By MIKE PHILLIPS TORONTO — ‘‘There’s a general feeling in the plant that we're at war with General Motors. We're anticipat- Ing a strike, and a long one at that, unless the company Comes up with a contract we can accept”’. This is how Oshawa auto worker John Phillips tried to Capture the mood of his fellow workers following the News of GM’s first contract offer, Aug. 27, to its 33,600 Workers. ‘‘No one really wants a strike, but nobody’s 80ing to push us around”’, Phillips said. eyes of more than just GM workers are on the Current negotiations between the corporation and its Seven Ontario and two Quebec locals. Workers at Ford and Chrysler, where strike votes of 88% and 99% respec- lvely also testify to the workers’ determination to resist Corporations’ drive for concessions, are keenly following the GM talks waiting for the contract pattern ‘at will either emerge before the Sept. 14 UAW strike e, or as the result of a strike which could have a Profound influence on the fortunes of the Canadian labor Movement. _ The importance of the auto talks during this period of he pressure on workers by the corporations and If governments to slash their living standards, wages 4nd benefits was noted last February by Bob White, W director for Canada. In an interview from a special issue of the union’s Monthly magazine, Solidarity, devoted entirely to the Westion of auto workers opposing concessions, White Said, “I know that the labor movement understands very oy that if the corporations are successful in setting _ UAW back in collective bargaining, it will have Major repercussions on the rest of the labor movement in this country. “People have always recognized that the UAW has been one of the leaders, and if you are a leader going ad, then you are also a leader going back.”’ In the same interview, White said that the question of Concessions revolved around ‘‘whether the Canadian T Movement is going to start down the road that says Workers are to blame, that they are the scapegoats and so Must make the sacrifice, when in fact, the workers are | Making the sacrifices now by short time, layoffs and by trying to keep up with inflation.” He called the corporations’ concessions demand’ “‘an €conomic strategy which is transferring a great deal of Mcome from workers to the more wealthy in our Society.” Just as provincial and federal public service unions are being tested in their fight against wage controls, be they tawa’s ‘*6 and 5”’ or its provincial equivalents, auto Workers, and most immediately the General Motors Workers, are being watched by Canadian workers from St to coast in the first major battle in labor’s war against concessions. The outcome could spell success or cite for labor’s defense of Canadians’ living stan- Ss. With the backing of a 92% strike vote, and by most ’Xcounts massive and enthusiastic membership meet- 'Ngs Which endorsed the union’s solid stand, UAW nego- ators have been wrestling with a tight-fisted GM com- Mittee intent on putting into effect the kind of income transfer that White described last February. With customary arrogance, GM tabled its first prop- 9sal Aug. 27. The corporation proposed, among a whole ISt of other takeaways: a two year wage freeze; a cut of More than $1,700 in COLA entitlements through take- aWays and deferments; and the total elimination of per- _ SOnal paid holidays (PPHs), including those already pro- Vided in the existing contract, scheduled for October, Ovember and December. Customary Arrogance . GM’s proposal was aimed at cutting auto workers’ paves; an objective which the corporation’s Director of rsonnel for Canada, Rod Andrew made no effort to “Onceal from reporters at a press conference Aug. 26. According to the U.S. auto boss, Canadian auto work- cts Wages, which he alleged are 41% higher than wages 0 other industries in Canada, are too high. ‘How can I have people in Canada making more Money than the people I’m selling cars to?’’ Andrew in his bid to justify ravaging auto workers’ living ards. The UAW angrily rejected GM’s so-called offer. ‘‘It. , Sin the complete opposite direction to what’s needed 30et a settlement’, Bob White told the Tribune, Aug. >» during a break in the talks. I'm going to repeat it again this afternoon that they Should not underestimate our ability to mobilize the Membership to take on the issues that confront us here”’, = Said outlining the message the union would give GM ‘hen talks resumed. ite said he was ‘‘troubled’’ by GM's attitude and its PHOTO CREDIT — MIKE PHILLIPS Quiet determination marks the mood of GM workers wrestling the corporation for a new contract with a Sept. 14 strike deadline fast approaching. Fighting back against concessions, symbolized in the UAW’s no concessions campaign, (right) and the recent victory by CCM workers against contract takeaways, (top) is “job 1” as far as GM workers are concerned right now. demand for the PPH days. The loss of PPHs, he said ‘means loss of important time off the job, and it also means significant layoffs. I would think that in Canada, looking at PPH replacement, you would be talking 1200-1600 jobs.”’ He also warned the corporation not to misunder- stand the UAW’s preference for a peacefully negotiated settlement satisfactory to autoworkers. ‘“The cor- poration ought not to misread us that this means we're going to roll over in a dead faint and accept massive takeaways’’, White said. ‘‘This just isn’t ‘going to happen.”” ; ee Not Playing Games Describing the mood of GM workers as one of *‘quiet determination’’, he said GM ‘has to be convinced that we are determined to the point of going on strike’’, if a contract is to be reached by the strike deadline. “‘They’re not going to be persuaded by persuasive arguments because, if they were, they would not ignore our argument on lower labor costs in Canada, higher interest rates, inflation, et cetera’, the UA W leader said. ‘‘They have to analyze our strike votes and be con- vinced that my role is not one of playing games, but one of determination to lead my membership into a good collective agreement.” Tribune interviews with auto workers in Scarborough, St. Catharines and Oshawa confirm White’s assessment of a quiet, determined GM workforce. But, it is a quiet- ness born of a growing anger and resentment over the company’s arrogance and greed. “If the UAW leadership carries through with the fightback against concessions, they'll get the backing of the members no matter how long it takes to get a con- tract’’, Local 199 committeeman Sandy O’Dell said. A foundry worker in the St. Catharines GM operation for the last 17 years, O’Dell said he rejects any argument for concessions including the suggestion by some of a possible surrender of PPHs, if the rest of the agreement is left untouched. The shortet work week will have to be a key union demand in the contract demands of the very near future, O’Dell said because it will become neces- sary due to techrfological innovation which is already sweeping the industry. : While he doesn’t see PPHs as a substitute for the shorter work week, “‘you can’t give up ground that’s already been gained’, he said. On top of the job loss which would result from cancelling the PPHs, O’Dell estimated that the loss of 10 PPHs would amount to the workers giving GM two weeks free labor and handing back some $30-million from their own pockets to the corporation’s treasury. : Another opponent of sacrificing PPHs is Local 199 president Gerry Michaud who told St. Catharines’ daily newspaper Aug. 26 it “is not acceptable to any union leader with a sense of responsibility’’ to predict the loss of PPHs. He went on to point out that in St. Catharines, loss of the PPHs would mean the end of more than 300 jobs. “If we lost them now’’, Michaud was quoted, ‘*then the 550 members we now have on layoff would not get their jobs back either.” : Ironically, four days later, GM stunned auto workers with the announcement of an indefinite layoff for 1,540 Ontario workers, which would include another 150 slated to go in St. Catharines. Bob Ryan, an acting committeeman in Local 303 Scarborough, GM’s van plant, described the mood among the mostly young workers there, as “‘aggressive’” in opposition to concessions. About 85% of the work force have been there only since 1974 when the plant was converted for van produc- tion. PPHs are valued by the workers as a much needed break from the killing boredom of assembly line work, Ryan said. ‘‘Escape is a necessity for people working on an assembly line, and people need those PPHs to get away.” Digging In In Oshawa, veteran GM worker Russ Rak said the economic reality of high interest rates, unpaid mort- gages, and the soaring cost of. living is cited by the workers as the reason they can’t afford to take a step back, and why they have no intention of doing it. ‘‘Nobody’s really anxious to go on strike’’, Rak said, ‘‘but they’re not ready to take any concessions either. Even when they talk about PPH days and see the jobs that will be lost, most conclude it’s another concession they can’t afford to make.”’ Besides the general wage cut GM is trying to force on the workers, each local bargaining committee is strug- gling against takeaways and efforts by the corporation to water down contract provisions dealing with rest breaks, seniority, transfers, and layoff and recall procedures. Taken altogether it explains the militant mood of GM workers, probably best summed up by Sandy O’Dell. ‘‘Auto workers are digging their toenails into the pave- ment on the question of no to concessions. The+leader- ship has a green light on this as the strike votes show. This could be a great fight that provides a big chance to really build unity, not only among auto workers, but between ourselves and other Canadian workers for the battles we’re fighting today, and those that lie ahead."" PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPTEMBER 10, 1982—Page 7