The deadline to mail in ballots within the UAW election to make sure that they’re counted is in a single week, November 18. For extra data on Lehman’s marketing campaign, go to WillforUAWPresident.org.
Supporters of United Auto Staff (UAW) presidential candidate Will Lehman spoke with employees on the Ford Louisville, Kentucky Meeting plant Friday in regards to the current threats to the way forward for the manufacturing unit.
A November 3 article revealed by Automotive Information declared that “the long run is unsure” for the Louisville plant and its 4,000 employees, in reference to threats made by Ford CEO Jim Farley, who positioned a query mark over the task of future manufacturing to the manufacturing unit forward of the 2023 contract negotiations with the United Auto Staff.
Throughout the 2019 contract negotiations, Normal Motors (GM) threatened to close down 5 crops, utilizing the lives of 1000’s of employees as a bargaining chip to demand huge concessions. Within the occasion, three crops have been shut down whereas the Ford, with the help of the UAW, was in a position impose a concessionary contract that met none of employees’ primary calls for.
The Automotive Information article added that different crops have been on the chopping block. “Louisville Meeting gained’t be the one plant on the heart of subsequent 12 months’s talks. The futures of GM’s Chevrolet Malibu plant in Kansas Metropolis, Kansas, and Stellantis’ Jeep Cherokee plant in Belvidere, Illinois, are also up within the air.”
In an open letter to the employees at Louisville Meeting, Lehman declared, “Removed from defending jobs, the UAW is overtly collaborating of their destruction. Ford is shutting the Romeo Engine plant outdoors of Detroit based mostly on the 2019 UAW-Ford contract. Stellantis (Chrysler) has slashed jobs at Trenton Engine, Warren Truck and the Warren and Sterling stamping crops—all within the Detroit space.”
He continued, “This company terrorism have to be halted! I name for the complete mobilization of all rank-and-file employees within the UAW to halt any additional layoffs or concessions. It’s time to draw a line within the sand: The rights of employees should take priority over personal revenue!”
Staff responded with anger when made conscious of this risk to their jobs, whereas expressing assist for Lehman’s marketing campaign. An electrician with 32 years on the plant mentioned, “We have to battle these folks to defend our jobs, whether or not the union says so, or not. I discovered Will on the World Socialist Net Website and I assist him.”
Many employees at Louisville Meeting had been compelled to switch from one manufacturing unit to a different in the midst of a few years working at Ford. They’re all too acquainted with the expertise of mass layoffs and plant closures. A employee named Chris had labored at Walton Hills in Ohio for 18 years earlier than he needed to depart in 2012 to return to Louisville. He felt that the current firm memo asserting the change of the plant supervisor was an ominous signal. “He has been right here barely a 12 months. He made this place a prime producer. I don’t see why they’d transfer him.”
He spoke of his experiences with plant closings and mass layoffs: “They hold it actual quiet after which increase. They shut the doorways and it’s important to go. All they care about is revenue. They don’t care about our livelihood.”
“I actually do imagine that they will shut the plant,” mentioned a younger employee with 4 years on the manufacturing unit. He went on to explain the unsafe and inefficient administration practices. “It’s a mind-bender how they run the plant. They don’t care in regards to the employees and so they don’t care in regards to the automobiles. They’ll ship them out the door with out wheels so long as it’s making them cash.”
Describing the potential influence of a plant closure, he added, “It will be devastating for the group. Lots of people within the plant don’t know the rest.”
At a webinar held November 6, Will Lehman declared that if the auto corporations couldn’t hold the crops open to supply the roles that employees want, with first rate pay and secure working situations, COLA, pensions and full medical advantages, they’ve forfeited the appropriate to handle the crops. Chris strongly agreed, “We produce all of the earnings. We should always management what occurs with that cash and what occurs with these jobs.”
One other employee had labored at Atlanta Meeting till it closed. She had not heard in regards to the Automotive Information report, and expressed severe concern, “The brand new plant supervisor who’s coming from KTP [Kentucky Truck Plant] is a plant nearer. That’s the speak going across the plant.”
She added, “The union has downplayed it. They are saying it’s simply what they are saying at each contract. However this can be a actual risk.”
When knowledgeable about this risk, Larry, an meeting line employee, mentioned he didn’t know there was a threatened closure, however wasn’t stunned that nobody from the UAW native had knowledgeable employees, “They’re no assist to us in any respect. I do know we now have a contract developing subsequent 12 months and I wished to seek out out what we had misplaced within the final one. I emailed our native and requested, however the one reply I received was that I wanted to have a look at the final contract. However they stopped responding once I requested about getting a duplicate.”
Ford Motor firm has raked in over $151 billion in income for the 12 months ending in September 2022, a 12.72 % improve over final 12 months. The corporate’s 2021 income was over $136 billion, a 7.23 % improve from 2020. Ford CEO Jim Farley acquired over $22 million in compensation for 2021, practically double what he earned in 2021 ($11.8 million).
The opposite auto corporations have fared likewise. In 2021, Normal Motors took in over $127 billion in income. Stellantis earned $176.7 billion, a 78.55 % improve over 2020.
Whereas employees have had their wages slashed, their advantages lower and in lots of circumstances their jobs destroyed, the auto corporations have reaped a bonanza of earnings. The corrupt layer of bureaucrats on the prime of the UAW, who’ve agreed to those concessions, has additionally benefited handsomely throughout this era.
On the November 6 webinar Lehman declared, “Even because the UAW equipment has overseen the lack of multiple million lively members since 1980, its belongings have stayed comparatively secure. The paperwork has squeezed an increasing number of dues out of us, whereas shifting extra of its investments to the inventory market, a blatant battle of curiosity.”
In his assertion to Louisville employees Lehman concluded, “Brothers and sisters, we should take a stand to forestall one other jobs bloodbath. For those who agree with my perspective, I urge you to vote for me, and speak to my marketing campaign to debate becoming a member of the rising community of rank-and-file committees.”
For extra data on Lehman’s marketing campaign, go to WillforUAWPresident.org.