The central theme of the Auto Workshop was that the fight against discrimination and white chauvinism was the key to building the rank-and-file movement against the auto monopolies and Woodcock and the top UAW leadership. The workshop was attended by communists who were actively working in auto during the contract negotiations, including representatives from plants where walk-outs and wildcat strikes had occurred.
Workshop participants summed up the contract period by noting the wide gap between the spontaneous rebellions in the auto plants, like in Detroit, and the lack of progressive leadership in the UAW. Though the UAW leadership got a ratification of the poor new contract, the majority of auto workers saw the sell-out happening step by step. The sell-out generated a great deal of pessimism, but also made many auto workers determined to fight to get rid of Woodcock and the top UAW leadership.
Taking into account the slumping economy of the US, the probability of huge lay-offs in auto, and the sell-out contract, workshop members found unity around the main demands of auto workers.
Most important will be the demand END DISCRIMINATION and EQUAL RIGHTS on the job and in the union for all national minority workers. GM, Ford, and Chrysler consistently hand minority workers the hardest, dirtiest, lowest-paying, most dangerous jobs. They are denied promotions and are subjected to racist harrassment from supervisors. The UAW leadership has never taken this fight up aggressively and even practices discrimination in its own ranks. To build principled unity between minority and white workers, the white workers must be won to take up the fight for the equal treatment of Black, Chicanos, and other minority workers in the plants and in the UAW.
The other important demands were seen as:
1) A LIVING WAGE AND OPPOSITION TO NIXON’S 5.5% WAGE GUIDLINES–There is no way the 3% annual wage hikes will get auto workers through til 1976. The union must be pushed to put up a fight against the government’s policy of putting the cost of the economic crisis on the workers.
2) A FIGHT AGAINST MASSIVE LAY-OFFS–Again, the economic and energy crisis shouldn’t be used to put auto workers out on the streets. Lines can be slowed down, short work weeks instituted and production cut back instead.
3) EQUALITY FOR WOMEN ON THE JOB AND IN THE UNION–Provisions must be won for women workers’ special problems like childcare and maternity leave, as well as an end to harrassment at work. Baby-sitting at union meetings and special efforts to involve women in union activities must be made, too.
4) AN END TO SPEED-UP AND NO MORE MANDATORY OVERTIME
5) DEFEND OUR RIGHT TO STRIKE AND EXPAND THE LOCAL UNION’S RIGHT TO STRIKE
6) DECENT HEALTH AND SAFETY CONDITIONS–The energy crisis is being used as an excuse to cover up deteriorating health and safety standards.
7) DEMOCRACY IN THE UAW AND MORE AND BETTER UNION REPRESENTATION–As the UAW’s leadership’s influence over auto workers weakens, they are resorting to more undemocratic methods of running the UAW, red-baiting and corruption. To win the above demands, rank and file auto workers are going to have to regain control of their union.
Communists working in auto must unite all who can be united to fight for these demands. We must provide militant, correct tactical guidance for the day to day struggles while educating auto workers, through their lives, that they’re up against a trio of enemies–the auto giants, the UAW top leadership and the US government.
Wherever possible, rank-and-file caucuses should be built, firmly rooted in shop floor struggles, and aimed at the small handful of bureaucrats running the UAW. While often sparked by young newly-hired workers, these caucuses must be based among the assembly line workers with 5-10 years seniority in plants, for they are the stable core of the work force. Black workers in many plants have already taken the lead in this.
This core is not enough. Workshop members agreed that alliances should be forged with other groups of auto workers, including the skilled workers, and local union leaders, many of whom are getting disgusted with the undemocratic practices in the UAW. Also, President Woodcock must retire in a few years so the contradictions among the UAW bureaucrats are growing sharp. These contradictions should be turned to good use.
In the rank-and-file movement, communists shouldn’t put winning an election or one demand before the long-range task of destroying the influence of the UAW bureaucrats over the masses of auto workers. Workshop participants agreed that our main emphasis must be strengthening the fighting capacity of the auto workers. However, it is okay to build alliances with local union leaders who oppose the International or auto companies because they seek prestige, or who don’t see eye to eye with us on every issue.
The workshop agreed that attempts to form “alternative unions” or to separate militants and communists from the majority of auto workers should be opposed, especially now when the government is attacking the whole trade union movement. This would only leave the majority under the influence of the chauvinist UAW leadership.
Building unity with other workers and anti-imperialist struggles was also discussed. Doing work supporting the Farah and Farmworkers’ struggles and around political issues such as Nixon’s impeachment must be taken up in the UAW, to raise auto workers’ political consciousness and to develop the united front against imperialism in the US.
Finally, with the growing number of lay-offs, workshop members agreed that communists must establish good lasting ties with the stablest groups of workers in their plants. Whether individuals are laid off or not, communists must be helping to lead struggles in auto. Most important, the auto workers, themselves, must be trained to lead the rank-and-file movement, rather than relying on a few “heavies.”
The workshop ended in the spirit of unity–participants were anxious to get back home, put what they had learned into practice, and provide good leadership for the upcoming struggles in auto.