A
union like the International Association of Machinists (IAM), led by a
warmongering imperialist who buys Wall Street's line--- hook, line and
sinker, can't organize anything.
The International Association
of Machinists Union became an industrial union mainly through raiding
the left led unions like the United Electrical workers union (UE) which
represented workers at the huge Whirlpool Plants in Benton Harbor,
Michigan, the huge juke box manufacturer, Rowe International, in Grand
Rapids, Michigan and the left led unions in the paper mills like Boise
in International Falls, Minnesota along with the aerospace industry and
farm equipment corporations.
The IAM is built on
anti-Communism and once Winpisinger was gone the backwards thinking
"leaders" have made sure left wing thinking would not return.
The IAM, with a mostly racist and imperialist supporting leadership, has
seldom been able to organize new locals because of the backwards
thinking of its leadership which runs the union from the top down based
on The Peter Principle--- better known to most workers as the kiss-ass
structure--- with the one notable exception of when William Winpisinger,
an anti-racist, anti-imperialist "seat-of-the-pants socialist" who
advocated for working class internationalism and solidarity, was able to
get into the presidency largely by quirk rather than any concerted and
intended effort by the rank-and-file.
This is what has
happened more often than not with the IAM's organizing drives--- another
good example of a complete failure was the IAM's attempt to organize
Marvin Windows and Doors based here in Warroad, Minnesota.
I
would note that in Michigan's Upper Peninsula the IAM International Rep
encouraged the racist Michigan Militia to set up shop in its union
meetings. And the International Rep here in northern Minnesota, Bob
Walls, sent me the most disgustingly racist letter telling me that,
"Indians are nothing but a bunch of drunks who can't be organized so why
waste any effort trying to organize the Indian Gaming Industry?" That
letter is now in the archives of the Red Lake Indian Nation placed there
by Red Lake's archivist, Jody Beaulieu. Instead of being demoted, or
removed from any union position, the IAM international leadership
promotes Bob Walls.
The IAM sold out Delta workers in the
airline industry here in Minnesota with the leadership crying that,
"Delta betrayed us;" like any union can expect a corporation is going to
be loyal to its employees. If corporations were loyal to their
employees there wouldn't be any need for unions.
The IAM has
allowed Whirlpool and Maytag, with controlling interests held by the
Crown family--- among America's wealthiest 400, and Barack Obama's most
ardent supporters, to move operations to Mexico without any fightback
except for a phony "struggle" that was all show and no muscle.
The IAM leadership eschews class struggle trade unionism in favor of
kissing up to the boss making nice hoping this will bring about results
favorable to workers; it never has and it never will.
In each
and every anti-Communist raid the IAM carried out, the workers ended up
with the shitty end of the stick and more often than not without jobs
because the IAM let the corporate management have its way.
At this point, if workers were to join forces with a different union they would be more likely to achieve organizing success.
I would venture to guess the very first actions of the IAM, should they
be successful, would be to offer the company a concession contract. If
anyone doesn't believe me just print out this facebook posting and save
it.
In my opinion, workers were smart to decide not to join the IAM.
This is the IAM's most recent attempt to organize--- and the result:
Precision Castparts Portland workers vote not to unionize, but the union will try again
By Richard Read
The Oregonian, June 8, 2013 EXCERPTS read it all at
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2013/06/precision_castparts_portland_w.html#comments
Workers at Precision Castparts Corp.'s Portland-area plants have voted
against joining a union in Oregon's biggest such private-sector election
in more than 30 years.
According to preliminary results released by
the union Friday night, Precision employees voted 1,258 to 932 not to
join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
More than 2,300 employees of Oregon's only Fortune 500 company besides
Nike were eligible to vote.
The International Association of Machinists Union became an industrial union mainly through raiding the left led unions like the United Electrical workers union (UE) which represented workers at the huge Whirlpool Plants in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the huge juke box manufacturer, Rowe International, in Grand Rapids, Michigan and the left led unions in the paper mills like Boise in International Falls, Minnesota along with the aerospace industry and farm equipment corporations.
The IAM is built on anti-Communism and once Winpisinger was gone the backwards thinking "leaders" have made sure left wing thinking would not return.
The IAM, with a mostly racist and imperialist supporting leadership, has seldom been able to organize new locals because of the backwards thinking of its leadership which runs the union from the top down based on The Peter Principle--- better known to most workers as the kiss-ass structure--- with the one notable exception of when William Winpisinger, an anti-racist, anti-imperialist "seat-of-the-pants socialist" who advocated for working class internationalism and solidarity, was able to get into the presidency largely by quirk rather than any concerted and intended effort by the rank-and-file.
This is what has happened more often than not with the IAM's organizing drives--- another good example of a complete failure was the IAM's attempt to organize Marvin Windows and Doors based here in Warroad, Minnesota.
I would note that in Michigan's Upper Peninsula the IAM International Rep encouraged the racist Michigan Militia to set up shop in its union meetings. And the International Rep here in northern Minnesota, Bob Walls, sent me the most disgustingly racist letter telling me that, "Indians are nothing but a bunch of drunks who can't be organized so why waste any effort trying to organize the Indian Gaming Industry?" That letter is now in the archives of the Red Lake Indian Nation placed there by Red Lake's archivist, Jody Beaulieu. Instead of being demoted, or removed from any union position, the IAM international leadership promotes Bob Walls.
The IAM sold out Delta workers in the airline industry here in Minnesota with the leadership crying that, "Delta betrayed us;" like any union can expect a corporation is going to be loyal to its employees. If corporations were loyal to their employees there wouldn't be any need for unions.
The IAM has allowed Whirlpool and Maytag, with controlling interests held by the Crown family--- among America's wealthiest 400, and Barack Obama's most ardent supporters, to move operations to Mexico without any fightback except for a phony "struggle" that was all show and no muscle.
The IAM leadership eschews class struggle trade unionism in favor of kissing up to the boss making nice hoping this will bring about results favorable to workers; it never has and it never will.
In each and every anti-Communist raid the IAM carried out, the workers ended up with the shitty end of the stick and more often than not without jobs because the IAM let the corporate management have its way.
At this point, if workers were to join forces with a different union they would be more likely to achieve organizing success.
I would venture to guess the very first actions of the IAM, should they be successful, would be to offer the company a concession contract. If anyone doesn't believe me just print out this facebook posting and save it.
In my opinion, workers were smart to decide not to join the IAM.
This is the IAM's most recent attempt to organize--- and the result:
Precision Castparts Portland workers vote not to unionize, but the union will try again
By Richard Read
The Oregonian, June 8, 2013 EXCERPTS read it all at
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2013/06/precision_castparts_portland_w.html#comments
Workers at Precision Castparts Corp.'s Portland-area plants have voted against joining a union in Oregon's biggest such private-sector election in more than 30 years.
According to preliminary results released by the union Friday night, Precision employees voted 1,258 to 932 not to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. More than 2,300 employees of Oregon's only Fortune 500 company besides Nike were eligible to vote.
