Consisting of academic student employees, graduate student researchers, postdoctoral researchers and employees, associate instructors and teaching assistants, and spanning from San Diego to Davis, academic workers are not backing down to the University of California (UC) system.

They are demanding that the United Auto Workers represent them and bargain for a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). “The $54,000, it would be a significant cost-of-living adjustment and it would be an amount that would lift most of us out of rent burden,” said Galen Liang, a graduate student instructor at UCB. The adjustment is a necessity for these workers across California as the cost of living continues to rise and their wages do not. Liang states, “We are living in a private housing market, where rates at other campuses can change so drastically.”

They used UC San Diego’s rent as an example, where the university-owned graduate housing rent goes up 100% every two years. Delena Ngo, an academic worker from Yale, who was there in solidarity with the UC strikes, confirms, “There’s just no housing anywhere, now.” The proposition from the UC system lacked other substantial benefits like childcare services and affordable healthcare, especially for those entering their workforce. “The UC should make sure that we have enough to live and get adequate housing,” states Ngo.

At a pre-bargaining caucus, the UAW union discussed dropping COLA from their bargaining demands with the UC. Academic worker strikes erupted across California, a demonstration of the rank-and-file workers’ frustrations with their union and employer. Conor Jackson, a head steward for UAW Local 2865, responds, “First step is raise everyone’s pay, right now, to a livable wage and also, make sure that we have annual increases that are commensurate with the change in the cost of living over time. So, our current proposal for both units is a 7% general range adjustment each year.”

Sean Malloy, professor at UC Merced, states “Given the cost of inflation, 7% isn't even keeping up with it,” echoing the dissatisfaction the academic workers have with these potential contracts. Leadership in UAW 2865 made promises to incorporate COLA as a demand in two years, but the academic workers have not remained silent as an integral demand is threatened to be discarded. “Just because we are treated so horribly and we were paid so little in the past, literally below poverty wages, doesn’t mean that we should normalize that circumstance and situation and we should demand more,” stated Galen Liang.

The workers know they are the ones to decide their demands, and they are prepared for months-long strikes to hold their leaders responsible. Liang adds, “Only through collective action can we really change the direction of how things are going.”

The workers’ demand living wages (adjusted for inflation), inclusive childcare programs, extensive parental benefits, and affordable healthcare for all academic researchers and workers.

With the growing strikes and demands for living wages, those picketing are hopeful for the futures of unions and workers’ rights. “For the first time in my adult life, I’ve seen a growth of union activity, rather than a shrinkage,” Sean Malloy said, “We’re now seeing both increased membership and militancy, as well.”

As of the week of December 4, the postdoctoral researchers are voting to ratify their contract. The Student Researchers United bargaining team made a new proposal to the UC, which lowers the $54,000 stipend to $43,000. Many academic workers are dissatisfied with the new potential contract; they will continue with the statewide strikes against the UC system until their demands are met.

#BerkeleyCA #UnitedAutoWorkers #UniversityOfCalifornia #Strikes

Waterloo, IA – At Midnight on October 14, 10,000 United Auto Worker union members went on strike across four Midwestern states and Colorado, with over 90% of workers having voted to strike. The workers rejected a six-year contract that would eliminate their pensions, preserve a two-tier wage system that disadvantages new workers, and would have raises that don’t keep pace with inflation.

Workers from Milwaukee representing the Young Workers Committee (YWC) of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council (MALC) visited UAW Local 838 workers in Waterloo, Iowa, where the largest number of John Deere union workers are employed, with around 3000 union workers at locations across the city.

There were two delegations: one visited the lines on October 24, a cold and rainy day; and the other visited on October 25, with the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky. The purpose of the trips was to demonstrate solidarity by delivering food, donating money to the strike fund, and joining the John Deere workers on the picket line. Strike support is something that YWC promotes as a part of its goal to bring a fighting spirit back to the labor movement.

While speaking with members of the YWC delegation, one UAW worker on the picket line remarked, “John Deere doesn’t own us, they rent us, and the rent is going up!”

John Deere union workers have not gone on strike since the Farm Crisis of the late 1980s when grain prices and demand for agricultural equipment collapsed. In sharp contrast to the conditions leading up to the 1986-1987 strike, John Deere raked in record profits of $4.7 billion in the first nine months of 2021 (more than $1 billion greater than the entire record-setting year of 2013), grain prices have surged, and there is incredible demand for agricultural equipment. The previous strike lasted for 163 days.

Since the beginning of the strike, the bosses have filed injunctions against the union to stop picket lines in multiple cities. Injunctions were filed against the pickets in Davenport and Ankeny, Iowa. While the judge in the Davenport case has issued a temporary order limiting the number of picketers to four at a time and banning burn barrels and lawn chairs, the attempt in Ankeny has been defeated.

