If Delphi workers can manage it, industrial actions short of strikes would be advisable, so Delphi can't lock them out. As Northwest did, Delphi must be already lining up scabs (preferably from areas far away from those where Delphi plants are located) in advance, so scour local newspapers, everyone, and see if Delphi (most likely covertly and indirectly) has placed want ads (call and find out if you see suspicious ads). If you happen on such ads, expose the scab-hiring- in-advance on the Net and in the local media.
<blockquote>If Delphi UAW members go on strike, they will play into Miller's hand. He will lock us out and shut us down with a chuckle and a grin. A lock out is as good as a quit. Besides, we can't trust the International. We have seen what happens to striking UAW members who get locked out. They lose their jobs, their strike pay, and their local unions.
Workers concerned about losing homes are anxious about income. It's unreasonable to ask Delphi members to go on strike. If GM-UAW members who voted on our contract want to strike, we welcome the support. But Delphi-UAW members need a radically different strategy.
We should Work to Rule. We need to stay inside to preserve income, save jobs, and fight back. If we follow every rule in the book, production will slow to a crawl. We can control the flow of parts by ensuring quality and following rules. It's perfectly legitimate.
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Make Health & Safety Reps put their donuts down and do some real work for a change. Call out your committee person every day. Of course you have questions. It's only natural. Delphi is in turmoil. It's not our fault. We didn't break the contract. Delphi broke the contract. When there is no trust, there can be no peace.
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Since a lock out is as good as a quit, the International may encourage strikes at Delphi to help GM out of its problems. A lock out would get rid of us. My statement isn't mere cynicism, it's a history lesson. For two decades the UAW has methodically sacrificed members in the auto parts sector to help the Big Three be competitive. Here's how it works.
The International goes along with outsourcing in exchange for organizing workers with the blessing of the new employer. It's called a "neutrality agreement". The process of organizing work formerly done by UAW members in the Big Three for lower wages at a new location is a sleight of hand wage cut -- less painful but no less insidious.
In 1997 Ford helped the UAW win a strike at a newly organized Johnson Controls plant. Ford refused to install seats it had ordered until JC settled with the UAW. The deal Ford made with the devil-in-disguise was cut out of the same cloth as UAW cooperation with outsourcing. Ford was complicit in organizing and the International was complicit in cutting wages for work outsourced from Ford.
Likewise a GM-Delphi plant in Grand Rapids, MI was sold to Lear in 1998. Their work was outsourced to newly organized Lear plants with lower wages. Despite concessions the old plant will close in December. The International was complicit in the scheme to cut wages in order to benefit General Motors. Neutrality agreements aren't free. Someone has to pay.
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The only thing that can move an inert object (UAW International) is an unstoppable force (rank and file militance). To that end we should organize rank and file meetings at various locations around the country to demand answers and take action. We don't want lawyers. We want action.
We should hold numerous rank and file meetings so we can brainstorm how to fight back and win. . . .
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Realistically, I don't believe we can succeed alone. GM-UAW members and the International will probably not stand in solidarity with us. If in the end it comes to that, we may as well bring the house down with us. When the judge nullifies the contract, it's no holds barred. Welcome the wildcat and say hello to chaos. If we are forced to lose our life savings -- pension, health care, wages -- why should we heed Miller's advice? "The best thing they can do is stay on the job," he said. Screw that. We may as well go for broke. . . .
In Constant Solidarity, Gregg Shotwell GreggShotwell at aol.com UAW Local 2151
<http://www.greggshotwell.net/LBA54.php></blockquote>
Yoshie Furuhashi <http://montages.blogspot.com> <http://monthlyreview.org> <http://mrzine.org> * Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: <http://montages.blogspot.com/2005/07/mahmoud- ahmadinejads-face.html>; <http://montages.blogspot.com/2005/07/chvez- congratulates-ahmadinejad.html>; <http://montages.blogspot.com/ 2005/06/iranian-working-class-rejects.html>