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Socialist Appeal Magazine
Issue 37 of Socialist Appeal is now available.
El Militante Sin Fronteras
Nuevo periódico marxista de la Liga Internacional de los Trabajadores
St. Louis area Machinists recently approved a new three-year contract with Boeing Co. by a narrow margin. The workers’ main concerns were not over salary, or even health care, but the threats posed to seniority and job security by the encroachment of new job classifications. While the Machinists were able to thwart the worst of Boeing’s proposals at the bargaining table, the Boeing bosses have gotten their foot in the door to undermine job security and the seniority system. Like the saying goes, “give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.” 
The UAW will confront Detroit auto makers at the bargaining table in July for a new national contract. In what will prove to be one of the UAW’s biggest challenges since the union’s birth, this contract will bear the imprint of the wholesale restructuring of the American auto industry. When Cerberus Capital Management paid $7.4 billion to take control of Chrysler on May 13, 2007, the challenge to the Union was official: “Are you ready to negotiate with a private equity firm which specializes in gutting troubled companies?” The UAW’s position on Chrysler will undoubtedly influence negotiations with General Motors and Ford. Cerberus wants to cut costs to make money off its investment. Contract talks open up a golden opportunity for the bosses to cut costs at the expense of the workers on the assembly lines. Cutting benefits which previous generations sacrificed, fought for and in some instances, died for, is what is at risk for auto workers in 2007. 
Every May Day, millions of workers around the world celebrate International Workers’ Day – the original Labor Day. Here in the U.S., Labor Day is officially celebrated in September, and has all but lost its original political and class character. It is seen by many as little more than an end-of-summer barbecue. But the real origins of May Day can be traced right here to the United States and the bitter struggles of working men and women for better wages, rights, conditions, and the eight-hour day. 
In the recent election for union leadership, members of the Teamsters union were confronted with a choice. On the one side stood Jimmy Hoffa Jr., the incumbent president, who campaigned on the basis of forming a “partnership” with the employers and whose family has had long-standing relations with organized crime. On the other side stood the challenger, Tom Leedham, who has pressed for mobilizing the membership to act in their own interests and strike, if that proves necessary, in order to win gains. 
Originally published in 1975, this article was an answer to Chrysler's plans to sack thousands of workers in Britain. It clearly posed the demand for nationalization under workers' control and management. The fact that over 30 years later we are yet again faced with the same situation, highlights our point that there is simply no solution to the problems of working people within the narrow limits of capitalism. We are told that we can be part of the "team" if we play by the rules - but the bosses change the rules whenever they want! The bosses will always put their profits above the interests of the workers and society as a whole. Under capitalism, the "song remains the same". Workers need a new tune - nationalization under workers' democratic control! 
On February 14th, the DaimlerChrysler
AG Corporation announced sweeping plant closings and job cuts for its
U.S. operations which will go into effect in 2008 and 2009. The company
announced the closing of the Newark, Delaware plant as well as the cutting
a total of 13,000 jobs across the US and Canada by 2009, mainly through
shift elimination. The Cleveland, Ohio parts distribution center will
be idled as well. As part of this "restructuring" plan, the
company will cut U.S. production capacity by 400,000 units through 2009.
If this wasn't enough, DaimlerChrysler also announced that it is exploring
options to sell off the Chrysler division altogether. No wonder many
workers are calling these announcements the "St. Valentine's Day
Massacre".
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