Long ago, many top North American Labor leaders agreed to tie their own interests with those of the corporations. This jointness provided a great degree of future security to the union officials at the expense of the divided workers. The corporations indoctrination promoting a 'competitive culture' was so deeply promoted that employees in the same departments were compelled by their union representation to compete. Their systems broke solidarity between the workers at all levels of the corporation, regardless of the regional sub-divisions.

Rank-and-file workers have now begun to fight back against this insanity. Many bargaining units, with solid, respectable plant level leadership are under attack by the corporate HQ. Many of these plant level groups of workers have been abandoned by the top union officials, told to fend for themselves. The union brass joins with management in a process of isolating and vilifying these employees and their representatives. The more profitable the bargaining unit is, the more intense the attack. Union brass stand back as the employer savages the local agreements. Once the membership has been decimated, the top union leaders move in and negotiate a bottom of the barrel agreement. The union brass preaches to workers about the corporations 'rule of law', telling the workers that 'the union' is not legally able to come to 'the workers' rescue. They tell the workers that preserving the legal framewore that protects the 'union establishment' is more important than actions that protect worker solidarity.

Workers spirits are not broken forever. There are successes. Workers on strike have plenty of time to build rank-and-file solidarity. Over time, this worker unity is bound to develop into an overwhelming backlash that defeats the top union brass. Strong local leadership can forge bonds of solidarity between groups of workers at different businesses. They can do this by visiting workers at their worplaces, leafletting, and discussing their common goals and desires. Similarly, strong local leadership can forge bonds of solidarity between workers employed at the same location, those bonds that have weakened and become frail over time.

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Solidarity with Induction Services Workers Against Toyota Accepting Scab Parts

Since February 26 American Axle UAW workers have been striking for a decent contract and against wage cuts and plant closings. When the strike began we were picketing in the snow. Since then we’ve picketed in the rain and wind, and now it’s spring and we are still at square one in the negotiations. We are now the longest strike in U.S. auto history in more than forty years! Last year Dick Dauch, American Axle’s CEO, had a benefit package of $10 million, a 9% increase, nonetheless he’s demanding that workers take a 50% wage and benefit cut. In fact, over the last 14 years he’s made more than $250 million! But he’s also threatening to close down several plants. If we gave in to these demands many of us would loose our homes and be unable to provide for our children’s education. We believe everyone should have the right to a decent wage!

Since we have been on strike American Axle supervisors have been building the Hino axles, which are being sent to Induction Services. So we have set up an informational picket line on public property to highlight how wrong it is for Toyota to use scab Hino axles that American Axle workers were making before the strike, and would like to make again after we settle. We have notified the National Labor Relations Board that we are here, and they told us our activity is perfectly legal.

We are not asking you to stop work, but we do ask that if you handle Hino axles from American Axle Detroit Forge please look for the upmost quality. Inferior work can mean serious consequences. We also ask that you “work to rule.” That is we are asking you not to do management any favors – just go by the written rules.

We understand that you are a UAW-represented shop, that your contract is coming up and that you too have taken a strike vote. We want to express our solidarity with you in your fight for a better contract.

When workers stand together, we have much more protection than when each person stands alone. We are asking for your support to our fight, and we pledge to have your back. Let’s stay in touch!

SOLIDARITY FOREVER!

A Group of American Axle Strikers, Retirees from UAW L. 235, L. 262 and Supporters

For further information contact L. 235 at 313-871-1190, L. 262 at 313-871-1262

(written by Shifting Gears, wthomp4490@aol.com, 313-892-7974)

Labor donated

Solidarity with Induction Services Workers Against Toyota Accepting Scab Parts

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May 16, 2008

Kansas City's UAW local: GM strike is about rights

BY KATIE MERX
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- The UAW local at GM's Kansas City, Kan., assembly plant remained on strike Thursday even as the local striking GM's Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant reached a tentative agreement.

