Indianapolis workers denounce GM-UAW threats

[IndianaGreen]

Indianapolis workers denounce GM-UAW threats

By Andre Damon
18 August 2010

Following an explosive union meeting Sunday in Indianapolis—in which workers shouted down officials from the United Auto Workers union and drove them from the meeting—all the forces of the establishment have united to intimidate the workers at the General Motors stamping plant into taking wage and benefit cuts.

GM announced Tuesday that it plans to stop production at the Indianapolis stamping plant in June 2011, in a move that auto workers condemned as a naked effort to blackmail them into accepting concessions.

“The plan is to have all the dies out by June; they’re moving up the closing date. It’s just another one of the ways they’re trying to scare us,” said Mark, a skilled tradesman with 18 years at the plant.

On Sunday, workers at UAW Local 23 rejected a UAW-proposed contract, which calls for a 50 percent reduction in workers’ wages and benefits as part of the plant’s sale to JD Norman, a former Wall Street speculator.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/aug2010/inds-a18.shtml

[sailor65]

1. The UAW is just as corrupt

as the executives it claims to fight.

[IndianaGreen]

2. Taft-Hartley and McCarthyism emasculated organized labour in America

The elements most efficient and loyal (to the workers) were purged from the union rolls.

[Citizen Worker]

4. Yes, this is true Indiana Green but there's more to the story.

At the end of WW II there was the Labor/Capital Accord. Also known as the Treaty of Detroit or The Deal. In short capital agreed to recognize a worker's right to join a Union of her/his choice and that Labor would advocate for increased wages, benefits and working conditions and that from time to time would strike to achieve those objectives. In return Labor agreed to cease organizing a third political party, cease talking about price controls or limits on profits, etc. There were other elements to the accord that I don't recall off hand. Ten International Unions were expelled from the Federation and of those that remained there was a massive purge of the most progressive elements and leadership. A very sad chapter in an otherwise rich history of working class people.

Capital broke the accord when Reagan fired the air traffic controllers in 1981 and Labor remained quiescent while capital waited for the backlash that never came. When Reagan came into office Union density was at about 25%. Today it's about 11%. The "deal is dead." And what we're left with is two corrupt political partys that dance to the tune of capital and Labor, so far, remains at a loss of what to do. However, I remain hopeful that the AFL/CIO under the leadership of Rich Trumka will put the movement back in Labor.

[midnight]

5. Presidential candidate,Mit Romney, wants to finish the job.

[SnakeEyes]

3. Further proof to trust no one

Those you give power to will eventually use that power against you in some fashion.