Auto pact will not 'save' jobs

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The United Auto Workers (UAW) and General toworkers. It does not keep wages at pace with inflaMotors Corp's new contract is being held up by tion. It will not guarantee jobs anymore than the labor as a "job security" pact. Under the new three- 1987 pact did. GM will be able to use the "loophole" year agreement ratified by the membership at the end of a sales slump to avoid implementing jobof September, autoworkers will get a 3 percent wage protection aspects of the agreement. More jobs will hike, two 3-percent lump-sum bonuses in the second and third years, three $600 Christmas bonuses, and In addition, the decision to go without wage increases in the second and third years in exchange for Additionally, GM agreed that workers now on lump-sum payments lowers real wages. Lump sums layoff with 10 years' seniority will get 95 percent of are not calculated into pension and other benefits. The pay for three years, up from two; other workers on company's so-called job bank benefits few workers layoff will get 95 percent of pay for 18 months, up and when a major recession hits, it will go out the from 12; and workers laid off for more than 36 weeks will get training or other work and full pay. In Moreover, the UAW leadership's refusal to push for addition, pension, early retirement, and buyout plans La better deal weakens its appeal to workers at will be improved. Health-care provisions continue as nonunion auto assembly and parts plants who make In return for these "gains," GM management will While the UAW's top officials in Detroit were hailbe allowed to close plants and lay off up to 60,000 workers GM claims must be shed to become more ing the new GM agreement as groundbreaking, their competitive. Under similar "job guarantees" in the counterparts in the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) 1987 contract, GM reduced its workforce from 370,00 decided to strike Ford. After an eight-day strike, Ford to 310,000 today. GM's share of the auto market con- workers approved a three-year contract. The new pact tinues to decline, especially as the Japanese automak- increases wages 7.5 percent in the first year, 6.7 percent in the second, and 4.8 percent in the third, inMoreover, fully owned Japanese plants in the cluding a cost-of-living allowance. It also includes In this context the owners of GM decided not to Will the new pacts keep peace on the assembly force a strike with the autoworkers, although some line? Not likely. As we head toward a recession, bosses would have preferred that route. Chrysler, for autoworkers and other working people will face example, is financially weaker than GM and Ford and increasing employer attacks. GM, Ford, and Chrysler considers the new pact too expensive. But GM's man- managers will push to close plants, lay off workers, agement believes its cooperative relationship with the and impose job-combination local agreements. Auto UAW leadership is the best way to ensure labor peace workers will see they were sold a bill of goods and will begin to resist—and new union leaders will step The new pact, however, is not an advance for au22 SOCIALIST ACTION OCTOBER 1990 pers that same morning.)

More important, on that first day of classes at Berkeley, there was a table up for a new student group, Students for Peace in the Persian Gulf, which was a center for student discussion the entire be permanently lost. day. They already had a leaflet out for a rally at Sproul Plaza, which two days continued cost-of-living increases. later attracted over 600 students.

The Sept. 14 Middle East teach-in that drew 2000 to the Berkeley campus (mainly students) was also already planned, and the Times reporters were informed of both these events. window. But not only did the Times misrepresent what was happening that first day at U.C. Berkeley, they did not even cover the rally or the teach-in. I can before.

comparable hourly wages. only conclude that the truth about what is happening on the campuses is not something the New York Times considers fit to print.

A.C.

City, Calif.

ers take a bigger share of the market.

"job guarantee" language. enting for the socialist movement.

Eric Hammell, Philadelphia, Pa.

Dear editor, I would like to register my objection to the article in your September issue on Louis Farrakhan. Because of the U.S. invasion of the Middle East, Socialist Action should be making overtures to Muslim groups-and especially in the U.S., to the "Black Muslims"-not attacking their leader on the basis of his opposition to Malcolm X 30 years ago.

Farrakhan's organization probably represents the most deeply rooted militant Black organization in the country. They should be approached about common actions when circumstances allow.

G.G., Boston, Mass.