Way to go American Axle Detroit Forge!

[wthom...@aol.com]

Thurs. night this week at American Axle Detroit Forge, management made an error on production needs and went around and asked everyone to stay over four hours. Everyone made the individual decision to refuse the offer! Way to go Forge! Then they forced them in on Saturday. Whatever. A point was made. Also, the four hours would have been at straight time since you don’t get time and a half until after 40!

 Then supervisors started running production. Write their asses up and demand laid-off workers get paid. The unity on the picket line is carrying over into the plant. Now let’s form a committee to go organize the non-union plant in Oxford where the Forge work has been and will be going!

Wendy

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[NYBiker]

What "Union" would you like them to join? The UAW?? Don't you think
memebership in the UAW has destroyed enough lives?

[NYBiker]

Don't worry Wendy. As part of the UAW's reward for helping AAM screw
workers into the ground and destroy their lives, AAM has agreed to
allow the UAW to organize the other plants. It's in the new
contract. The AAM strike was the American Auto Workers last chance to
make a stand. Look around, there isn't much left other than the
newbies making minimum wage.

The AAM strike gave workers the opportunity to show the rest of the
industry how to win in the new global world. Instead of picketing and
protesting the worst offender, the UAW, they only did what their
handlers allowed them to do. Although the workers had two advisories,
they chose to fight only one. You can't win a battle that way, let
alone a war.

Wendy, I have a great deal of respect for you and appreciate all the
hard work you've done. Your heart is in the right place, but as the
AAM strike showed us, the UAW uses people like you to accomplish their
goals. You still believe the UAW of old will someday be resurrected
and they will go back to being the worker advocate they once were.

You were lucky enough to be a member of the UAW when it was the
strongest, greatest Union in the world. Unfortunately the UAW has
gone the way of the hula hoop and vinyl records. Until that
realization finally hits home, there can be no resurgence of labor in
this country. Until people realize that they themselves must do for
themselves, nothing will ever change.

[wthom...@aol.com]

yes, card check. another plant for leafletting with Shifting Gears, trying to get the shop floor workers involved. When I hired in in 1972, my eyes were wide open. The union was already controlled by a one party system and had let management have control on the shop floor. It was necessary to take on both management and the union leadership as it is today.

I felt that because of weak leadership we would lose the strike even while we were fighting to win - perhaps not lose as badly as we did, but no matter how bad things get we must still point the way forward. As Joe Hill said: Don't Mourn, Organize!

Picketing Solidarity House would not have won the strike. We couldn't even get folks out for our informational pickets at Poletown. Fortunately, it was still successful because of our leaflet and the fact we could report back on the very positive response we got. A policy of mass pickets would have made a difference.

Wendy

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[Overfield]

You can’t say that shining the light on the UAW wouldn’t have done anything.  You don’t know, because you didn’t try.  The UAW is as much to blame for workers woes as any of the companies.  They are part of the problem, not the solution.  You can’t solve a problem by only addressing half of it. 

 

Yeah, 6,000 people lost their jobs…way to go Wendy…very positive.  Wake up!!