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Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the May 8, 1997
issue of Workers World newspaper
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Auto workers fight for jobs

GM, Chrysler strikes

By Jean Bowdish

As of April 28, more than 11,000 auto workers are on strike at two General Motors plants and a Chrysler plant.

These UAW members are demanding that more workers be hired, and an end to outsourcing of union jobs and to the mandatory overtime that has them working six and seven days a week.

Another 25,000 workers are out at 12 factories Chrysler has had to shut as the ripple effect of the strike spreads.

On April 5, some 3,500 workers walked off the job in Oklahoma City to force GM to sign a local agreement without slashing 500 jobs from that plant.

The bosses claim that their new models of Chevy Malibu and Oldsmobile Cutlass require fewer workers on the production line. But the UAW members have been subjected to excessive overtime, denied vacation and other requests for time off- all with too few workers on the line.

The result is unsafe working conditions and higher injury rates.

On April 9, some 1,800 workers at Chrysler's Mound Road engine plant in Detroit stopped producing Jeep engines. They took the action to prevent the company from outsourcing 250 jobs in the drive-shaft department.

Then, on April 23 in Pontiac, Mich., 5,850 people refused to continue working at GM's Pontiac East truck plant until 600 more workers are hired to replace retirees and ease the work load created by short staffing.

Chrysler has closed seven assembly plants and slowed production at 12 parts plants as a result of the Mound Road strike. The shutdowns affect almost 25,000 workers in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

So far, GM has not closed any additional plants. The world's biggest company has stockpiled a more than two-month supply of the pickup trucks manufactured at the Pontiac plant, and is scheduling overtime at truck plants not on strike.

However, the Oklahoma City plant is the only site that produces the popular Malibu and Cutlass.

Chrysler executives have yet to meet face to face with union negotiators. Instead the bosses have dug in their heels. They claim the firm must remain "flexible" to stay competitive.

GM apparently hopes to ride out the strikes by using delaying tactics in negotiations. "The main issue is manpower," said UAW Local 594 Financial Secretary Roger Coates, "and [GM] is talking about drinking fountains and other Mickey Mouse stuff."

Profits up, jobs down

The Big Three were among the first companies to make downsizing and outsourcing a component in every worker's life. Attrition through retirement and disability leave, and speed-up to "increase productivity and retain the competitive edge," have resulted in the smallest possible automotive work force-and the highest profits ever.

At the same time Chrysler has been unwilling to actually meet with negotiators, the company tripled chief Robert Eaton's total pay package to $12.6 million for 1996. That included doubling his base salary and bonus, plus more than $4.4 million from cashing in stor's life. Attrition through retirement and disability leave, and speed-up to "increase productivity and retain the competitive edge," have resulted in the smallest possible automotive work force-and the highest profits ever.

At the same time Chrysler has been unwilling to actually meet with negotiators, the company tripled chief Robert Eaton's total pay package to $12.6 million for 1996. That included doubling his base salary and bonus, plus more than $4.4 million from cashing in sto achieved these record profits, executives at both GM and Chrysler cite increased productivity and efficiency at the work place. What they don't say is that this derives from massive overtime, speed-up and increased injuries due to unsafe conditions.

Each company's per-vehicle profit continues to rise. Every bit of that profit represents the blood and sweat of every worker who helped create those cars, trucks and vans.

The bosses at GM, Chrysler and Ford take credit for the profits. But they know that the plants could keep running without them around.

They can't run without the workers-as the auto industry's latest round of strikes shows.

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