Leaders and members at the Kansas plant say their walkout has nothing to do with the UAW's 11-week-old strike against American Axle & Manufacturing Inc., the Detroit-based supplier to GM, and add that they will stay out as long as it takes to protect the job and shift-placement procedures in place at the factory.

The dispute takes on greater significance as dealerships start running low on the Chevrolet Malibu and the Saturn Aura sedans made at the Kansas plant. The award-winning Malibu is one of GM's top-selling cars at a time when American consumers, shocked by high gas prices, are turning away from pickups and SUVs in favor of cars and car-based crossover vehicles.

Malibus have been selling within a month of arriving at dealerships, according to the Web site Edmunds.com. By today, the Kansas plant will have lost two weeks of output.

The Lansing plant, which is the only source for the Buick Enclave and other of GM's fast-selling crossover vehicles, has been on strike for a month.

The workers at the union hall and on the sunny picket line in front of the plant this week said they aren't asking for anything new from GM, simply to protect existing seniority rights.

Workers at UAW Local 31 in Kansas found the news of a tentative agreement at Lansing Delta Township promising. But their hope for a swift end to their strike was tempered Thursday morning when negotiators said little to no progress has been made in recent days. The union told members to call their creditors to tell them how the strike would affect their ability to pay bills.

Officials at the union hall said nothing had changed. The local was holding officer elections Thursday, with most positions contested, including that of Local 31 President Jeff Manning, who spoke to the Free Press on Wednesday.

"Our feeling is that GM would like to take anyone with more than 30 years and force them out," Manning said. Under the rule changes proposed by GM in local negotiations in Kansas City, Manning said, "GM would have sole rights to place you on whatever job they want to."

Job and shift changes have been determined by preference of the most-senior workers.

Manning said he believes GM is proposing the change in seniority because the company hasn't gotten as many people to sign up to leave through buyout and early retirement offers as it had hoped.

The deadline is next week, and GM hasn't said how many workers it would like to take the offers.

GM would like for some older workers to leave through the attrition plan it is offering, so it can hire new workers at a lower wage and with fewerbenefits.

That was made possible by the GM-UAW national contract agreed to last fall.

Under that contract, new hires into so-called noncore jobs cost the company about half the hourly rate of the current workforce.

Those new hires can move into higher wage posts eventually, but they would never get the better benefits packages current workers receive.

With new seniority rules, Manning and financial secretary Donna Birks said, GM would have the potential to make life miserable for workers who stay that GM wished had gone.

"It opens up the possibility for discrimination based on race, sex, age, anything," Manning said.

"They want to handpick the people they want for jobs," said Birks, who is running uncontested for another term as financial secretary. "If they don't like you, what kind of job are you going to get?"

The goal of the strike, Manning and Birks said, is simply to maintain the protections workers have now.

But some analysts argue that the locals in Kansas City and Lansing Delta Township went on strike to put pressure on GM to encourage a settlement in the UAW's strike against American Axle. UAW-American Axle talks are to continue today.

Those two GM plants are among the automaker's most important for sales these days, because they're building vehicles in two segments -- midsize cars and crossovers -- that are growing in the United States during the current economic and automotive downturn.

While Manning also said he believes the Malibu gives his local some leverage in talks with GM, he said that leverage is being used to protect the rights of GM workers and has nothing to do with American Axle.

"If this were about American Axle, we would have gone out a lot sooner," Manning said.

If the strike were to last through the month, workers would lose their benefits beginning June 1.

"This local has been here since 1942, and has never been on strike," Manning said, "but we're not going to lay down."

Jorge Rodriguez, a 33-year-old body shop worker, agreed.

"This is not about American Axle," said Rodriguez, who walked the picket line wearing a USA jacket. "These are local issues. Seniority rights are something we've had for 20 years, and we're not going to give it up. We'll be here as long as it takes. We have given them so much in the national agreement. I don't even understand why they want to take this, too."

Contact KATIE MERX at 313-222-8762 or kmerx@freepress.com

Kansas City's UAW local: GM strike is about rights

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Thank you,
John Martyn