BY JOHN SARGE
LAS VEGAS, Nevada - The United Auto Workers Union (UAW) 32nd Constitutional Convention opened here June 22 on day 17 of the strike by union members in Flint, Michigan, against the worlds' largest automaker, General Motors. This fight was a major topic of informal discussion among the 2,000 delegates and guests.

The battle in Flint against GM's drive to downsize and slash its work force had little echo from the stage. UAW international president Stephen Yokich made it clear that the officialdom did not want a discussion of the struggle against the auto giant. About two-thirds of the way through his opening speech to the convention he said of the Flint strike, "We're in a struggle with General Motors right now on a local strike. This is not a national strike, it's a local strike."

The central points the officials wanted to discuss were the planned merger of the UAW with the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) and the International Association of Machinists (IAM) and how to win a Democratic Party majority in the U.S. Congress later this year.

Both USWA president George Becker and IAM president Tom Buffenbarger spoke, stressing their hope that the merger will give the labor officials more weight with Democratic Party politicians.

The convention was also the scene of speeches from Democratic officials, including a short video presentation from U.S. president William Clinton, a speech from Richard Gephardt, and a major address by U.S. secretary of labor Alexis Herman.

The union amended its constitution to include the "Commonwealth of Puerto Rico" in its jurisdiction. The Puerto Rican flag was added to the podium. The UAW represents 13,000 workers on the island.

The delegates voted to extend the time between conventions and elections of international officers from three years to four. They also extended the minimum term for elected stewards and committee persons from one year to two.

As the convention drew to a close the big-business press reported GM plans to challenge the legality of the Flint strikes.

When a delegate from a GM assembly plant requested an update on the strike in Flint and suggestions for what the union could do to support the strikers Yokich reiterated, "We are not here to debate a local strike."

John Sarge is a member of UAW Local 900 at the Ford assembly plant in Wayne, Michigan. UAW members Carole Lesnick and Amanda Ulman contributed to this article.  
 
 
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