PEN-L message, Re: [Pen-l] Chrysler

In a message dated 5/2/2009 8:42:57 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, juliohuato@xxxxxxxxx writes:

Thank you. This is informative.

On May 2, 2009 3:35 AM, <Waistline2@xxxxxxx> wrote:

Comment/Reply

No problem.

An earlier version of the material was written in anger and was not balanced enough in its treatment of UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. However, Gettlefinger and the heads of the Chrysler and General Motors division are heading in a direction where history is going to record them as leading the UAW into its final destruction.

On the continuum of American history, with the larger content world history riveted to the rise of the industrial system, we are at a point of transition not very different from the passage from craft unionism to industrial unionism, only at a higher level. At this level - May 2009, we have the accumulated knowledge of the better part of 150 years to lean upon. What creates and drives the impulse for qualitative change in the organization of the working class are changes in the machinery of society and its corresponding shape in the organization of deployed labor. The transition from craft unionism to industrial unionism was a long drawn out historical period/curve. The period of transition lasted from roughly 1895 to the formation of the CIO - 1936/37, as the organization of the unskilled workers in heavy industry.

Although the CIO was actually the organization of the unskilled white workers, its historical act was that it got the unskilled workers into the process of organization and collective defense of an important segment of labor. The blacks came later and worked their way through the system and finally the women won more than less legal status and treatment within the unionized workforce and the union itself.

The union is aware that it must further shatter its own existing trade union form of organizations and complete its leap - transition, from being an organization based on an industry to an organization cutting across all trade and industry lines, reaching down into the semi-employed, under employed and permanently employed. It is this awareness that made Bob King a preferable candidate for UAW President for many of the insurgent activists in the union. King openly advocated pouring huge amounts of union funds into intense unionization campaigns and waging the struggle for unionization as a survival battle.

Here is an example: Although Gettelfinger supports a single payer health care system, this support is expressed 100% within the framework of the Democratic Party rather than as a survival fight the union has to wage independent of who ever might jump on and off the bandwagon. Gettelfingerâs vision is limited to what he personally thinks is acceptable to the company and he is without working class principles. Even the damn capitalists - a huge section, are support single payer health care reform as a way to increase profits and lighten the burden on their capital.

Everyone in the world agrees that we are sliding into deep economic, social and political crisis. The agreements end there. An important part of crisis is the fighting that takes place between classes. No less important is the fighting that takes place within the same class. In this regard the fighting taking place within the ruling capitalist class means that various sectarian interests of the ruling compels them to appeal to the voters - workers, for support of their programs. This in turn creates a tendency for intersection of varying class interest. The workers and their organizations are given a chance to put forth their survival issues demanding resolution, but we are never required to limit ourselves to what is acceptable to the capitalist. A single payer system of health care is such an issue. As various segments of capital appeal to our members for support to defeat their political opponents we should be mature enough to independently fight out our issues and clearly express our needs, rather than simply following whoever may be the ânew flavor of the month.â

Independence means preserving our own organizations and programs independent and outside that of the capitalist even while taking part in the electoral process. Rather than simple relying on Democrats to pass legislation making it less difficult to organize new members, this is an area where we need out own independent voice; independent campaigns and investment of millions of dollars to achieve our goal of survival.

To the degree that we represent the workers interest as they are employed by capital, we can never be truly independent of capital. Yet, there is no compelling law that says we have to ride together in the same car with the representative of capital, even if on specific issues there is a mutual desire to achieve the same goal as in the case of health care. Nor is there a compelling reason to be chauffeurs for the capitalist, who generally prefer their own reliable drivers.

At any rate, when the book roughly titled âThe Rise and Fall of the UAWâ is written by the new generation, Gettelfinger and âothersâ will be charged with doing nothing to prevent the destruction of the UAW. In this regard, âtheyâ act no different than company CEOâs who refuse to change their product line when the market changes and end up going out of business.

Gettelfinger does not deserve any support by those around him.

The UAW is rapidly going out of business and must complete its leap to a non-trade basis of unionism.

WL.