Yoshie ,
You may recall I mentioned this new potential to strike strategically, and overcome the dispersal of the points of production that took place in the 1970's and 80's with the plantclosings and migration.
But I agree with you that the UAW does not use the full potential. This is Reutherite opportunism. When Reuther drove the Communists and left out of the UAW around 1950, it marked, of course, the beginning of the end of militant class struggle trade unionism as a guiding principle within any of the industrial unions. (Junior) partnership with the companies is the logical result of this fundamental loss for the revolutionary working class movement. Opportunist trade unionism is making fake fights up to a certain point, but never challenging the system of capitalist relations of production itself.
Since about 1950 union membership has steadily fallen as a result from about 30% of the workforce to , what, 12% today, as Reutherism led the whole labor movement into opportunist defeat (Meanyism). The end of the resultant spiralling collapse of unionmembership is not in sight yet. Union business agents, have literally become agents of business. Far from developing toward class consciousness, the policy of the U.S. labor movement has vastly degenerated even trade union consciousness in the U.S. working class. The last 50 years of the U.S. labor history are a tragic confirmation of Marxism: There is no alternative to class struggle trade unionism, even in the richest capitalist country. Otherwise the capitalists will steadily erode even the reformist gains made. The choice is revolution or ruin; there is no middle reformist ground.
The new AFL-CIO leadership has given lipservice to a return to militant trade unionism (though they are still anti-communist enough not to mention class struggle).
Flint has been losing jobs drastically for 20 years, I guess Michael Moore has broadcast that.
Charles