Following is Issue #31 of The Barking Dog, which is put out by Caroline Lund, a member of UAW Local 2244 at the NUMMI plant in Fremont, CA. It is dated Nov. 6, 2000.

Phony Election

On October 22 we supposedly had an election, for 4 hours on a Sunday at the union hall. Less than 200 people participated. More than 1,100 members signed petitions asking the Executive Board to reschedule the election for a workday, with polling stations in the plant and union hall as usual.

But the majority of the Exec. Bd. just ignored the petitions and went on with their plans. They were confident that they could get their guy, Robert Walker, elected by excluding the vast majority of the membership from being able to vote.

Even so, Robert got only 68 votes, and underdog Michelle Aranda got 56. The Administration Caucus had trouble getting their people out to vote because so many of them knew in their hearts that holding the election on a Sunday was wrong, especially after Trucks had to work that Saturday.

All of the 1,100 petition signatures are being sent in to the International Union, together with a formal protest of the election, signed by 1st Vice President Victor Quesada, 2nd Vice President Leo G. Garcia, Trustee Chairman Javier Contreras, Trustee Caroline Lund, and candidate Michelle Aranda.

Some Things I've Learned Being On the Executive Board

I've learned that the Executive Board really doesn't do much. The union "in-crowd" has things pretty much tied up and under control. If you try to raise an issue like the Safeway warehouse strike, they say that's for the CAP Committee to decide. If you raise something to do with Latinos, they say that's up to LCLAA Chairman Wheaties Gonzales to decide. You raise something about the Local Union newsletter, and they say the printing schedule doesn't allow for the Exec. Bd. to see the newsletter beforehand. If you raise questions about the Financial Reports, they try to shut you up.

Your in-crowd union officials have good reason to try to keep tight control. They get a lot of perks. All full-time union officials (Committeemen, President, Chairman, and Financial Secretary) automatically get Skilled Trades pay -- more than $3 higher than Production pay -- even if they are not from Skilled Trades.

The President, Chairman, Financial Secretary, Recording Secretary, and 1st and 2nd Vice Presidents also get between $100 and $200 per month for "expenses," even if they have no special expenses.

When members are sent on trips to conferences, they get plane fare, taxi fare to the airport, and hotel costs, plus $40 a day for food and $10 a day toward phone calls. If a member is granted time off work for union business, they get paid back by the union for all the time they would have worked that day in the plant, including overtime -- even if they didn't work any overtime on their "union business." This all comes out of our dues money.

It's true this is small-time stuff, compared with other unions whose officials get hundreds of thousands of dollars in multiple paychecks. But even little perks are important when you're working a job like ours. That's why these perks are a corrupting influence in our union.
I think union officials should get paid the same wage as before they were elected. They should not get expense money unless they submit receipts for real expenses. They should not get paid "lost time" for overtime unless they worked overtime on union business.
If the perks were eliminated, maybe we would get more union officials who were dedicated to the cause of working people, rather than trying to promote their own careers and pocketbooks.

Caroline Lund

Letter From Reader: Concentrate on Real Issues

I am very disappointed with views by frustrated T/Ms about one-ply toilet paper. Come one. Please let our members become more aware about job outsourcing.

Now it is understood that by July Tires will be subcontracted and be done by non-UAW members. This will be followed by Electrical Instruments Panels, and then so forth. By the time they are done we will be fighting for jobs that are not going to be there. It is only the beginning of the end.

We need more concentration on the jobs we have before they are eliminated from our Agreement. Concentrate on real issues, not on political issues of your own and not on issues by frustrated Team Members about toilet paper. This is only ridicule to your newspaper, which is a tool of learning and letting T/Ms understand the real issues at hand: job security, integrity, quality, efficiency and the dream of apple pie and home stability.

Not the fear of driving 80 to 150 miles to work to keep a home life so far away that is only to be a cheaper way of living. This takes away from family values.
It is also important to make us understand that we are the working POOR. We must still work so hard to make a decent living and work so far away from our loved ones and not make a substantial enough income to live by our place of employment. This causes marital break-up and a dysfunctional home life.

Let's stay with REAL issues that pertain to real life and not hypothetical issues.

Lou

Grass Roots Conference

A week ago I went to a conference back in Flint, Michigan. This was a meeting of UAW members with big hearts, strong union principles and a belief in solidarity. We got together over the Internet. The Barking Dog was well known, since I send it out to a large email list from around the country.

There were other newsletters and websites represented: Live Bait & Ammo from Delphi in Cooperstown, MI, The Lineworkers from the Truck and Bus plant in Pontiac, MI, the Sophie Flyers from the St. Paul, MN, Ford plant. There was a woman who was fired for putting out her prounion newsletter and then won reinstatement with full back pay.

Also present was UAW (Uniting All Workers) Concern, from Kalamazoo, MI. These people, many of them retirees and family members, travel all around the Midwest helping UAW members in need.

Featured speakers at the conference were Billy Robinson, President, and Michelle Bland, Recording Secretary, of UAW Local 2036 in Henderson, KY. Local 2036 represents 400 Accuride Corp. workers who make steel wheels for trucks bought by Ford, GM, Navistar, Peterbilt, and Mack.

Local 2036 workers have been on strike/locked-out for 32 months. Last year the UAW International gave up on their struggle, stopping their strike benefits and putting the local under administratorship (the International took it over).

But the courageous members of Local 2036 stood firm. They contacted UAW members over the Internet. Caterpillar workers raised $2,000 for the Accuride workers solidarity fund. The Pontiac Truck and Bus plant raised $7,000, without even having official union approval. The rank-and-file could understand the importance of union solidarity even if their "leaders" could not!

Shocked by the extent of solidarity, the UAW International leadership decided to do the right thing and reinstated strike benefits at twice the normal amount.
I spoke with Billy Robinson. He is continuing to travel to UAW locals around the country asking for support to their fight for a decent contract. I'm hoping we can organize a door collection for the Accuride workers here at NUMMI.

I see a lot of cynicism and disillusionment with our union in the plant. I just wish all of you reading this could have a talk with Billy Robinson and see with your own eyes the power of real unionism.

Caroline Lund

Can't Work Faster

In his letter with our paychecks July 7, NUMMI President Ishii complains: "Currently, labor hours per vehicle are exceeding target. We are spending about half an hour too long on cars and nearly an hour too long on trucks."

I don't know where he gets his figures. There's no way we can work faster safely! What does he know about how we are always on the verge of the hole? About the stress that puts on us? About how your mouth goes dry because you don't even have the time to take a swig of water? About how tired you get after the unending 9 hours on the line?

Caroline Lund

No Right to Join Union

Richard Bensinger is the past head of the Organizing Department of the AFL-CIO. He says: "Joining a union is the only right on the books that people are threatened for exercising today. There's not a free and open debate in a union election. Instead, there's coercion by management, which has total access to and control over the electorate. And there's no real punishment if they violate the law.

"Imagine if the Presidential race was run under labor law. If the incumbent was the boss, Gore could require every citizen to attend mandatory campaign rallies. Bush could only hand out leaflets at the Mexican border. And debates? Never in my 25 years have I seen en employer allow a debate with a union."

From Business Week, Oct. 16, 2000

Quote of the Month:

"The strongest bond of human sympathy, outside of the family relation, should be one of uniting all working people of all nations, tongues, and kindreds."

Abraham Lincoln

Home	LabourNet Germany: http://www.labournet.de/ LabourNet Germany: Treffpunkt für Ungehorsame, mit und ohne Job, basisnah, gesellschaftskritisch The virtual meeting place of the left in the unions and in the workplace
	Datei:
	Datum: