I'm so damned tired of our UAW workers taking so much flack from so-called Progressives. The small UAW caravan to Washington is going not just to support the loans for the Big Three, but to push liberal and progressive causes. I don't see any of the Kos kids putting their money where their mouths are. You want to help liberal and progressive causes? Remember Detroit:
The idea of forming a caravan came about two weeks ago according to Wendy Thompson, the former president of the UAW 235 Local. But the reaction and number of prospective volunteers was so overwhelming that it had to be cancelled. This past Tuesday, Dec. 2, however, Thompson and a few other former UAW members decided to go ahead with the trip in a smaller capacity.
I really wish they could have done the original and much larger caravan to Washingotn, that would have been something.
Thompson, who plans to make the trip, said that recommendations were made from other union leaders to call or e-mail to lobby for auto company loans but she thought it wouldn’t be enough to make a true difference.
“There’s been a lot of negative press in terms of demonizing the auto worker,” she said. “We want to put a human face to it and that’s why we’re going to Washington.”
The caravan plans to focus not just on getting the bridge loan passed but also on proposing ideas to develop plans for using plants to manufacture more fuel-efficient cars as well as green energy technologies such as wind turbines and mass transportation such as light rail and high speed trains.
What?! Auto workers for progressive causes? I know it may surprise some of the Coasties, but it's time to pay attention:
They’ll also broach the subjects of more accountability for financial assistance and tax abatements provided to corporations, stronger unions to protect fair wages and benefits, and more consideration for a national health-care system like the “Medicare for All” proposal by Michigan representative John Conyers to help relieve the health care costs burden that weigh automakers down.
And, yes, the workers are under no illusions. They are simply doing what they've done since they were formed: helping out wherever they can:
Another speaker who plans to make the trip, former UAW Local 909 President Frank Hammer, warned that the bridge loan was just the first step in what he deemed the vitally important healing process for Detroit’s automakers.
“The best-case scenario with the auto loans is that they get us through February and March, after that, God knows what will happen,” he said.
“Even with the loans, we’re still looking at 20,000 to 30,000 layoffs, what do we do about that? The bridge loan should be coming from the banks to loan to us instead of from taxpayer money.
“We want to come out (to Washington) to stand in solidarity.”
You see, I don't give a damn about Wagner, Mullaly and Nardelli. And, I'm sure if you asked them candidly, they'd tell you what we all really know: that is, if the companies go out of business, they'll be just fine. This isn't about saving execs. So, if you want to complain about the execs, only like our president-elect seems to do instead of also remembering to speak well of the workers and giving them their due, you're doing the complicated situation a great disservice.
So, when we talk about fighting for progressive causes, all I'd like you guys to do is to also remember the folks that make things for you because they are on our side, they are the good guys, they are allies. These were the invisible people that Hillary was talking about. Though they may be invisible to the fauxgressives, I hope they are not invisible to you.
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they're not invisible to me
thanks to your writing about them here at corrente. before then, they kind of were invisible [to me], mostly because down here in the south unions, and therefore their workers, are almost as common as unicorns.
i'm sorry to hear they decided to cut back on the size of their caravan too. a big turnout is always impressive.
fuel-efficient cars, wind turbines, mass transit, woo hoo! this is stuff we could have and should have been doing for a long time already. kudos to them for advocating for it all [and for medicare for all, of course]. i look forward to hearing about the trip when they get back.
Thanks
But, to be clear, my post was for anyone whom the "creative class" practically dares to have pride in working with their hands, unionized or not. But, as for unions, I wanted to get the word out that they are concerned with more than making a product, they are even more in tune with progressive ideals than your average American, so look at them as partners. Since at least the Reagan Revolution they've been tarred as lazy, amoral, socialist, and we have to stop people when they start going down that line of argument, especially those Democrats that are all too apt to do this, these days. At least from our view of things here in Michigan, the inter-party warfare between labor and so-called progressives is a very real battle. We're feeling unnecessarily under attack.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
You know, I always knew I was different
...but I had no idea it was because I was related to unicorns! :D
PB 2.0 - Supplement the wonk!
thanks for posting this
I saw something about this, but am very busy this week and single payer will be neglected, so hop that others will jump in. DC area readers who are interested in supporting auto workers:
DC Meeting Location -- Monday, December 8
Time: 9:30 am
Location: Lutheran Church of the Reformation
212 East Capitol Street, NE
Washington, DC 20003
(between 2nd and 3rd)
Contact: Mark, 413-896-4726 (onsite)
Street parking is available.
note - take the metro and get off at Union Station, the parking will be VERY limited.
coda
emptywheel is on the case, she lives in Michigan, so she cares.
Auto Worker Caravan
I'm not sure how often they are going to update this, but here is the site of the caravan:
Auto Worker Caravan
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
Damon, great information
...but please, "it may surprise some of the Coasties"?
No surprise to anyone active in NYC's Unions. (We've got some UAW locals around here, too. Some represent college teachers!)
Perhaps you mean the South coast Coasties? ;)
We can't afford not to have single-payer!
Oh, I Know.
But, it's been my experience over the last few weeks that the derision isn't just coming from the South (where it has always come from), but it's now coming from the academics and so-called creative class on both of the coasts, which was a surprise.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
The LA Times: Why Weren't Wall Street Workers
asked for concessions? Absolutely right on the double standard:
Thanks for posting this Damon. I heard one of the union workers on Democracy Now the other day. I hope they give 'em hell in D.C.
"Do what you feel in your heart to be right -- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't. " - Eleanor Roosevelt
Forget the "stepping up"-Where were the Congressional demands?
Congress did not ask for any "concessions" from the Biggest Banker Boyz until after they passed the Paulson Fix and let Paulson pass out the goodies as he wished.
And, on Wall St., the lower level white collar and pink collar workers were simply let go.
While the Big Banker Boyz mainly stayed, getting protection from Bernanke, Paulson, and, yes, Geithner--plus Harry, Barry, Nancy, silent partner Georgie, and, alas, Barney.
It turns out, in retrospect, that letting some fo the more aggressive banksters take out Lehmann Bros may have made things worse, but, when it looked to be to their advantage, they banksters were ruthless. In protecting their chosen survivors.
This is such a massive clusterfuck. The banksters played the roulette games, made gazillions for a while--but it was all a Ponzi scheme. And they're pulled down the economy. Yet, they get the bailouts without questions or demands (sternly worded letters, anyone?); actual makers of tangible products get whacked every which way. What a massive mess Big Shit Pile is making, polluating everything.
Damnon, your posting on the UAW caravan is one small bright spot. Wonder how the MCM will cover it!
Beware the Kabuki
Factesque has a couple of good posts up about holding the auto industry accountable (the management, not the workers) and making them do the right thing (as opposed to invoking workers to get aid and then screwing them which is their history). There's no sense bailing them out to save jobs, if they then take the money and run off to Brazile.
See here, here and here.
The problem, after all, is not asking for things in return for bailing out the industry, it's asking for the right things and it's also asking for nothing, instead of the right things, from Wall Street.
Not surprisingly, many of the right things we should be asking for have been identified by the UAW and its members.
"Do what you feel in your heart to be right -- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't. " - Eleanor Roosevelt
Bloomberg has an article on the broader impact...
...on the economy *even* with a rescue. It shows just how important the industry is to others and to the whole economy.
PB 2.0 - Supplement the wonk!