In Honor Of The 144th Anniversary
Of The Paris Commune-From The American Left History Blog Archives(2007)
- On American Political Discourse
Markin comment (Winter 2015):
In the period 2006-2008 I, in vain,
attempted to put some energy into analyzing the blossoming American
presidential campaign since it was to be, as advertised at least, a watershed
election, for women, blacks, old white anglos, latinos, youth, etc. In the
event I had to abandon the efforts in about May of 2008 when it became obvious,
in my face obvious, that the election would be a watershed only for those who
really believed that it would be a watershed election. The four years of the
Obama presidency, the 2012 American presidential election campaign, and world
politics have only confirmed in my eyes that that abandonment was essentially
the right decision at the right time and my only fear is that now that Obama
and his lame duck presidency are in full flower that as the machines are
gearing up for the 2016 presidential campaign maw I will seeking another watershed
election where there is none will be tempted, sorely tempted to put my foot in
the waters of campaign commentary again. If I do so I deserve the fate that
befell Theodore White in his endless campaign books every four years starting
with the JFK-Nixon fistfight in 1960 which left his a blathering idiot before he
was done. Or worse since he was (is) something of a muse for me what happened
to the later Hunter Thompson, Doctor Gonzo when he got caught up in the avalanche
of presidential campaigns which probably played no little part in his eventual
suicide. I am forewarned.
In short, let the well- paid bourgeois
commentators go on and on with their twitter (literally now as that stunted social
network operation replaces Facebook
as the place to be). I, we, had (have) better things to do like fighting
against the permanent wars, the permanent war economies, the struggle for more
and better jobs, and for a workers’ party that fights for a workers government
. That is where the link to the Paris Commune comes in which in its time was a
beacon for the international working class, a first failed attempt for the
fellahin to taek charge of their own lives, govern as they saw fit. So with the
Paris Commune and its lessons as heady backdrop we have enough, more than enough
to do, right? Still a look back at some of the stuff I wrote then as talking
points to drown out the coming deluge does not have a bad feel to it. Read on.
************
FORD UAW AUTOWORKERS CONTRACT- VOTE NO
COMMENTARY
NO TWO- TIER WAGE RATES- EQUAL PAY FOR
EQUAL WORK
The big labor news this fall has been
the fight by the United Auto Workers (UAW) for new contracts with General
Motors, Chrysler and now Ford. I have already discussed the GM and Chrysler
settlement and now as of Friday, November 3, 2007 Ford and the UAW have reached
a tentative agreement. That agreement is along the same lines as those ratified
by GM and Chrysler (barely) - a new two- tier wage system for new hires who
will get one half the average pay of senior autoworkers and union takeover of
the health and pension funds. As I have lamented previously these contracts are
a defeat for the autoworkers. Why? The historic position of labor has been to
fight for equal pay for equal work. That apparently has gone by the boards
here. Moreover the pension and health takeovers are an albatross around the
neck of the union. No way is this an example of worker control not at least how
any militant should view it. After all the givebacks its time to fight back
even if this is a rearguard action in light of the previous votes. Any
illusions that the give backs will by labor peace and or/avoid further layoffs,
closedowns or outsourcing got a cruel comeuppance in the previous contract
negotiations. No sooner had those contracts been ratified, and well before the
new contracts were even printed, Chrysler announced layoffs of 8000 to 10, 000
and GM had previously announced about 1500 layoffs. FORD AUTOWORKERS VOTE NO ON
THIS CONTRACT.
I HAVE REPOSTED THE NOTES ON THE GM AND
CHRYSLER SETTLEMENTS TO GIVE A PERSPECTIVE OF HOW THE HOPES THAT ORGANIZED
LABOR COULD FIGHT BACK AGAINST THE TIDE OF GLOBALIZATION HAVE FADED AS THE
PROCESS HAS GONE ON THIS FALL.
A Short Note On the Chrysler
Autoworkers Contract Settlement
Commentary
The Wal-Martization of the Once Proud
UAW
Yes, I know that we are in the age of
‘globalization’. That is, however, merely the transformation of the same old
characters like General Motors, Ford and Chrysler in the auto industry that we
have come to know and love moving away from mainly nationally defined markets
to international markets. In short, these companies allegedly are being forced
to fight their way to the bottom of the international labor wage market along
with everyone else. As least that was the position of these august companies in
the on-going labor contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers (UAW).
And the labor tops bought the argument. In the General Motors settlement GM was
nicely absolved from having to administer its albatross health and pension
funds. Now autoworkers are held responsible for deciding what autoworkers get
what benefits. This is not my idea of workers control, not by a long shot.
Based on those provisions alone that GM contract should have been soundly
defeated. That it was not will come back to haunt the GM autoworkers in the
future.
Now comes news that, as of October 27,
2007, the Chrysler workers have narrowly (56%) ratified their contract,
although some major plants voted against it and the labor skates pulled out all
stops to get an affirmative vote. If anything that contract is worse than the
GM contract because it also contains a provision for permitting a two-wage
system where ‘new hires’ will be paid approximately one half normal rates. So
much for the old labor slogan of 'equal pay for equal work'. If the GM contract
will come back to haunt this one already does today. Remember also that
Chrysler was bought out by a private equity company that has a history of
selling off unprofitable operations, driving productivity up and then selling
the profitable parts for huge profits. That, my friends, is what the global
race to the bottom looks like in the American auto industry. This contract
should have been voted down with both hands. Ford is up next and based on the
foregoing that contract should also be voted down.
Look, every militant knows that
negotiations over union contracts represent a sort of ‘truce’ in the class
struggle. Until there is worker control of production under a workers
government the value of any negotiations with the capitalists is determined by
the terms. Sometimes, especially in hard times, just holding your own is a ‘victory’.
Other times, like here, there is only one word for these contracts-defeat.
Moreover, this did not need to happen. Although both strike efforts at GM and
Chrysler were short-lived (intentionally so on the part of the leadership) the
rank and file was ready to do battle. The vote at Chrysler further bolsters
that argument. So what is up?
What is up is that the leadership of the autoworkers is not
worthy of the membership. These people are so mired in class collaborationist
non-aggression pacts and cozy arrangements (for themselves) that they were easy
pickings for the vultures leading management. The epitome of this is the
‘apache’ strategy of negotiating with one company at a time. If in the era of
Walter Reuther at a time when there were upwards of a million union autoworkers
that might have made some sense today with reduced numbers it makes no sense at
all. Labor’s power is in solidarity and solidarity means, in this case, ‘one
out, all out’. Beyond that it is clear a new class struggle leadership is
needed, just to keep even, and it is needed pronto. Those rank and filers and,
in some cases, local union leaders who called for a no vote at Chrysler are the
starting point for such efforts.
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