, in which he called on workers to come together to transform the labor movement and the country as a whole. Other speakers included Tom Seymour, retired president of UAW Local 858 and Leroy McKnight, a General Motors retiree.

Rank-and-file UAW members at Caterpillar are a positive example for the rest of the labor movement. In April, UAW Local 974, located in East Peoria, Illinois, held an election for delegates to the United Auto Workers International Constitutional Convention. 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.

#CantonIL #News #AutoUnitedAutoWorkers #AutoworkersFightBack #UnitedAutoWorkers #Caterpillar

Just days before the lockout, Celanese refused to bargain and offered a last and final offer, then issued the lockout notice. On June 28, the two sides met and came close to an agreement, but Celanese had other plans. On July 6 when the two sides met again, Celanese offered a regressive package: reducing wages by 30%, eliminating the maintenance department, reducing vacation time and reneging on issues already tentatively agreed to. It was an offer no union could accept.

During the course of this dispute, Special Response Team (SRT) thugs have continued a pattern of harassment against the families of Local 484, living up to their reputation of “anything goes.” SRT goons have expanded their campaign of terror into the community by driving through neighborhoods videotaping members’ homes and even members’ children at play in their yards. Though this activity is illegal, the local sheriff’s department has joined forces with Celanese. A local judge never hesitated in issuing an injunction limiting picketers even though there has been no violence. Authorities have been swift in citing picketers and harassing labor supporters, but have done nothing to stop SRT from disrupting the harmony and sense of community in this small, midwestern town. While Celanese has launched the usual campaign of terror on the entire community, local businesses and Meredosia residents have come together in support of the locked out families.

With support from the international union strike fund, Local 484 is valiantly fighting back. Rank-and-file members, empowered by savvy local leaders like President Kelly Street and the executive board, have hit the ground running. Member organizers have established a Road Warrior group to travel the U.S. to raise much-needed funds to support the fight and support families through a food distribution program. Road Warriors carry the message to local unions and community organizations with speakers, literature and a short video. They are organizing strategic rallies to force Celanese back to the bargaining table. This dedicated group also carries the responsibility of forming ongoing support groups in cities throughout North America.

Local 484 has developed an Adopt-A-Family program where local unions, community organizations and individuals can adopt Local 484 families to help keep the members in the fight. Each adopted family is required to communicate directly with the adopting organization or individual and must perform union service related to the fightback.

Here’s how you can help. Ask your union local to give a donation or adopt a family or both. Ask your local or organization to conduct plant gate collections and job-site donations to support this local in a fight that affects us all. Visit the picket lines and the Local hall in Meredosia. Invite a Road Warrior group to speak and show a video at your next meeting. Pass the hat for their expenses and call for a vote for support. Help build ongoing support groups in your community. Call your legislators and demand justice for these locked out workers and their families.

Send a contribution to: IBB Local 484 Solidarity Defense Fund or IBB Local 484 Adopt-A-Family Fund, PO Box 258, Meredosia IL 62665.

For more information contact Local 484:

Phone: 217-584-1916, fax: 217-584-1856 or visit their website at: www.boilermakers484.org

Mike Griffin heads the Illinois-based War Zone Education Foundation. While the Foundation is assisting this embattled local, it asks you send all contributions directly to Local 484. You can obtain an official letter from the local requesting support forLocal 484 and forms for the Adopt-A-Family program.

#MeredosiaIL #News #AutoworkersFightBack #BoilermakersLocal484 #Celanese #SpecialResponseTeam