TAKE BACK YOUR UNION!

-Issue 6-

Some thoughts while wondering where the UAW symbol is on the new GMCH sign out front.

Ø  It was good to see the flyer from “A Concerned Lockport Worker”. Not only was it right on the money , it was good to hear from another union member who isn’t going to be fooled or threatened into voting for a contract that screws us again! We look forward to hearing from them (and others) again, especially because there are some pretty thick skulls in GM Management and the concessionary UAW.

Ø  A significant issue we haven’t addressed yet is the attendance procedure. Why isn’t it in the contract and why is the Shop Committee the only ones who get to vote on it? Is it because they know that if it was included, no contract would ever have a chance of passing? We think so. (Most of us think we will never be affected by the attendance procedure. We better think again.)

So much has been given away that is very easy for good employees to get caught up in the new disciplinary progressions. One employee illness, health problem, or a family member’s health problem could easily put you in the Attendance Program for 18 months, with each subsequent offence starting the disciplinary calendar over again. You’ll get out when they get you “out the door”. Why wouldn’t this also concern the Shop Committee? Because the Attendance Procedure doesn’t really apply to them, their hours are “flexible”, and the Shop Chairman can take care of any supervisor who calls attention to committeeman violations.

Ø  Rumors surrounding a buyout have been circulating recently. They have centered on the severance figure of $40,000 being offered to high seniority first. The last Internationally negotiated UAW buyout was for the assembly plants and totaled $105,000 ($80,000 cash and $25,000 new car voucher). Would it surprise anyone if the International continued to sell us out and insult us with an offer 65% less?Unfortunately, no! At this point we almost expect it.

Ø  It has come to our attention that some of the elected and appointed Union officials have attempted to “discredit” “Take Back Your Union” because “the person isn’t signing it”. First of all, the person “can’t sign it because it isn’t a person”. What started out as a small group has ballooned into a collection of Union Sisters & Brothers doing anything they can to provide truthful information to their fellow Union members. And actually it is signed. It truly is a publication of The Rank & File.

Secondly, it shouldn’t matter who is putting the information out, but what the information is. These Union officials would like to try and discredit an individual member or a small group of members rather than face the issues. But, it’s when they try to discredit this membership that they truly have forgotten what a union stands for!

From: The Rank & File