Victory for rank & file labor in Indianapolis: Count at GM's Indy Stamping Plant Solidarity Vote:

[Hannah Bell]

A little over 400/640 members came to the local to have their "no" votes registered & filmed today before they were mailed in = 63% "no" & an end run around gm/uaw's forcing an unconstitutional mail-in vote after the local had already voted to reject contract changes.
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LOCAL 23 STOOD!!!!!

Congratulations to all who took part! You stood not only for your membership but for all UAW GM!!!!!!!

Everyone should be DARN proud of your Union brothers and sisters at Local 23!

Greg Clark....you the man!!!! Local 23 has the mostest sweetest chairman EVER! What a lucky local you are! Not only is he tough and smart, but also a true gentleman and the sweetest thing I have ever met!

And local 23, you did your chairman proud too! Although he was tired, there was a lot to coordinate for this vote, he brought me my most favorite drink in the world, two of them, bought us a meal, and was sweet and patient and kind with every member there. And he was so proud of his membership. So proud of all of you.

You did not let yourselves be intimidated by the Region, the International, the state, the press. You stood your ground and did us ALL proud! I'm so proud of all of you!


http://www.factoryrat.com/factoryrat/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=13129

Background here:

In some unions a mail-in ballot is common, but in UAW auto plants, it is unheard of. Members vote in person at the union hall or in the plant. But now the UAW International is forcing a mail-in vote on a concessionary contract reopener at a GM local—after the membership of Local 23 in Indianapolis voted overwhelmingly not to reopen. All this is taking place without the support of the local union.

Regional officials are trying this end run because at an informational meeting August 15 attended by most of the membership, members shouted down the international reps who’d planned to present the concessions, who then left the meeting.

GM had slated to close its Indianapolis Metal Fab stamping plant, but then J.D. Norman Industries, a little-known metal components company with only a six-year track record, offered to buy it. J.D. Norman didn't want to accept the contract’s successor clause, though, which says any new owner must honor the contract in place. He presented an alternative contract at half wages—$15.50 instead of $29—that also gutted the protections won around working conditions.

http://labornotes.org/blogs/2010/09/end-run-indy-uaw-forces-members-vote-cutting-pay-half


Demo on Saturday.

[Starry Messenger]

1. Oh sweet!!

k & r

[madrchsod]

2. certainly is goods news...

especially after today...sometimes the bosses of the union have to remember who elected them...

[LiberalFighter]

3. Bosses don't get elected.

[madrchsod]

7. well in my wife`s union it is her boss..well he thinks he is...

[Hannah Bell]

4. Indianapolis GM workers defy UAW, vote down wage cut

An overwhelming majority of workers at the General Motors stamping plant in Indianapolis caste “no” votes on their mail-in ballots Thursday, rejecting the latest effort by the United Auto Workers union to ram through a 50 percent wage cut over the opposition of rank-and-file workers.

According to officials at UAW Local 23, more than 400 of the factory’s 650 workers voted against the deal. Each vote was recorded by video to prevent a fraudulent count by the UAW International, before the ballots were mailed to the American Arbitration Association, which is conducting the count. Official results, which will include those mailed in separately, are expected by September 28.



The rejection of the deal is another rebuke to the UAW, which has conducted a months-long campaign of dirty tricks, intimidation and lies to break the resistance of workers. In rejecting the UAW-backed concessions—which would have cut hourly pay from $29 to as low as $14—the Indianapolis workers have taken a courageous stand not only for themselves but all workers.

Workers in the plant have repeatedly opposed the attempt to impose poverty level wages at the plant. Last May, they voted by a 95 percent margin against opening the current contract with GM and barred the UAW from negotiating with JD Norman, a corporate raider seeking to buy the plant. On August 15, workers threw UAW officials out of their local union meeting for negotiating a deal behind their backs, and the UAW was forced to cancel a vote scheduled for the next day.

What followed was a five-week campaign by UAW International President Bob King, Region 3 Director Maurice Davison and others to force a vote on the deal based on the bogus claim that only a “vocal minority” opposed voting on the agreement.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/sep2010/indy-s24.shtml

[leftstreet]

5. K&R

[Omaha Steve]

6. K&R!

[Greyhound]

8. Good on them.

The top level union officials fell much closer to the owners than they do to the members. We even had one here a couple years ago, he wrote two long posts detailing how the unions "needed" an "executive class" to negotiate with owners because the stupid workers just aren't sophisticated enough to understand the "real issues" or "see the big picture", IOW, "we have to sell you out to maintain our lifestyles."

The locals and individual members are the unions only hope.
:kick: & R