American Axle strikers confront stockholder’s meeting

“We are the union, the mighty, mighty union! AAM look around! Detroit is a union town!” WW photos: Alan Pollock

Taking it to the streets with their mighty rank-and-file power, striking workers at American Axle & Manufacturing, their loved ones, including many children, and allies confronted an AAM stockholders meeting April 24 chanting, “We are the union, the mighty, mighty union! AAM look around! Detroit is a union town!” and singing “Solidarity Forever!”

This magnificent workers’ action of about 2,000 was sponsored by the striking Local 235 in Hamtramck, Mich. with participation from striking Local 262 in Detroit and numerous UAW locals as well as unions, community and student organizations throughout Michigan and beyond.

The April 24 action was organized in response to mass anger after an April 18 rally to take place in downtown Detroit next to GM headquarters was canceled abruptly by the UAW International for no valid reason except a weak excuse that “negotiations are progressing.” Thousands were expected to attend the April 18 rally.

Police brutality on the picket line, April 24.

But in the proud UAW tradition of rank-and-file resistance, the strikers are fighting back against not only AAM’s and other bosses’ greed but also any sellout concessions. The strikers are fighting hard, refusing to accept any concessionary contract similar to those implemented at Delphi, Dana Corp. and the Big Three. Such agreements would drive the workers into poverty with buyouts, buy-downs and a two-tier wage structure.

Those on the picket lines are clear that they are fighting for all workers. If AAM, an extremely profitable company, can get away with massive concessions, that would open the door for an even bigger bosses’ onslaught in the auto industry as well as in other sectors.

Over 3,600 workers at five AAM plants in Michigan and New York have been on strike for nine weeks. Charging an unfair labor practice, the UAW says the company refused to open its books in a serious manner. Since the strike began AAM has released some financial information, but only after the UAW International agreed to a confidential agreement. The two sides continue to bargain.

AAM wants to cut the workers’ pay in half, eliminate pensions and gut benefits—despite the fact that the company made $37 million in profits last year. This is an affront to the dignity and respect of workers internationally. CEO Richard Dauch himself made $10.2 million last year, while the workers make on average about $45,000 to $50,000 before taxes.

At the April 24 AAM stockholders’ meeting, the company blamed the strikers for a $27 million net loss for the three-month period of Jan. 1 to March 31. The company claims that the strike caused sales to drop by approximately $132 million and its operating income to decrease by $45.8 million. AAM’s revenue dropped by 26.7 percent to $587.6 million in the first quarter this year compared to $802.2 million during the same quarter in 2007.

Gathering at the UAW Local 235 union hall, a sea of marchers wearing blue UAW solidarity T-shirts and hoisting multicolored union placards took over Holbrook Avenue, the main street running through the massive AAM plant and into the city of Hamtramck, on April 24.

Local 262 members from the Detroit Forge and others from UAW Region 1 participated, as did unions such as the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) from U. of Michigan—Ann Arbor, the Union of Part-Time Faculty (UPTF-AFT) from Wayne State, the machinists, electrical and teachers’ unions, Labor Notes, the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice (MECAWI) and many more. International solidarity has been solid from day one of the strike Feb. 26. All kinds of assistance for the strikers continue to arrive on a daily basis.

Within seconds of stepping off, the marchers were surrounded and menaced by at least 20 Detroit and Hamtramck marked and unmarked police vehicles, including a massive bus with wire mesh and bars on the windows as well as the Detroit tactical squad, armed and with bulletproof vests. The police blocked off Holbrook Avenue entirely, not allowing any vehicles at all to pass for the duration of the strikers’ rally.

Undeterred, the strikers and their allies militantly refused to back down against this police state terror for almost three hours while the stockholders’ meeting took place. Alternately and periodically taking the streets and the sidewalks, marchers held a moving picket at the west gate of the AAM world headquarters building, where the stockholders’ meeting took place.

Two Detroit police and the tactical squad held open the south end gate, but not without resistance. As stockholders’ cars left the AAM parking structure jeers, boos and chants of “bums” and “scabs” greeted them. The rally and march were covered by local, state, national and international media.

One Black woman worker was brutally arrested by police. While crossing the street she was clotheslined by a Detroit police officer. While defending herself, the officer forcefully grabbed and choked her and two other officers moved in to help with this criminal assault witnessed by hundreds of workers, many of whom photographed and filmed the attack.

After workers moved in on the cops to stop them from possibly choking the striker to death, the cops handcuffed the sister and virtually dragged her to a police car where they shoved her in the backseat.

The arrested striker was refused her medication by the cops even after her sister told them she had recently had a heart attack and needed her medicine. The outpouring of the anger from the strikers was immediate as they chanted, “Let her go!” and confronted the cops.

As the cop car with the arrested striker sped off, tensions increased but the strikers’ discipline prevented a police riot. The UAW is working on the arrested sister’s release and pursuing legal redress. Immediately after the rally Dana Edwards, Local 235’s shop committee chairperson, met workers at the union hall who had film and video of this incident and downloaded it for documentation and mobilization.

The strikers and their allies vow that these and many other creative, militant actions will increase and broaden if AAM doesn’t come to its senses.

“What we work for is something that’s human, just human rights, that we have a fair chance to live our lives, to help our children to accomplish something in their lives. But what they want from us is just ridiculous. I love this solidarity today. You can’t help but to come here and see this, to see and feel the vibrations of this out here. How dare American Axle come with the trifling pittance they’re offering us. It’s ridiculous. So here we stand. Across the board what we need is a workers’ strike all across this great nation. And let our voices really be heard,” said Adolphus Heahth while marching April 24. Heahth, a Black worker, started working at GM in 1977 and has been at AAM since 1994.

Send donations, provisions and support resolutions to UAW Local 235, 2140 Holbrook Ave., Hamtramck, MI 48212; 313-871-1190; [email protected] or [email protected]; and UAW Local 262, 8490 Saint Aubin St., Hamtramck, MI 48212; 313-874-5770.