This is a post I found on the Daily Worker OnLine:
Last weekend, UAW officials announced they had signed a tentative agreement with American Axle and Manufacturing, seeking to put an end to the 12-week strike that has crippled the spin-off and its parent, General Motors. As expected, the new “contract” is an abomination:
- average wages cut by one-third
- holidays and benefits slashed
- Cost Of Living Adjustments eliminated
- the eight-hour day eliminated
- the right to strike over health and safety issues eliminated
- the grievance procedure rewritten in favor of management
- the Detroit and Tonawanda, N.Y., forges shut down
- a non-union plant in Oxford Twp., Mich., opened
In exchange, AAM management will bribe the current workforce with “buyouts” and “buydowns” — the blood money provided by GM — to get them the accept the deal. In addition, the UAW officials get a pass at “organizing” some previously non-union elements through a “neutrality” agreement.UAW members in New York and at the Three Rivers, Mich., facility were presented with the “contract” on Monday … and pushed to vote on it at the same time. In other words, the officials pushed the workers to accept the deal through haranguing and intimidation, and would not allow our brothers and sisters to take some time to study the deal, think about it and make an informed decision.This should come as no surprise. The more someone studies this deal, the more they realize it stinks! Luckily, the workers at the main Detroit facility had the foresight to require a period of study and discussion before taking a ratification vote. That vote is today (Thursday, May 22).If this deal goes through, it will be a textbook case of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The 12-week strike had put not only American Axle in a troubling situation, but also General Motors. The length of the strike had forced GM and its dealers to strip and cannibalize other cars to fulfill repair demands. Nearly one-third of GM plants were idled or forced to cut back production because of the strike.At the same time, the actions of the UAW officials — especially that of UAW President Ronald “McDonald” Gettelfinger — have created a movement of no confidence in the “union” and its ability to wage a strike. This is why many workers have voted in favor of the “contract” so far: they want the buyout and early retirement; they don’t see Gettelfinger & Co. as willing or even able to represent and defend their interests.Gettelfinger and his officials whined that AAM management was seeking to “crush” the union. As if this is something new … in the industry and in the history of the American labor movement! The difference is that, when this has happened in the past (OK, waaay in the past), the union officials have found a little bit of spine to stiffen and actually fought back — albeit often half-heartedly or in a generally half-assed manner. But when Gettelfinger and his “UAW, Inc.” felt a little bit of heat from AAM, they groveled and begged for the bosses’ forgiveness in the media.The UAW officials call this “the best we could do”. Oh, really?! Well, if this is the best you could do, then you have no business being in charge of a push broom, much less a supposed labor union. This is why we have called for workers’ control of the strike from the beginning. We knew these officials would knife our brothers and sisters for their own gain, and said so from the get go.We urge our fellow workers voting today in Detroit to send a strong message and vote NO on the contract. You might not be able to stop Gettelfinger from throwing you to the jackals, but you can make it clear that this fight is not over and will continue.The League will have more on this historic defeat for working people in the U.S. in the June issue of Working People’s Advocate