After watching the debate last night on the auto loan package I realized that we are facing a moment when union activism must come to the forefront. It must also bring in the struggling middle class along with those who have been losing their jobs at a record pace. The results of the Republic Windows workers action shows what can be done when people stand up for themselves.
Just a few minutes ago I received a letter from the president of the local union at the Belvidere, Illinois Chrysler plant. This is not from the International leadership, but represents the feelings of a leader of a specific local union. Our community (the Rockford Illinois region) has lost a tremendous amount of our manufacturing base over the last 25 years. We now have the highest unemployment rate in the state. If the Chrysler plant closes the region will be devastated (we are also about 35 mile from the Janesville WI GM plant that is shutting down.
I have attached the letter for the Kos community to consider and to realize why we must push back in a loud but organized way...
From: Brandon Campbell <BrandonCampbell@uaw1268.org>
Subject: Letter to America from UAW Local 1268
To:
Date: Friday, December 12, 2008, 3:32 PM
Sorry if this is the 3rd time you’ve received this!!
Comment or pass this on as you see fit.
Thanks.
The attached files are the same text as follows.... One in Office 07 format and one in Office 03. Both have UAW 1268 Letterhead on them.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Memo to America
There has been a lot of debate over proposed loans for the domestic auto industry. For various reasons, I believe mostly political, the Senate has rejected the bill that would provide these loans.
I have mixed feelings regarding these loans. I agree with those who say that the industry, the Big-3 specifically, has been poorly managed. I also agree that, given the current state of our markets, available financing, astronomically high unemployment rates and the lowest wages ever, when compared to productivity, that these loans would only provide a temporary means by which GM, Ford and Chrysler would be able to operate.
There has been a great deal of pressure put on the workers represented by the UAW to take concessions in order to help the domestic automakers become more competitive with foreign auto makers who build vehicles in the U.S. This pressure is coming from both politicians and the general public.
Every time union workers take concessions to "level the playing field," management at the foreign companies can take from workers in the form of wages, benefits, working conditions, fire workers and replace them with lower wage temporary workers, etc. Workers at the foreign auto factories don’t have a union. All of this happens without input from the workers. Non-union workers don’t have a voice in the process. The piece of this equation that has yet to surface is that this backdrop creates what we call the "Race to the Bottom." Union workers take concessions, management at non-unionized companies undercut their unionized competition, and the workers who actually win the race, have lost the most.
This creates huge downward pressure on wages and benefits for all workers while putting just as much upward pressure on workers to be more productive. In fact, workers have been producing so much more, for the same or less money (obviously inflation adjusted), that if the Federal minimum wage were tied to productivity, the minimum wage in this country would be just over $19 per hour!
Americans who work at auto factories owned by foreign companies know very well that the wages they earn and the benefits they enjoy are a direct result of the success the UAW has had in negotiating fair wages and benefits for hundreds of thousands of workers in the auto industry. Now, the only way to stop this perpetual Race to the Bottom is for them to step up and form a union in their workplaces.
We can’t continue to lift the status quo for all workers in the manufacturing sector, or even just the auto industry without these workers taking an active role in the struggle to win justice for themselves and other workers in the United States.
As much of a struggle as that will be to help those workers form unions of their own - in the face of brutal opposition from management, including threats of job loss, plant closures and other drastic, and most times illegal, means taken by corporations to harass and intimidate workers who try to form a union – that won’t be enough.
Our current trade laws, put in place by Congress, have done nothing for workers in the United States. Conversely, these laws have made it much easier for companies based in the U.S. to close factories here and build new ones in countries where they don’t have the "burden" of things like: human rights laws, environmental protection laws, OSHA, taxes, or other regulations that cost companies money, but keep workers safe, keep drinking water clean, protect the air we breathe, and provide tax revenue for our Government to use to fund vital services they provide.
Most manufacturers supported the passage of NAFTA and CAFTA. Workers were mostly silent while these bills were being considered. The UAW was opposed to these trade bills. Now, those who supported the passage of such legislation are realizing that it was like picking a snake up by the tail – it’s turning around to bite them!
