Community Labor News
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"Workers Rights are not defined by Law or Contract.  Workers Rights are defined by Struggle.  You will Win what you are willing to Fight for.   Nothing more."-- G. Shotwell

COMMENTS AND LETTERS OF SUPPORT

Solidarity Letter:
Justice for the Freightliner Five

I feel way more encouraged than I have in a long time

End Chrysler Strike???

What the #$%^@#$%^& is going on?

Where from here? (response)

A few things to consider before you vote

There is only one UNION philosophy

International Support to the Soldiers of Solidarity! 


International  Support from  Workers Solidarity.org
SOLDIERS OF SOLIDARITY
Start Organizing Support
Support Our Struggle
Stop Out Sourcing
Show our Strength
Strike Or Sitdown
Sign Of Solidarity
Support Our Strike
Stand on Solidarity
First they came for the Air Traffic Controllers, but since I was not one of them, it did not matter to me, and I did not defend them.

Then they came for the Meat Packers, but since I was not one of them, it did not matter to me, and I did not defend them.

Then they came for the Textile Workers, but since I was not one of them, it did not matter to me, and I did not defend them.

Then they came for the Steelworkers, but since I was not one of them, it did not matter to me, and I did not defend them.

Then they came for the workers at Bridgestone, Staley, and Caterpillar, but since I was not one of them, it did not matter to me, and I did not defend them.

They came for the airline workers, the newspaper workers, the tanners, weavers, truckers, railroad and industrial laborers of every sort, but since I was not one of them, it did not matter to me, and I did not defend them.

Then they came for me, and there was no one to defend me.

[ Concept attributed to Barry Heintz ]


Soldiers Of Solidarity
***SOS Slide Show--For all to view--Protest on Detroit Auto Show.  No download required ***"WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON"***Check it out***Click Here***
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RELATED NEWS
AND REPORTS
We Can Win This Strike!

Live Bait & Ammo #108: Buck the Bull

General Motors offers $200 million toward American Axle employee buyouts--Det. News   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  GM offers American Axle $200 million to end strike--Automotive News

GM moves Malibu fender production to Michigan--Automaker says the move not a response to Kansas strike

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2008 CAW Highlights.pdf
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GM to cut truck production, negotiate union layoffs

Management harasses a heart of pure gold--Employee disciplined while trying to help American Axle workers

The Rally Was A Tremendous Success!--One woman, Ada Walker, (who spoke eloquently on the video in front of the union hall at our last meeting) was arrested after being put in a neck hold by an out-of-control officer who is well known by picketers for his inciting behavior. What was her offense? Crossing the street!















  Picture taken by Alan Pollock

Click here for the Alan Pollock Photo Gallery 4/24/08 AAM Strikers Rally in Detroit

Click here to see American Axle Strikers Rally in Detroit video and Much More-- by A. Pollock

American Axle to suppliers: Be ready to resume production--Automotive News

SAP: Screw’em ALL Permanently

'We're fired up:' Axle workers hit board room and picket line--UAW Local worker 235 and other American Axle workers and their families picket outside the headquarters before a company shareholders meeting in Detroit.
VIEW THE DETROIT NEWS PHOTO GALLERY!!!   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   Broad support strengthens American Axle strike   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .Tempers flare during American Axle protest--Tempers flared as thousands of striking workers sounded off against American Axle Thursday.

The UAW International can cancel the RALLY on short notice but they can't cancel RANK & FILE SOLIDARITY on the PICKET LINE   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   . The American Axle picket line the day they cancelled the rally.

