Read Articles About The UAW Convention
LaborNotes Blogpost: "Autoworkers cultivate trouble, hope at this years convention."
Automotive News: Convention Video
Automotive News Article:
Read Jerry Tucker's
Statement About
Gary's Historic Bid
For UAW President
Nexteer's Multi-Tiered Contract Offers Nothing To Look Forward To!
New Live Bait And Ammo #149 The Sucker's Clause
Read UAW Presidential Candidates Letter to UAW Leadership (circulated to delegates before they voted!!):
Read UAW Pres. Candidate Gary Walkowicz
(delivered on first day of Con. Convention 6-14-10)
To our union brothers and sisters, workers at the Dearborn Truck Plant:
The UAW Convention will take place next week at Cobo Hall. You elected us to represent you at the Convention. We said when we ran that the four of us were opposed to the union’s policy of accepting concessions, which has damaged our lives, our standard of living and our prospects for the future. We said that this policy needs a drastic, 180-degree change.
We intend to raise the following issues at the Convention:
Don’t break promises to retirees – restore what was taken from them.
People who worked for 30 plus years were promised full health care and a pension they could count on. Those promises are being broken: vision and dental cut at Chrysler and GM; higher co-pays and premiums at many companies; pensions lost at Delphi; full pensions replaced by 401-k’s. NO MORE!
Don’t turn our backs on the next generation, our children – get rid of two-tier. Previous generations fought to ensure their children would live as well or better than they did. All these two and three-tier wage agreements destroy what our parents and grandparents fought for. It was recently stated that new hires in auto, at $14 an hour, will be worse off than when Ford paid $5 a day, before the union was even organized. 
Put a real end to concessions -- get back everything we gave up … and more! There needs to be a fight prepared to get back EVERY concession that was given up in EVERY UAW contract – auto, parts workers, state workers, office workers. We deserve back the raises, bonuses, COLA, holidays, break time and everything else stolen from us.
The membership must have full control over every step in contract changes. Contracts should not be reopened or re-negotiated without first having a vote by the membership. Our top leadership should not be able to negotiate local agreements over the heads of local presidents and bargaining committees. The membership should see the exact language on all changes.
We also want you to know that we intend to see Gary Walkowicz nominated for UAW President.
We know, given the way the convention is organized and the way that most delegates are chosen, that he cannot win.
But we think it is important that there be at least one person nominated at this convention who clearly stands for a drastic change in policy for our union – someone who helped organize the NO vote at Ford, someone who can speak for all those workers who want to put a stop to concessions.
Signed, Delegates Gary Walkowicz, Nick Kottalis, Cathy Abney; Alternate Dewayne Jackson.
Labor donated
6-9-10
Please feel free to download and print this important letter. (download)
