Strikers blast General Dynamics

Scan page 7

SOCIALIST ACTION NOVEMBER 1985 7 U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685).

IA. Title of publication: Socialist Action. 1B. Publication no. 721090. 2. Date of filing: September 27, 1985. 3. Frequency of issue: Monthly. A) No. of annually: 12. B) Annual subscription price: $6.00.

4. Complete mailing address of known office of publication: Socialist Action Publishing Association, 3435 Army St., Suite 308, San Francisco, CA 94110-4543.

S. Complete mailing address of the headquarters of general business offices of the publisher: Socialist Action Publishing Association, 3435 Army St., Suite 308, San Francisco, CA 94110-4543.

6. Full names and complete mailing address of publisher, editor, and managing editor. Publisher: Socialist Action Publishing Association, 3435 Army St., Suite 308, San Francisco, CA 941104543. Editor: Alan Benjamin, 3435 Army St., Suite 308, San Francisco, CA 94110-4543. Managing Editor: Don Mahoney, 3435 Army St., Suite 308, San Francisco, CA 94110-4543.

7. Owner (if owned by a corporation, its name and address must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses of stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, its name and address, as well as that of each individual must be given. If the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, its name an address must be stated.): Socialist Action Publishing Association (unincorporated), 3435 Army St., Suite 308, San Francisco, CA 94110, Nat Weinstein and Alan Benjamin, 3435 Army St., Suite 308, San Francisco, CA 94110.

8. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities (if there are none, so state: None.

9. For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at special rates (Section 423.12 DMM only): Does not apply.

10. Extent and nature of circulation. Average no. copies each issure during preceding 12 months. A. Total no. copies printed (net press run): 3,125. B. Paid and/or requested circulation (1) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales: 1,018. (2) Mail subscriptions (Paid and/or requested: 624. C. Total paid and/or requested circulation (sum of 10B1 and 10B2): 1,047. D. Free distribution by mail, carrier or other means, samples, complimentary, and other free copies: 297. E. total distribution (Sum of C and D): 1,944. F. Copies not distributed (1) Office use, left over, unaccounted, spoiled after printing: 1,172. (2) Return from news agents: 9. G. Total (Sum of E, Fl, and 2-should equal net press run shown in A): 3,125.

Actual no. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date. A. Total no. copies printed (net press run): 2,500. B. Paid and/or requested circulation (1) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales: 837. (2) Mail subscription (Paid and/or requested): 607. C. Total paid and/or requested circulation (Sum of 10Bl and 10B2): 1,444. D. Free distribution by mail, carrier or other means, samples, complimetary, and other free copies: O. E. Total distribution (Sum of C and D) 1,444. F. copies not distributed (1) Office use, left over, unaccounted, spoiled after printing: 1,056. (2) Return from news agents: 0. G. Total (Sum of E, FI and 2—should equal net press run shown in A): 2,500.

11. 1 certify that the statements made by me above and complete.

(signed)

Don Mahoney Business Manager DETROIT-Five thousand members of Local 1200 of the United Auto Workers workers struck the General Dynamics Corp. on Sept. 18, rejecting the arms manufacturer's second contract offer this year.

The strike involves workers at the company's tank-building Land Systems Division, which was purchased from the Chrysler Corp. as part of the federal government's 1982 bailout of the auto giant. Plants in Warren, Mich., Lima, Ohio, and at three other parts plants are affected by the strike.

The issues in the strike are clear. The workers want parity with Chrysler workers in hourly earnings. The average Chrysler worker makes $13.23 per hour, while wages at General Dynamics range from $7.49 to $11.50 per hour.

Significantly, the strike is also over the two-tiered wage system, under which new workers are receiving only 60 percent of the prevailing wage for three years-the life of the contract!

Another issue is the deplorable safety conditions that the workers have had to put up with under the UAW's concession-motivated 1982 contract. For example, freon was introduced as a cleaning agent in the tanks. This was a short cut designed to reduce cleaning from three hours to 30 minutes. Only after two workers died from freon fumes did the company discontinue this practice. The union members are demanding the right to strike over safety issues.

Local 1200's president, Coakley, says, "We know what we're involved in. These people have a right to go out there and strike for the best damn agreement they can get-and who's to tell them what's good for them and what's not."

Coakley has criticized the lack of support for the strike on the part of the UAW's top leadership. "Now for the first time [when] we're faced with a confrontation, they tell you to pull in your horns... because this is General Dynamics plant in Warren, Mich. Dynamics and it don't count. Baloney, it don't count. We know what we're involved in."

Local 1200 is making no bones about the issues. Together with those striking against the Chrysler Corp., the Hormel Packing Co. in Austin, Minn., and the Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, they are demonstrating a new-found confidence that union workers can fight back.

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VAN ON STRIKE