While strikers are trying to win a fair contract and a half way decent wage at Alliance Interiors in Lansing, GM UAW members at Local 602 where they build the hot selling Enclave, Outlook, and Acadia are unloading scab parts from scab trucks and mounting them onto...........what else can you call them?........scab vehicles built by UAW members of Local 602.
Management at Alliance Interiors is manning production and they are bringing in scabs. They haven't been able to keep pace with the production at the GM plant but the Local UAW Officials are warning UAW members to keep using the scab parts or they will get fired. So the workers are getting short shifts, at least until the Con Caucus business partners can get replacement workers up to speed.
sos shot
Caution to strikers:
A small auto supplier, Alliance, in Lansing went on strike tonight. Management wants to cut their wages from $10.75 to $9 per hour. The plant supplies the GM plant that is making the Enclave, Acadia, and Outlook with carpets. Ryder is a UAW represented company that delivers between the two plants. After work tonight, I stopped by the picket line. At both gates the picketers told me (after I asked directly) that Ryder was not crossing the line. They complained about the sheriffs though. They said the cops were harassing them. There were several cop cars at each gate. 4-6 per gate. Then a cop pulled up behind me (I was parked in the road in front of the gate) and put on his flasher. I pulled ahead slowly, the cop did a U-turn and escorted a scab truck into the plant. I called over to the GM plant and heard that workers were in an uproar, pissed that management would try to cut these workers' pay so severely. They wanted to refuse to unload scab parts. I informed them that a truck had crossed the line escorted by police. All the union reps from the GM plant, except for one alternate, were at Alliance supposedly to support the strike. Art Luna, an International Rep, called and told material handlers to unload the truck if they were given a direct order. (Who informed him that the truck was coming or that workers were protesting against unloading scab parts?) "Smile and File" is the rule, but there weren't even any health & safety reps and no committee reps other than a lone alternate. From a subsequent conversation over the phone, I learned that union reps from the GM plant had called the police to come to Alliance — "For safety". (I have only one source at this point. I will try to follow up and learn more.) When the truck arrived at the GM plant workers gathered on the dock and yelled "Scabs, scabs, scabs. We won't unload scab parts." Management looked frightened but quickly followed (Luna's) directive. They gave everyone direct orders to return to the line. They had to repeat the direct orders several times before workers returned. There were no UAW reps available. (They were supporting the strike, don't you know). Workers were given direct orders to unload the truck.
Vote all of the UAW reps out of office. You couldn't possibly do worse.
sos shot
