To: Detroit/Seattle
Workers' Voice mailing list
October 19, 2019
RE: Solidarity with the striking auto workers and Chicago public school teachers
By Joseph Green, Detroit Workers' Voice
Since last year, there has been a notable recovery in the strike movement. Among the present struggles are the GM auto strike, the UAW janitors strike (Aramark), the Mack Trucks (part of Volvo) strike, and the Chicago teachers strike. The GM auto strike has lasted five weeks, and reflects the discontent of auto workers over what's been happening to them for a long time. The UAW leadership has for a long time restricted strikes, if they do occur, to token brief walkouts. But this is a major strike, with workers angry not just over their own wages and benefits, but that of the lower tier and temporary workers.
Meanwhile the teachers' strike wave that began last year is continuing. 32,000 Chicago public school teachers and aides went on strike Thursday, October 17. The Chicago public school system is the 3rd largest in the US, with and over 1/3 million students. These schools have been subjected to years of privatization via charter schools, of cutting down on neighborhood schools in minority districts, and of pressure to push many long-time teachers out. This went on for years during the mayorship of the diehard neoliberal Rahm Emmanuel, from 2011 to 2019. He was an Obama crony, and what he did to Chicago public schools reflected Obama's program for the school system. This year Lori Lightfoot was elected mayor, and she promised that, for Chicago, "reform is here", but the teachers are having to strike, not just for their conditions, but for better conditions for students.
The revival of the strike movement shows that the bourgeoisie isn't going to get its fond hope of obliterating the workers' movement. It's important to spread solidarity with these strikes as far as possible. A strike is won not just because of the dedication of the strikers, but also due to the amount of sympathy and solidarity from other workers.
But the return of major strikes doesn't mean that the undermining role of the no-struggle union leaderships is over. The earlier teachers strikes of 2018-19 were often organized outside the official unions, and might continue in defiance of union leaders. The GM strike manifests worker anger, and it comes while one UAW leader after another is indicted for corruption.
The UAW leadership has now come to a tentative settlement of the GM strike and the janitors strike. What do we see? The UAW is giving janitors just a few hours to judge the settlement: the janitors are being sent back to work, but contract details aren't going to be released until Monday the 21st, and the vote on the contract will be the same day. But the UAW leadership can't get away with this for the GM strikers, who will have some time to consider the contract. The tentative GM contract represents a gain in that the workers will not face the spectacular increase in health premiums that GM had demanded, from the current 3% to 15%, but it backs down on issues of worker solidarity and other issues which workers are concerned about. For example, despite some window-dressing, it gives the OK for continuing to use temporary workers who are permanently in this temporary status. And while the bourgeois press pretends that the contract showers money on the strikers, in fact it provides for only small wage increases, less than expected inflation -- this is hidden by several one-time only bonuses.
So once again, the UAW leadership has betrayed union solidarity, and consented to the drive of the auto capitalists to divide the workers into different tiers, doing the same work but getting paid differently, with lots of temporary and tier 2 workers, whose position is precarious, who make half of what other workers make, and have few if any benefits.
There is now a major debate among GM workers on what stand to take towards the settlement. In the next week, we will see both more details about what the contract really has, and also whether the workers will turn down this contract, despite having been out on the streets for five weeks already. <>
A GM worker from a jeep plant in Toledo posted the following comment on FB, and it is spreading around auto worker circles:
I recommend GM union workers vote that tentative agreement down until they make it fair for all. Quit letting these greedy companies divide us. I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT A SIGNING BONUS!
BIGGER PICTURE:
GM isn't even thinking about bringing new product to Lordstown... Yet they send product out of the U.S. to be built for cheap.
TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES:
They said you'll get hired in guaranteed after three CONSECUTIVE years.
Consecutive defined - Following continuously. Edit: Meaning they can
work TE's a year, then lay them off 30 days... Which is legal. Guess
what happens then... You start your time all over.
IN PROGRESSION/GROW IN:
I'm happy for the 2019 seniority that they only have a 4 year
progression. Anyone with 4 years or more seniority should be considered
time served and should be making top rate upon ratification. The way
GM's is not allowing the 13s, 14s, and 15s to top out and have to serve
more than 4 years to top out puts an even bigger divide in the
membership.
WE HAVE THE POWER:
I understand life isn't fair, but our contract should be, especially
because the membership has the power to make it fair for everyone.
UAW WORKERS:
We have to be smart. We can't let the company only buy certain groups
to pass this contact. Vote no until until every group is taken care of.
In progression, soon to be retirees, and actual retirees is where this
contact lacks in my opinion.
Again: I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT A SIGNING BONUS!
I think long term and the bigger picture... Please open your mind and
do research... They can do better! Have patience and be smart about
your decision. <>
In New York, strikers can only get unemployment benefits after seven weeks on the streets. But in June this year, the state legislature passed a bill making strikers eligible for benefits after only one week. This would put New York on a par with some other states, and the UAW had pushed for this change, arguing that it would help in the upcoming conflict with GM.
Or rather, it would have if the governor ever got around to signing the bill. As of news reports of October 12, Governor Andrew Cuomo (Democrat) has folded his arms, and I have been unable to find any indication that he has signed it since then. So 3,400 UAW strikers in New York are still being denied benefits, and moreover being denied them by the same Cuomo whose campaign for governor had been endorsed by the UAW leadership.
Cuomo claims to be left-wing, but when it comes to the present conflict with big capital, such as the auto strike, he is making sure that the GM capitalists knows that he is on their side. Maybe he will sign the bill after the strike is over and it's too late for the workers to get benefits. Or not. He might want to reassure all capitalists that he is on their side.
See paydayreport and nydailynews. <>
Back to main
page,
how to order CV,
write us!
Posted on October 20,
2019
http://www.communistvoice.org
e-mail: mail@communistvoice.org