With or Without U[AW]

“You can’t strip away someone’s way of life through corporate domestic terrorism and not expect a fight.”

This is the overall consensus of rank-n-file autoworkers according to Todd Jordan, union member and founder of the website Future of the Union.

Around 75 rank-n-file members of the United Auto Workers demonstrated outside the historic Flint East Delphi plant [despite the cancellation by UAW leadership]. Workers from Saginaw, Flint and Detroit came out in force to denounce the closing of the Spark Plug & Oil Filter production in Flint and to protest the concessions that GM-Delphi are trying to force on Delphi workers.

"Union democracy died in Flint on Thursday," [said Jordan.] The leadership of UAW Local 651 cancelled the protest on Wednesday [after receiving] a call from the International UAW on Wednesday asking them, “Are you with us or are you with them” referring to the rank-n-file movement called Soldiers of Solidarity whose Western Michigan members came out in force [Thursday] to support the protest in solidarity.

This sabotage did not set well with the people who came to the protest . . . It would be the tyrannical influence of the administration who would abuse the democratic process and declare the protest over without a single vote cast.

“They are trying to take the wind out of the sails of the membership who want to fight back.” one Flint worker told a reporter.

“It is like they want control over the membership. We elected them, they are suppose to answer to us."

“The UAW is playing checkers while the company is playing Chess.”

[C]onfrontation with both the botched union leaders and the corporations at this point is only a mater of time . . . People are waking up to the destructive policies of the UAW Solidarity House and how it is directly related to the decline of union membership. Workers are starting to perceive the historic reality that concessions don’t save jobs . . . that once you give concessions they never stop [demanding them].

Once the dog tastes blood, [we'll] have to put him down.

[T]hey miscalculate the rank-n-file‘s ability to resist. [A] colossal decentralized insurgence [is] growing inside the union against the concessions and partnership with the companies.

[Be prepared] to observe not only wildcat industrial action without UAW bureaucracy approval, but also militants taking control of picket lines. These are very pragmatic possibilities. We should not be astounded when some workers occupy departments or even entire plants.

Miller is out of his league in the auto industry. He has by no means faced “united” auto workers on the shop floor before. He is accustomed to union bureaucracy and compromise from elected representatives. He won’t get that satisfaction from the workers in the auto industry like he did in the airline and steel industries. We will vote down and fight back anything they bring down to us. No Concessions, Fight to Win!

You better believe American auto workers will be heard and felt around the world when their livelihoods are threatened. The Solidarity House nor GM-Delphi will not be allowed to betray 70 years of struggle without a fight from the genuine workers. What kind of fight that will be shall be determined in the next few months . . . We will fight to win until the last man is standing.

I'm with you all the way.