NDM National UAW Healthcare and Concessions Stand-Point

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In April GM wanted to reopen the National GM/UAW Contract for the purpose of retiree healthcare concessions. Gettlefinger said no, yet attended a special meeting with GM in March regarding ways in which the UAW could help GM save money. Also attending this meeting were top executives from IPS plants who recently implemented massive concessions for portions of IPS rank and file in their last contracts. Healthcare was on the agenda. Cooperation was on the agenda. Standing tall for rank and file was not. Is it any accident we are seeing the possible restructuring of Delphi, possible loss of sub-pay to hundreds of laid off workers? We don't think so.

Apparently when Gettlefinger said "NO" he wasn't talking about the IPS plants. Apparently they are free game for health care concessions before the next contract.

NDM promotes a "no concessions agenda" for any UAW worker, now or in the future! We have an agreement for all UAW members. We expect the International to stand by it. They negotiated it, they agreed to it.

If contracts are allowed to be reopened corporations will find ways to strip even more benefits and wages, leaving rank and file to pay the price. GM, Ford and Chrysler workers may find themselves in the precarious position of immediate concessions in the next contract, if not for themselves, for aging retirees, little able to do without healthcare benefits or the income to pay for them at a crucial time in their lives. All UAW members must unite and help UAW members faced with the reopening of their contracts, and healthcare concessions fight for "NO CONCESSIONS!"

In keeping with our tradition as a social movement union, the UAW should lead the Movement for Universal Health Care. The drive for Universal Health Care cuts across class and party lines and unites all Americans with a social conscience. Universal Health Care is a practical solution to an urgent need. Our resistance to Health Care concessions should be portrayed as a vanguard in the Movement for National Health Care. We don't simply want Comprehensive Health Care for UAW members, we want Comprehensive Health Care for ALL Americans. To that end we should demand NO CONCESSIONS ON HEALTH CARE UNTIL ALL AMERICANS ARE COVERED FULLY AND EQUALLY. When all Americans are granted equal access to health care, we can drop our demands for full coverage and the auto companies will immediately save billions of dollars per year.

In keeping with our tradition of solidarity between generations, the UAW should lead in the struggle to preserve fully funded defined pensions and demand "equal pay for equal work."

The two-tier wage discriminates against an entire class of workers and drives a wedge between generations. The security of retirees is dependent on solidarity with active workers. A two-tier wage concession threatens the security of retirees and violates a fundamental principle of unionism "Equal Pay for Equal Work."

Two Tiers are Too Many! Parity and Justice for All!

Transplant workers seeking to organize emphasize the UAW's stand on defined pension in auto assembly plants and the UAW's steadfast resistance to temporary and two-tier wage structures. If the UAW concedes ground on equal wages and defined pensions, transplant workers will have no leverage with which to convince non-union workers to join the UAW.

Organizing transplants should be our top priority. We need to put as much or more emphasis on organizing as we do on V-CAP. Organizing is the horse that pulls the political cart. If we succeed at organizing, progressive legislation will follow. To that end we should build a union hall across the street from every transplant in America. We should mobilize every UAW member to be an organizer and to contribute socially, politically, and economically in the drive to organize America to secure jobs, pensions, and health care for all workers.

The UAW should follow Walter Reuther's advice and "Take labor out of the competition."

Independent Parts Suppliers, the so-called competitive shops need a National Pattern Contract and Preferential Hiring and Transfer Rights for UAW members. In this era of excessive mobility union seniority should replace corporate seniority. If we permit the companies to divide us up, spin us off, sell and swap our labor like an inhuman commodity, we will always be under compensated and insecure. IPS workers are not second-class citizens. We need Universal Health Care to alleviate the burden on smaller companies and a National Pension Fund for IPS to secure fully funded defined pensions for IPS workers. The mismanagement of one company should not leave all subsequent retirees and workers at the mercy of bankruptcy courts. Pension Portability and Preferential Hiring and Transfer Rights for UAW members in IPS would be a positive incentive to join our social movement union. A defined pension would make the risk worthwhile.

Workers all over America are looking to us to lead in the movement for Fair Pay, Universal Health Care, and Pension Security.

The best way to organize is to fight and win!

• We promote the unifying of all UAW members toward a common goal.

• We promote writing and calling your international representatives, and demanding fairness.

• We promote action from all UAW members at a crucial time in our history and growth. If UAW members continue to allow the stripping away of wages, benefits, lack of organization and inaction, we all suffer.

• NDM promotes networking with other locals, unifying with, and supporting other UAW members, and transplant workers fight for justice and fairness for ALL.

• We promote goal setting and focused directions within locals and among various rank and file for purposes of NO MORE CONCESSIONS.

We are crossing the bridge of changes. We must adapt to those changes through goals, determination and action. We must network toward a common purpose! We must re-establish our network and begin nationally addressing these issues, instead of allowing further isolationist techniques from multi-national corporations.

WE CAN FIGHT AND WE CAN WIN!

UNITED AUTO WORKERS
NEW DIRECTIONS MOVEMENT
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