Rhetoric Heats Up In AAM Strike--WDIV-Det.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  Two years later, striking Conn-Selmer workers rally for support--In a show of solidarity, several UAW workers on strike at the American Axle plant in Three Rivers, Mich. were on hand to show their support

Does the UAW work for GM Management?
The strike at UAW Local 602 comes at a convenient time for management.  The plant was only able to run 4 hrs. on each shift due to the Alliance Interiors strike which created a lack of carpets.  Once the strike is settled at Alliance, will the strike at Lansing GM plant be over?  .  .  .  .  .  . Strikes still powerful for weakened UAW--Det. News   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .Strikes at General Motors plants in Kansas and Michigan are postponed   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .Strikers Play The Waiting Game

Caution to strikers:--G. Shotwell

Wage Cut and Plant Closings Unacceptable

Double the Strike Pay, Triple the TakeLive Bait & Ammo #107.pdf

Got to hang tough!--Strike Report

Disgruntled Autoworker # 49
Walking Bull's-eyes--Doug Hanscom

To All Delphi, Guide, Lear, Amer Axe UAW members with recall rights to GM

Support strikers at American Axle--Workers World

Chrysler may fall short of 10,000 buyouts: UAW--Reuters--We may have to enhance the packages

Is this the time to walk away from a good paying job?--Global crisis in world of high finance--Toronto Star

Hell No We Won’t Go!--We will ride this mule into the ground!

The Midwest's pain in globalization--Detroit News

Chrysler fears violence at Ill. plant--Detroit News

Strikers tell American Axle: 'Show us your profits!' Fighting pay, benefit cuts--Axis of Logic

No 2 tier.pdf--Center for Labor Renewal

American Axle, UAW far apart on money .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   Documents from AAM negotiations

We’ve Earned Respect and a Decent Contract!--Shifting Gears newsletter

Union-busting at Freightliner--LEE SUSTAR

We are trying to protect all of our employees in Tulsa, including our temps and others that will soon be hired. We could have taken our buy outs, retirements, transfers, and ran. But we didn't. We decided that someone needs to stand up and say no to concessions.---Final Lowlights.pdf

Announcing a public lecture:  After the Contract:  the UAW and the Future of American Labor.pdf

Critics Charge Court Order Raises Questions About Secrecy of GM's Planned Retiree VEBA

Unite for Union Strength--Justice 4 Five Petition

After Strike Against Concessions, Freightliner Workers Fight for Their Jobs --by Tiffany Ten Eyck

UAW Ford Contract Ratified - Union Says It Protects Active Workers And Retire Health Care Security -Workers Independent News

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Ford Contract
Ford Skilled Trades Agreement
Ford VEBA MOU
Ford Highlights

Ford-UAW 2007 Lowlights
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Treaty of Detroit Repealed
By David Moberg

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Chrysler Contract & Highlights
Bill Parkers Minority Report
Chrysler 2007 Lowlights

A Letter from your Skilled Trades Committeeman--Shawn Fain

The Whole Truth--S. Fain
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"The introduction of union-run VEBA's in the auto industry is just another transit point on the downward spiral of continuous concession-making facing UAW members and all workers in this country.  Jack Rasmus longtime activist and author has produced a definitive analysis of the current situation in a piece soon to be published in Z Magazine entitled:  VEBAs in the Auto Industry:   How Companies Dump Union Negotiated Health Plans

UAW-GM Contract
Hard work remains for GM, Locals
Tough issues unresolved by national deal must be solved at each factory.
 
Independent Analysts View the Chrysler Contract


GM and DAW Consummate Partnership
Breakthrough Design Memorializes Event --Leads the way to Discount Labor
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UAW/GM Contract & Highlights

GM-UAW 2007 LOWLIGHTS

The Union Advantage

Trust for Sale: Just Sign the Dotted Line
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UAW Revolutionizes Bargaining
with Team Concept Strike Duty:
Dynamic New Role May Put Auto Union In the Passenger Seat without Restraints-- Plus Deal on Health-Care Boosts Dow

SEC Intervention Sought By UAW Members--UAW Members Request SEC “Cease-and-Desist” Order to Halt Financing of GM/UAW VEBA Pending Full Investigation

Auto pact: the good, the bad and the ugly

A NEW DIRECTION FOR UAW-GM--By UAW Local 909 President, Al Benchich, Warren, MI.

