Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) correspondent
The US auto workers expanded their strike on 22 September when 5,600 members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union walked out of 38 plants at noon on Friday, as negotiations did not make enough progress during the week. Three plants with about 13,000 workers have already been on strike since 15 September. This is the first time when workers have stopped work simultaneously at three largest US auto makers, General Motors, Ford and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler).
(See https://aifap.org.in/10269/: Over 13,000 US automobile workers go on strike for better wages and benefits for details about just demands of auto workers.)
The UAW has described its strike as an effort to level the economic playing field for the working class. While profits of auto companies have soared, wages of US workers have stagnated or fallen during the last twenty years. “The world is watching, and the people are on our side. We’ve seen poll after poll come out saying the American people support what we are doing,” said a union leader.
As often happens, seeing the mood of people and workers, leaders of both the key political parties of the US, Democratic Party and Republican Party, have come out in support of the auto workers. Workers know that they cannot be fooled by their support as both these political parties represent and work for the biggest US monopolies.
Close links of the auto monopolies with the American ruling class becomes obvious from the fact that many heads of General Motors and Ford were appointed as defence ministers. Charles Wilson of GM was appointed the minister of defence in 1953 by the then President Eisenhower and Robert McNamara of Ford worked as the defence minister from 1961-68 under two Presidents, Kennedy and Johnson.
