[Marxism] Caterpillar gets third 6-year takeback contract from UAW

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Community Labor News
======================================

UAW Members Brutalized At Cat

Sunday, Jan 9 2005 proved to be a day of infamy for UAW members
world-wide as the fallout from the new six-year contract will ultimately
touch the lives of every member; active, retired, and especially those
foolish enough to join.  Without any fight, any known strategy, UAW
leadership surrendered its most cherished values and any hope of
recovery at Caterpillar Tractor Inc.  The devastating contract passed by
a narrow margin of 59% after members were told by representatives that
they would strike, be permanently replaced, or that Cat may move
production to Dixie. In a shameful effort to secure a yes vote, the
gloves came off and the threats flourished.  Members say the
informational meeting in Peoria IL prior to the vote. became so unruly
after an international Rep was booed off the stage, the meeting was cut
short and the voting began.

In Decatur IL at local 751, in spite of weak leadership, a savvy rank
and file rejected the national agreement and the local agreement as
well, by a margin of nearly 2 to 1. Local 751 in Decatur however, does
not have enough votes to vote down the master agreement.  The militancy
in Decatur can be attributed to past leaders who had the courage to
stand up to Cat and the UAW. It was Decatur, who more than six years ago
voted down offers by Cat and the UAW, that left nearly 200 discharged
members out in the cold by such a large margin, the master agreement
failed.  Cat and the UAW was forced to return to the bargaining table
and reach an agreement that included the discharged members in spite of
the fact the national UAW said there was no more to be gained.  UAW
members honored their heroes while the "Mighty UAW" international union
was willing to desert them.

National and local UAW leaders became the choir of despair with chants
of, "this is not the time", "this is the best we can do under these
circumstances", without clearly defining when the right time would be or
what the right circumstances were. Cat began kicking the UAW in 1992 and
continued until 1998 when a six-year concessionary agreement was finally
reached.  This agreement will continue the beating for six more years.
Do the math!  Eighteen years of, "this is not the right time".  How much
longer will it take?  Never!

In the past two decades the UAW has been on a path to destruction
through its "jointism", partnerships with employers and a variety of
other schemes that mimic company unionism. Not one of those schemes has
halted the massive losses in membership suffered by the UAW.  When the
UAW does circle the wagons, the employers are allowed to join the
circle.  Such was the case at Accuride Wheel in Henderson KY a few years
ago.  When UAW local 2036 refused to accept a horrible contract offer,
the UAW, after informing the company first, cut off strike benefits to
the 600 plus member local.  After an embarrassing picket of UAW
headquarters in Detroit, curiously named "Solidarity House", the UAW
reinstated benefits to locked-out workers. Months later the UAW
decertified the local and walked away, leaving those members without
jobs, union membership, or hope, after more than three years of
struggle.  The Regional Director over the Accuride workers during that
struggle is now the International President of the UAW.

Outside the UAW halls considering the offer, corporate media buzzards
circled hoping for opportunities to distort the damage inflicted on UAW
members.  One twenty year old, who two years before was flipping
hamburgers at McDonalds, was glad it was over. "This is the best job I
have ever had", she said. She was tired of all the hassle. Never walked
a picket line, never missed a days work, but she was tired.  Does the
old adage; "young and dumb" come to mind?  A more seasoned veteran
voiced his anger when he told the vultures that the scabs that crossed
the picket lines in the nineties; are "getting what they deserved".  The
media has soft-pedaled the contract and have "overlooked" more
devastating and controversial issues.  Silence by the UAW has left the
general public in the dark.  I guess it's hard for a rooster to crow
when he's just laid an egg.

The new ratified contract has few changes over the previous offer other
than negative. Caterpillar, without blinking, never put another nickel
on the table but shifted costs to different groups of employees.  Why
would they, with all the white flags the UAW threw up?  Incentive
bonuses were shifted to the "bone us" column to cover health care costs.
Insurance costs for certain retirees were lowered some, but continue to
rise throughout the life of the agreement.  Part of that cost will come
from working members who previously had paid insurance.  Temporary
employees remain third world members of the UAW.  No benefits, no
representation and no retirement; no hope!

New hires are allowed to become full time under this agreement, but do
not fare much better. The current "supplemental employee" at labor grade
2, step3 for example has a base wage of $15.37 an hour.  In the same
grade and step if he converts to a "new hire", he of she will paid
$12.50 an hour.  The same pay for current employees is $20.44 an hour.
New hires will receive benefits, which they now have to pay for, but NO
RETIREMENT!  New hires will have a 401K, which they must pay into and
are not a reliable source of retirement income. The August 04 offer gave
new hires the option of a 4401k or the Caterpillar retirement.  One UAW
member who voted for the agreement said it right; "If we reject this
offer, the next one will be worse".

Cat currently has more than 1100 supplemental employees representing
nearly 15% of their workforce and has offered early retirement windows
for current employees.  By the time this contract expires, Cat may well
be close to ending its defined pension plan.  That is a giant step
backward for any union, roughly 60 years.  New hires will in many
instances, be working for $10.00 an hour less than current employees.
Considering that most US workers are working for 1979 level wages today,
Cat has relegated its employees to poverty.

The parts division of Caterpillar, now known as Logistic Services, is
paid so low after the 1998 agreement, some members are eligible for food
stamps.  York PA, has only a few UAW members left.  Cat has assumed the
role of Corporate Carpetbagger, shifting most of those jobs to North
Carolina. The Memphis facility wage scale starts at a whopping $8.25 an
hour from a company boasting record profits and the best position in the
market in the industry.  If the Memphis facility survives the six-year
agony, workers can earn $10.50 an hour.  Before we get too excited over
this "rags to riches" story, Memphis has been excluded from Plant
Closing Protection.

Currently Cat is on the move to Mexico with UAW jobs from the Peoria
area and salaried workers in the computer group have been outsourced to
India.  In the mid-nineties when the Denver logistics UAW local voted to
accept the concession-ladened contract, the local union President
committed suicide out of despair.  Everything that union brother fought
against, the UAW has surrendered, and without a fight.

What is in the future for UAW members at Cat?  The only possible way to
escape the "Beg Bargaining" that robbed UAW members of the gains from
years of struggle is for the members to organize and take control, local
by local, and elect leadership that is accountable.  Even then there is
no guarantee the UAW won' t write off the workers at Cat like those at
Accuride Wheel in the mean time.  By the time Cat finishes outsourcing,
moving production, and lowering standards of living, there may not be
enough dues for the UAW to fret over.

As a trade unionist reflecting on our blood-stained history, the sit
down strikes, the men and women murdered by the bosses goons and police,
the blood shed and tears sacrificed by other generations for us, I am
angered by this generation of so-called leadership in our movement so
willing to piss on that sacrifice. From the top of the House of Labor to
the bottom; I am shamed by those who have deserted workers in battle;
who have lost the reality of class struggle, and contaminated our
precious union with mirror images of the Bastards of the Boardroom.

Mike Griffin

WarZone Education Foundation

Decatur IL

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