One Sided Class War: The UAW-GM 2007 Negotiations--Sam Gindin

Disgruntled Autoworker # 46 October 2007--Liars, Thieves, Thugs, & Punks

Jointness At General Motors
COMPANY UNIONISM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

No Justice, No Solidarity
justice4five.com   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  We are members of the  2007 Bargaining Committee for United Auto Workers (UAW) local 3520, Cleveland, NC. On April 2, 2007 our Local's Strike Committee voted to strike. Our International Union was of the opinion  we should accept a weak contract offer. They tried to force us to take a contract with 22 open articles and 86 open Health and Safety issues back to our membership for ratification.   .   .   .   .In solidairity, check out the site and whip off an email in support. Click on "Our Story" it sounds all to familiar.

Live Bait & Ammo # 102: Pension Pass Throughs & Paperless Grievances


GM-UAW VEBA Deal Described As ‘House of Cards--“protection” in case GM goes bankrupt.  .  .  .claim is false and that the VEBA provides no such security--Santa Clara Law Professor, Stephen Diamond .   .   .   .   .   .   .

The UAW & General Motors:
From Union News to the Business Press--Will the membership ratify the contract?  That may depend on what they are hearing about the deal--ZMag.org

GM Contract Full of Take-Aways and Horse-Trades

Statement of Three Former UAW Executive
Board Members on UAW Tentative Agreement

Ripping to Shreds what Workers Built over 70 Years

80 years????--G. Shotwell

Disgruntled Autoworker #45
Not One Step Back

The Labor Lessons GM Never Learned--David Moberg

What?--Bill Hanline

Three Former UAW International Executive Board Members Question VEBA Healthcare Deal

By agreeing to VEBA, the UAW would play into GM's hand--"GM has positioned itself globally to disadvantage American workers and by agreeing to this VEBA the UAW would be playing directly into their hand and weakening the UAW in ways that are yet to be determined."

Live Bait & Ammo #99: A Blitzkrieg of Lies, Threats, and Bribes

NATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

Live Bait & Ammo # 98: Half a boondoggle is not better than no boondoggle

Big Three Bargaining in the US
The Costs of the Privatized Welfare State--Proposed Op-ed: Globe and Mail, Sam Gindin, September 15, 2007

Auto Armageddon?— Dianne Feeley

VEBA:Truth & Consequences by Jerry Tucker

Rank-and-file activists challenge 'prescription for disaster'

“UAW International reps receive 100% reimbursement for all out of pocket medical expenses and CEOs get the same tender loving care as our illustrious members of Congress........ Demand equal access to health care.”Live Bait & Ammo #88: Inequality is Morally Hazardous

The Delphi Contract 149 pages.pdf (1.7MB)

UAW betrays autoworkers--Walter Reuther's rally cry was " never a step backwards". Ron Gettlefingers rallying cry is " don't curse reverse". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UAW officers get pay raise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .UAW Officers and Salaries






Click here to View Soldiers of Solidarity Video Journals . . . Then Click on an Image to view . . .

Excellent SOS Slideshow--Protest at Detroit Auto Show--A Must See, Excellent Music "Power When We stand and Fight together"**requires download
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"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
--Martin Luther King
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"This is a critical time for auto workers.  So many years of passive compliance and concessions have divided our members between the younger and older workers, the full time and the temporary, and those who hold office for personal comfort and the rest of the plant.  It's time for a new, committed generation of leaders to be given the chance to represent the interest of all the workers, fulltime and temporary, active and retired.  Remember the 1930's sit-downers were young and committed 'boat-rockers.'  Their leadership made a better life for all of us. Today's challenges call for those type leaders again."

Jerry Tucker, former UAW Intl Executive Board Member

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Local 1853
Change Your Union Discussion Group


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GM Trainwreck
"We the People are at war. We need to develop Soldiers, not career opportunists. It will take time and patience, there will be set backs and victories. Given time and effort, the law of multiplication will prev