A worker joining the picket line in Moline, Illinois was struck and killed while crossing the Rock Island-Milan Beltway. Details have not yet been released to the public about the circumstances leading up to the death of the worker.

If you would like to contribute to the union workers on strike contact UAW Region 4 in the Midwest at 847-459-3888 and UAW Region 8 in Colorado at 615-443-7654.

#WaterlooIA #WaterlooIN #PeoplesStruggles #UnitedAutoWorkers #Strikes #YoungWorkersCommitteeOfTheMilwaukeeAreaLaborCouncil

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

Nearly five dozen members of UAW Local 291 have gone on strike. The picketing began early Monday morning, Feb. 6, after the conclusion of a workers’ meeting during which the decision was made to take action.

The workers at AxleTech chose to go on strike because they believe they are being put at a disadvantage in the negotiation process, with essential information regarding insurance coverage being denied to them.

“We are on an unfair labor practice strike,” UAW Local 291 President Robert Mitchell said. “We hope to get an agreement soon to get our people back to work.”

In addition to the picketing, the members of UAW Local 291 are planning a support rally to be held at their union headquarters in Oshkosh at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11.

#OshkoshWI #PeoplesStruggles #AutoUnitedAutoWorkers #UnitedAutoWorkers

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

Fight Back!: For months we’ve heard about the economic and financial crisis and how it’s playing out in the auto industry. The corporate media doesn’t report on what it means for workers.

Gregg Shotwell: I’m retired since November, 2008 but I’m in contact with workers. The peculiar situation now is the average worker has come to realize they are not just fighting the company; they are fighting the union and they are fighting the government. They really feel like everything is stacked up against them.

It’s become increasingly clear that the union has blocked the rank and file out of negotiations. So workers and retirees feel abandoned. They’re up against a three-headed dog: the union, the company and the government.

Most critically, in the last labor agreement that came out with Chrysler, workers didn’t have any information on the contract they were going to vote on until the day they were to vote on it, but they were told this: If you don’t pass this contract, the company will go into bankruptcy and then everything will be in jeopardy. So the workers were voting with a gun to their head.

In the contract, certain plants were guaranteed to stay open. As soon as the contract was ratified, Chrysler went into bankruptcy, and announced additional plant closings. After all the concessions they made, they still didn’t get any security.

But the worst thing and this is the most important part of what happened in this last set of negotiations, the union agreed that in 2011, when this contract expires, if they can’t settle the next contract, they agree to non-binding arbitration, and compensation would be set at non-union levels.

This is not a contract: this is a death warrant for the union. The union de-certified itself. There’s no longer any benefit to membership. If they agree in advance we will accept non-binding arbitration – this goes along with the no-strike clause. They’ve abrogated voting rights.

This is a moving target. In 2011, Toyota will have ratcheted down their compensation because they only set their level of wages at the union level to keep the union out. That’s no longer a threat to them any more. Now they can go back to workers in their factories that don’t have any union and say to them, “We going to have to cut a dollar or two an hour; we’re going to have to cut health care; we’re going to have to stop contributing to your 401k.” So by 2011, the average non-union wage is going to be that much lower than it is now.

So what the union has done is decertify itself as the bargaining agent for workers.

Fight Back!: Is there an initiative by any force to fight any part of this?

Shotwell: There is a lot of anger out there so there are opportunities. We’re seeing a lot of reactions – a lot of spontaneous activity right now, especially in the Detroit area and in Michigan, where Chrysler workers are demonstrating and picketing, demanding to keep their plants open.

The other part of the fight back is the potential for a broader movement. This crisis isn’t new, it’s just broader. We can go back and look at steel and rubber and textile and electronics and airlines and PATCO and Staley and say, “Y’know, they’ve been picking us off one at a time for years and years.”

But now everybody is impacted and there’s not a safety net for anyone, because if it’s not your pension it’s your 401k, or it’s that your house isn’t worth anything any more; or you’re forced to relocate but you can’t afford to uproot; or you’re losing your job or your pay is being cut; and it doesn’t matter if you’re a knowledge worker or a salaried worker or a laborer, everybody is in this position. Everybody’s angry and threatened and recognizing that these mechanisms and these organizations that were supposed to secure your life, are no longer valid. All the rules have changed. I think there’s a real possibility that we can have a much more united resistance because everyone is under attack, not just one industry or one union.

#UnitedStates #CapitalismAndEconomy #Interview #Bailout #Interviews #AutoUnitedAutoWorkers #crisisOfCapitalism #UnitedAutoworkers #GreggShotwell