Will Lehman, a Mack Trucks (Volvo) employee in Pennsylvania, is running for UAW union president. In his project in current weeks, he has actually checked out auto plants and talked to employees in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia. He acquired prevalent assistance for his require grassroots disobedience versus the union administration.
On Thursday, Lehman sent out the list below letter to 10s of countless present and retired UAW members. In it he summarized his experience from speaking with the personnel throughout his see.
WSWS supports Lehman’s project.
He went to WillforUAWPresident.org to learn more about my project and to show you. To register for text updates, text WILL at (877) 861-4428 or email me willfouawpresident@gmail.com
My dear coworkers,
Last week I had the ability to go to numerous auto plants and other work websites due to a parts lack at the Mack Trucks plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania. I talked to numerous employees about my project at Ford plants in Dearborn, Michigan and Louisville, Kentucky; Chrysler plants in Warren, Detroit and Toledo; and the General Motors assembly plant in Flint. I likewise had the chance to speak to striking instructors in Columbus, Ohio; so did the employees who led in 2015’s historical strike at Volvo Trucks in Dublin, Virginia.
Here are 5 crucial takeaways from this journey:
1. There is terrific anger amongst the lower level employees
If you believe you are alone in your desire to eliminate back, you are incorrect. All over I went, I came across strong opposition to business exploitation, falling genuine earnings, bad working conditions and the danger of layoffs. Employees of all races and backgrounds, young and old, knowledgeable employees and those simply beginning their professions, reported the absence of cooling in factories, laborious work hours that deny us of household time, inequality brought on by various levels of incomes and time. work takes place, and on the results of inflation.
An employee at a Warren printing plant echoed the beliefs of lots of when he stated: “They keep stating they do not make sufficient revenue to pay excellent incomes and keep our tasks. Now they’re making big revenues and still do not wish to pay us appropriately after the expense of living or offer us a discount rate for inflation.”
2. Employees understand the UAW does not represent them
If there’s one declaration I keep hearing, it’s that the UAW is owned by corporations. This does not indicate that the employees remain in the hands of the companies, however the UAW authorities are. An employee at Ford’s Dearborn Truck plant stated UAW authorities “live tough” and “the union is business design for them.” At Kentucky Truck, a worker stated that “the UAW does not exist at this plant.” This implies that it does not represent the employees. In Flint, employees stated conditions have actually aggravated because UAW authorities went on strike in2019 Employees reported co-pays for medical expenditures have actually increased. “The temperature levels and firm employees are being swindled,” and “the only individuals who state it’s improved are individuals who took the cash,” an employee at the Flint Assembly Plant informed me.
