Can U.S. autoworkers turn the industry’s labor concessions trend around and make real progress again

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/8344

By Doug Cunningham

Can U.S. autoworkers turn the industry’s labor concessions trend around and make real progress again for autoworkers? Bill Parker, President of UAW Local 1700 at Chrysler, thinks it’s possible – even with the radical restructuring underway in the U.S. auto industry.

: “I think much of the struggle down the road is gonna be to reestablish parity as steps toward complete unity and solidarity in the membership.”

Parker opposed the concessions at Chrysler, calling them a retreat of historic proportions for the UAW. He says concessions don’t save jobs, make unions weaker and paying new hires half of what current autoworkers make permanently divides union membership. SO what does the future hold for American autoworkers?

: “I think one of the task of the union looking down the road is to figure out creative ways to use the new structuring of the industry to benefit us. And my view is that even in the worst of times that we’ve gone through that it’s always been possible to challenge the company. And that’s our job in the future.”

[keep_it_real]

1. U.S. autoworkers need to get off corporate health care and

On to a United States of America national heath care system, then the auto industry of America and the rest of corporate America will be able to compete with the rest of the world that has national health care systems that support their capitalist private businesses.

In America we don't have private police and fire and school services and a private highway department. These are all socialized services that support out corporate and private businesses. And so should it be with health care.

If a private business has a fire, they don't call their private fire department they call the socialized fire department; same if they have a police matter they call the socialized police department. That's is just the un-spoken reality of America.