BY FRANK GORTON AND JEAN LUC DUVAL
FLINT, Michigan - "One day longer! One day longer!" This
was one of the most prominent chants at a July 21 rally of
at least 1,000 held in solidarity with United Auto Workers
(UAW) members on strike against two General Motors (GM)
plants here. It reflected the determination of strikers and
their supporters to outlast General Motors.
Stepping up their offensive against the unionists, the auto bosses filed a lawsuit against the UAW July 14. GM has appealed to the federal district court in Detroit, not only to end the strikes by declaring them illegal, but to order punitive damage awards against the UAW. The federal judge took control of the arbitration to decide whether the strikes can be supported within the UAW-GM national agreement.
This is the first time since February 1937 that General Motors has sued the union in an effort to end a strike. The last time, it was also against a Flint strike. During that fight judge Paul Gadola Sr. ordered the strikers to vacate the factories they had occupied in the fight for union recognition. The workers ignored his ruling and left the plant after GM agreed to negotiate with the union. In this strike, federal judge Paul Gadola Jr., his son, has been assigned to this case.
July 21 was the 46th day of the strike by 3,400 members of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 659 at the Metal Fabrications plant. They were joined on the picket lines six days after their strike began by the 5,800 members of UAW Local 651 at the Delphi East parts plant across town.
Both locals are striking GM over health and safety issues, outsourcing, subcontracting, and demands for production "efficiency" through speed up.
In preparation for the arbitration hearings, UAW president Steven Yokich held a meeting in Flint of the GM Council, which is made up of local union officials from each GM plant in the United States.
Some 300 union presidents and plant committee chairpersons attended from across the country. With the 46 members of Local 977 from Marion, Indiana, they joined the picket lines to bring solidarity and contributions for strike expenses. Contributions of $10, $20, $50, or more from individuals and locals at the rally added up to thousands of dollars.
Local 2082 from Albany, Georgia, contributed $4022. The Albany plant is scheduled to close permanently at the end of July and every one of the 67 workers there donated. Workers from an other GM plant in Laurel, Mississippi, raised more than $700 for the strikers in Flint.
Charles Chaney went on strike three weeks before his retirement became effective. He had worked 31 years in the Metal Fabrication plant, first as a welder, then in sanitation. He still walks the picket line. "I was in the strike in the 1970s," he said. "I started in this one and I'll be here until we win."
Under the impact of the strike, auto production in the United States dropped by 11 percent in June. This loss of output contributed to the fall in operating capacity in all factories to 80.23 percent, the lowest in five years. The work stoppage and its broader implications contributed to an overall decline in industrial production during June of 0.6 percent, the steepest since the last month of the 1990-1991 recession. The strikes have already impacted on the profitability of many industrial suppliers. GM dealers around the country are registering big losses as their car lots become empty.
The layoffs total 185,300 workers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Of the three plants still operating, Oshawa's truck plant shut down July 22 due to lack of parts.
Bosses' competition underlies strike
Even though GM has slashed the workforce by nearly
300,000 in the last 20 years, the auto giant is still behind
its main rivals in squeezing maximum profit out of each
worker. According to a study of the auto industry released
by Harbour and Associates Inc. (HAI), of the six largest
auto producers in North America, GM was not only the second
least productive but is also making less money per vehicle
than its competitors.
James Harbour, of HAI said, "The point is, to get competitive with Ford, they have to get rid of 38,000 extra people. That's a major issue today." The study claims that for GM to be as efficient as Nissan 54,915 workers must go without cutting production.
Other bosses are watching to see how successful GM will be in finding alternative suppliers and how willing GM workers are to do struck work.
Workers at the GM plant in Romulus made news headlines when they refused to install "alternative" spark plugs and batteries. And, the resistance in Flint continues to spread among GM auto workers. UAW Local 1853 members at GM's Saturn Corp., voted overwhelmingly July 19 to authorize their local officials to strike. Auto Workers in Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; and at Buick City in Flint have also given their elected leaders permission to call a strike if they can't reach an agreement.
Faced with declining stock prices, increasing frustration and lowered expectations of its shareholders and the financial houses on the one hand; and the threat of more actions from UAW workers on the other, GM board members are proceeding with their confrontational approach, including the lawsuit. GM's spokespeople complain of the "severe impact" of the Flint walkouts; and intense price competition worldwide.
The morale of the Flint strikers remains high inspite of the legal action the bosses have taken against the UAW.
"The same day they sued the union, they were cited at the [GM] plant in Saginaw for the same health and safety violations we're on strike against." This is the way Anner Turner explained their determination. She has worked 26 years at the Metal Fab plant. "We are ready to go back when GM is ready to give us a fair settlement," she said.
Jean Luc Duval and Frank Gorton are members of UAW. Willie M. Reid, also a member of the UAW, contributed to this article.