- LABOR The Left’s response The fightback in the auto industry By JOHN MACLENNAN The national executive of the Cana- dian* Auto Workers (CAW) has re- sponded to the challenge of the Japanese, the Koreans, and the unorganized parts - industry by endorsing a plan to bring 100,000 new members into the CAW. The union has allocated close to $2 mil- lion towards this drive. The CAW has revamped its organizing department and adopted a new approach to organizing. The union is in the process of setting up a special organizing team of ten people who will work on a given pro- ject. One of the conditions of being hired is that they are prepared to work away from home for up to three years. This new team will supplement the over- worked organizing department of the CAW. In a report to the Canadian Council in September CAW president Robert White, said that the organizing staff had reported dozens of calls from people who wanted to either join or know more about the union. He said, “several of these calls are from members of other unions, but our position is that we are not going to grow by being cannibals inside the labor movement, so they are advised to try and solve their problems within their own union.” A major target for new organizing is Magna International. The union is now in the process of gathering information and making contacts to set up the drive. Al- ready a major drive is under way in Nova Scotia at the three Michelin Tire plants where provincial labor laws require that at least 40 per cent of the total member- ship be signed up within three months. The CAW has stepped up this organizing campaign by sending three additional or- ganizers from the special team into Nova Scotia for at least eight weeks. The restructuring of the industry has left the CAW a little vulnerable to the domestic auto companies. A _ recent agreement at GM Boisbriand (formerly St. Therese) saw a reduction in some classifications, inspectors replaced with monitors, and official recognition of a Quality of Work Life (QWL) program. This agreement follows on the heels of the GM trim plant agreement in Windsor that contains a no strike provision of three weeks which could be used in the event of a strike in September 1987. Part of the agreement is that if a strike dead- line was set for October 9, the GM Trim Plant would go with the rest of the Cana- dian GM chain. The most recent GM shake-up is at the GM Scarborough Van plant where» 1,250 workers have been laid off. The local union points out that GM has come to the bargaining table three times, trying ~ to get the local to open its collective agreement to reduce the classifications. The real reason for laying off one shift at Scarborough is to “‘teach”’ the milit- ants in that local a lesson. The skilled trades workers who are laid off will prob- ably be temporarily loaned to GM Osha- wa. The local has been in touch with their counterparts in Lordstown, Ohio, and found out that production has not been stepped up there. It also checked with a number of deal- ers across the U.S. and found that there is still a fairly good demand for the vans. GM is striving for changes and is taking advantage of the over-production in the industry. After Scarborough, it’s expected that GM St. Catharines will be . the next step in the shake-up. In advancing proposals to respond to the corporate pressures, the left in the union must show that it has a sophisticat- ed grasp of the complexities of the situa- tion facing the CAW. 6 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, OCTOBER 8, 1986 One criticism that has been heard of the CAW leadership is that the locals are being left to fend for themselves against the corporations’ pursuit of reduced classifications. Here the left must be careful and offer alternatives as well as constructive criticism. There are already elements in the union who’d like to use any criticism of the leadership for their own ends. The left must be careful that its own program does not contribute to any right wing agenda to undermine unity and CAW leadership. The recent agreement between GM- Suzuki with the CAW provides for build- ing cars with teams of workers. The ‘‘Team Concept’ as it is called has been used with success for the auto companies in Japan and Sweden, and will be soon introduced into the GM plant in Oshawa. How can the left deal with this new concept? Will the union be able to con- tinue to give good representation to its members? The auto companies’ strategy is to have these teams competing with each other. In these kinds of compe- titions the workers always lose. The class struggle will continue regard- less of QWL programs, team concepts, robots and new technology. Only the forms of the struggle will change. Will there be a struggle around who will ap- point the team leader? What size will the team be? Could the size of the team be big enough to ensure against speedup? Would it be possible to build into the team the rotation of members of a day off during the work week to create a shorter work week? The CAW has to develop special pro- grams for the new workers at Suzuki- GM. Indoctrination by Suzuki will cause some major problems for the CAW leadership. The company’s emphasis on QWL programs and paternalism will be a big test for the union. Suzuki will send the first 600 workers over to Japan for a ‘*hands on work”’ experience. The union should