Companies all over the country, including GM, Ford, Chrysler and their suppliers, made Ross Perot’s "giant sucking sound" become reality when they quickly shut down U.S. factories and built new ones in places like Mexico and China after NAFTA was signed into law. In the short term, that created unimaginable profits for these companies due to drastic labor and regulatory cost savings. They could freely abuse workers in these countries, demanding unthinkable work hours for pennies per day. They could also send whatever amount of black soot into the air through their stacks and dump toxic chemicals over the land or into whatever stream they chose.
But now, as more companies have followed suit and more and more manufacturing jobs have been lost; there’s not many workers left who can buy their products. As stated previously, wages have stagnated while costs continue to rise. The people who do have jobs in manufacturing, largely are underpaid and have to work at least two jobs – just to make ends meet.
These are not people who are working multiple jobs and struggling to buy a new car. These are people who are working multiple jobs and struggling to buy the basics – food, rent, toothpaste! I heard it reported today that Proctor & Gamble is even struggling!! Wake up America! Wake up Congress!! Proctor & Gamble is not out there trying to sell big ticket items like vehicles – they are trying to sell toothpaste and soap!!!
A good friend of mine talks about writing a book one day. The book will be titled "Me-ism, the New American Religion." The premise behind this book is the problem with our economy, our government and our country. People no longer subscribe to the principles of – "I am my brother’s keeper" or "it takes a community to raise a child." Instead, we demand instant gratification and ask "what’s in it for me?" before doing anything for anybody.
Me-ism is why the domestic automakers are having trouble finding the money required to pay for agreements they made with workers over the years. They claim a competitive disadvantage due to what they call "legacy costs." Legacy costs are people. They are workers who have made these companies and their overpaid executives billions of dollars. These executives were supposed to keep retirement funds for workers and pay into those funds using the huge profits each of the Big-3 have made over the years. This is no different than any retirement fund. This is where Me-ism comes in. Through the years, due to poor management, the companies would fall on hard times once in awhile. Rather than limit the skyrocketing pay for executives or find other creative ways to make more money and/or spend less money – they would "borrow" from the pension funds. Now, they whine about "legacy costs."
This takes me back to my original statement about having mixed feelings about loans or bailouts for any company or industry. I can’t stand rewarding the top executives of companies such as the Big-3 for their collective failures just like I can’t stand rewarding Senator Corker and Senator Shelby for their continued assistance, to the tune of billions of dollars, to foreign companies and anti-American, anti-worker big-business. The executives of these companies don’t deserve a bailout. The executives don’t deserve a loan. However, the workers do – not just the worker in the assembly plant; but the workers who make the parts to supply that plant; the worker in the bakery across the street from the plant; the auto mechanic at the dealership; the teenager at the movie theater; and all the other workers who will suffer if the domestic auto makers are allowed by this government, the same government who helped to get them into this mess, to fail.
I support oversight on any industry where a few "big players" monopolize the entire industry and have a huge impact on our economy – the auto industry, Wal-mart, the banking industry, transportation, etc.
I believe top executive all-in pay should be limited to a multiple of what the average employee of the company makes. I believe our elected public officials should have similar wage and benefit packages to what the majority of American workers live with. A glance at what our State and Federal politicians have done to our country over the years takes away any argument that we wouldn’t get "qualified" people to run for these offices. Maybe then, more average American workers would have a chance to rise and serve at the pleasure of the American people and truly be a voice for them in this government that is supposed to be "of the people" – not "of the [elitist few] people." Maybe then we would have a government that would, when needed, subsidize companies that want to keep people working in the United States, rather than subsidize those companies that send their profits overseas, export our jobs and then import their products!
We must get back to supporting our own economy. Buy American. Buying solely based on price simply cuts the wage, or job, of the person you expect to pay full price for the product you produce.
Buy Union-made. Again, buying solely on price pushes wages lower for others, leaving nobody to buy the product or service you produce.
Call your Senators and House Representative! Tell them to draft trade legislation that will put Americans back to work! Need their contact information?
Senate - http://www.senate.gov/...
House - http://www.house.gov/
These are just some random thoughts written after years of watching the decline of this country’s status with regard to our manufacturing and economic strengths. This has also been fueled by deep concerns I have after watching our government in in-action on issues that could make positive change for their constituents while being very active in pushing for changes that continue to devastate their constituents.
I am President of UAW Local 1268, but these thoughts do not necessarily reflect those of the International UAW.
Brandon W. Campbell
President
UAW Local 1268