[Marxism] Doug Henwood on the UAW

[Waistline2 at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/2/2009 8:42:57 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, 
_juliohuato at gmail.com_ (mailto:juliohuato at gmail.com)  writes:

Thank you.  This is informative. 
 

On May 2, 2009 3:35 AM, <_Waistline2 at aol.com_ (mailto:Waistline2 at aol.com) > 
wrote:
 


Comment/Reply



No problem. 

An earlier version of the material was  written in anger and was not 
balanced enough in its treatment of UAW President  Ron Gettelfinger.  However, 
Gettlefinger and the heads of the Chrysler and  General Motors division are 
heading in a direction where history is going to  record them as leading the 
UAW into its final destruction. 

On the  continuum of American history, with the larger content world 
history riveted to  the rise of the industrial system, we are at a point of 
transition not very  different from the passage from craft unionism to industrial 
unionism, only at a  higher level. At this level - May 2009, we have the 
accumulated knowledge of the  better part of 150 years to lean upon. What 
creates and drives the impulse for  qualitative change in the organization of the 
working class are changes in the  machinery of society and its 
corresponding shape in the organization of deployed  labor. The transition from craft 
unionism to industrial unionism was a long  drawn out historical period/curve. 
The period of transition lasted from roughly  1895 to the formation of the 
CIO - 1936/37, as the organization of the unskilled  workers in heavy 
industry. 

Although the CIO was actually the  organization of the unskilled white 
workers, its historical act was that it got  the unskilled workers into the 
process of organization and collective defense of  an important segment of 
labor. The blacks came later and worked their way  through the system and finally 
the women won more than less legal status and  treatment within the 
unionized workforce and the union itself.   

The union is aware that it must further shatter its own existing  trade 
union form of organizations and complete its leap - transition, from being  an 
organization based on an industry to an organization cutting across all 
trade  and industry lines, reaching down into the semi-employed, under employed 
and  permanently employed. It is this awareness that made Bob King a 
preferable  candidate for UAW President for many of the insurgent activists in the 
union.  King openly advocated pouring huge amounts of union funds into 
intense  unionization campaigns and waging the struggle for unionization as a 
survival  battle. 

Here is an example: Although Gettelfinger supports a  single payer health 
care system, this support is expressed 100% within the  framework of the 
Democratic Party rather than as a survival fight the union has  to wage 
independent of who ever might jump on and off the bandwagon.  Gettelfinger’s vision 
is limited to what he personally thinks is acceptable to  the company and he 
is without working class principles. Even the damn  capitalists - a huge 
section, are support single payer health care reform as a  way to increase 
profits and lighten the burden on their capital.  

Everyone in the world agrees that we are sliding into deep  economic, 
social and political crisis. The agreements end there. An important  part of 
crisis is the fighting that takes place between classes. No less  important is 
the fighting that takes place within the same class. In this regard  the 
fighting taking place within the ruling capitalist class means that various  
sectarian interests of the ruling compels them to appeal to the voters -  
workers, for support of their programs. This in turn creates a tendency for  
intersection of varying class interest. The workers and their organizations are  
given a chance to put forth their survival issues demanding resolution, but 
we  are never required to limit ourselves to what is acceptable to the 
capitalist. A  single payer system of health care is such an issue. As various 
segments of  capital appeal to our members for support to defeat their 
political opponents we  should be mature enough to independently fight out our 
issues and clearly  express our needs, rather than simply following whoever may 
be the “new flavor  of the month.” 

Independence means preserving our own organizations  and programs 
independent and outside that of the capitalist even while taking  part in the 
electoral process. Rather than simple relying on Democrats to pass  legislation 
making it less difficult to organize new members, this is an area  where we 
need out own independent voice; independent campaigns and investment of  
millions of dollars to achieve our goal of survival. 

To the degree  that we represent the workers interest as they are employed 
by capital, we can  never be truly independent of capital. Yet, there is no 
compelling law that says  we have to ride together in the same car with the 
representative of capital,  even if on specific issues there is a mutual 
desire to achieve the same goal as  in the case of health care. Nor is there a 
compelling reason to be chauffeurs  for the capitalist, who generally prefer 
their own reliable drivers.  

At any rate, when the book roughly titled “The Rise and Fall of  the UAW” 
is written by the new generation, Gettelfinger and “others” will be  
charged with doing nothing to prevent the destruction of the UAW. In this  regard, 
“they” act no different than company CEO’s who refuse to change their  
product line when the market changes and end up going out of business.  

Gettelfinger does not deserve any support by those around him.  

The UAW is rapidly going out of business and must complete its  leap to a 
non-trade basis of unionism. 


WL. 




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