meet this with a cus- tom made orientation program which takes on the whole concept of QWL and deals with the historic role of the union, _ its tradition, and the role of the CAW in society. The CAW has its foot in the door with this agreement and this can only put the union in good shape to organize the other Japanese and Korean companies. Unlike the Saturn agreement, the agreement between the CA W and Suzuki has 20 classifications including skilled trades, unlike the ‘‘Saturn’’ agreement in the U.S. which has two classifications. In White’s report to the Canadian Council he states, ‘‘we have a job preference sys- tem and a transfer system. We have clearly recognized the team concept with a team leader, but we also have good CAW leader Robert White: adopting a new approach to organizing. TRIBUNE PHOTOS — MIKE PHILLIPS The forms may change. The class struggle will continue. shop floor representation, sound griey- ance procedure and seniority recog- nition. The wages are very close to GM and our benefits structure is almost right on. There is no profit sharing, or lump sum payments and no bonus system.”’ A Communist Response With the change in the structure of the auto industry that makes it both depen- dent, and integrated with the U.S., autoworkers are more vulnerable than ever before to the whims of the trans- national auto giants. It’s clear that auto- workers will only have job security under a publicly owned Canadian auto industry making an all-Canadian car. Until that time there are some very important basic struggles to be taken up. There is much to be done in the mean- time. Short term goals have to be consis- tent with the overall objective of a Cana- dian Auto industry. The Communists and the left have to take responsibility for helping to or- ganize the unorganized. Here the CAW has taken some bold steps, setting up a special organizing team, the commitment of money and resources. They should be supported in this endeavour both inside and outside the union. The Communist Party would also like to add a legislative demand that would complement this drive. Every plant that receives any government monies (be it an off shore producer of the Canadian parts industry) should have as a con- dition the acceptance of a union for its workforce. = ey ae Here costs are not a factor; Canadian autoworkers make cheaper cars than the Japanese, as a result of the price of the Yen. Furthermore, the Japanese and Koreans have stated they will pay rela- tively the same wages as the domestic auto industry to try to ensure keeping the union out. ve The main reason for this new legisla- tive demand is that the only Persons who'll get hurt in the process of the shakedown of the auto industry will be. the unionized workforce. This demand -would give them some means of defends ing their self interest. 4 The Communist Party also Supports the union’s demand for Canadian cons tent for all Auto producers W ! ing in Canada. Now more than ever this campaign must be put back to stop unnecessary overtime shorter work week. This wil the ways to deal with the intro new technology. This has t ) bined with a demand for an any ro ment program. Experience in the Fe Germany where the Meta ‘ the 38.5 hour work week, snows aes is not a struggle the CAW can pe sae It will have to be adopted al@ SPs headed by the whole Cana union movement led by the Labor Congress. Canadian Part three of a three part a sy By MERLE TERLESKY EDMONTON — The cliff-hanger by-election victory for the federal Tories in Pembina was a message from the people of Alberta that there is a political price to pay for backing the likes of Peter Pocklington. Mulroney was in town, Sept. 25 for an election rally to help prop up the ailing fortunes of Tory candidate Wal- ter Van De Walle. —s__ _ However, much to the Prime Min- ister’s chagrin and that of the prov- ince’s Tory establishment some 350 striking Gainers workers turned out to remind Pocklington’s friends and backers that they couldn’t escape the class warfare raging outside. As Mulroney began his speech about an alleged economic renewal in Alberta he was drowned out with shouts of ‘‘jobs, jobs, jobs,”’ from the angry workers who packed the meet- ing hall. ‘ _ When it became obvious that the workers were determined to have their issues addressed, Mulroney blew his cool and began hurling insults at the Mulroney meets with AFL head ||: : tists and workers calling them separatist un-Canadian. es In a bid to salvage the * Mulroney targeted Alberta e jin who of Labor president Dave rt was in the crowd with the P ating to with an offer for a half hout me discuss the workers’ dema@ ‘‘Our presence at this ra on unemployment and justice cess. Gainers strikers and we wer? § ful in forcing the issues 0? agenda.” : : The AFL president Sai@ a ond change with Mulroney Was S: aly focused ice direct. When he tried to pare minded | [ off as provincial, he was that unemployment 4S responsibility. They also reminded the pe Patek a friend of Gainers’ OW?" tories Pocklington neither the federa could nor the Alberta administra escape responsibility were, the Al ton’s declaration of wat ; berta trade union movement 4 to set In the end Mulroney 4 ne Al \ up a meeting between t for Oct. 4. Tory caucus, and the AFL, 3 ho are locat-. on track and |] deral Republic of ‘li jworkers won }\j ] be one of iff duction of | dian trade Wo