The following are comments UAW President Shawn Fain made in 2 different venues about the ongoing strike. First are excerpts from a Face the Nation interview on Sept. 17, 2023 prior to the expansion of the UAW strike. The full transcript of the interview is at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/shawn-fain-united-auto-workers-president-face-the-nation-transcript-09-17-2023/ The second excerpts are from Fain’s speech to autoworkers about the successes of the negotiations, the expansion of the strike and the growing support from workers around the world and in the US. View the entire speech at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4KttRLbWoU
Face the Nation Interview excerpts:
“We’re prepared to do whatever we have to do. The membership is ready, the membership is fed up, we’re fed up with falling behind. It’s been decades of falling behind. In especially this past decade, in the most wealthiest times in the history of these companies, there is no excuse. These companies have made a quarter of a trillion dollars in the last 10 years, $21 billion in the last six months alone, and our workers’ wages and conditions have gone backwards . . . the leader of one of the corporations was sitting in his second home in Acapulco, while we’re bargaining rather than being at the bargaining table . . . our demands are just, we’re asking for our fair share in this economy and the fruits of our labor.
“And the unfortunate part in this transition right now, goes back to the great recession. The banks got bailed out by our taxpayer dollars and they just kept on doing what they do while working class people’s homes got foreclosed on . . . labor costs are about 5% of the cost of the vehicle. They could double our wages and not raise the price of the vehicles and still make billions in profits . . . Most of these workers in those companies are scraping by so that greedy CEOs and greedy people like Elon Musk can build more rocket ships and shoot himself in outer space. And that’s unacceptable.
On the question of the transition to electric cars:
“So, the challenge is where we’re going to go as a country . . . Our tax dollars are financing a massive portion of this transition to EV. We believe in a green economy. We have to have clean water, we have to have clean air. Anyone that doesn’t believe global warming is happening isn’t paying attention. But this transition has to be a just transition . . . if our tax dollars are going to finance this transition, then labor can’t be left behind. And as it stands right now, the workers are being left behind. The companies want to talk about being competitive. It’s not about being competitive. Competitive is the code word for race to the bottom. What they want is to pay us poverty wages, so they can keep on making billions more in profits. And they can keep enriching the shareholders and the CEOs and the corporate executives, while the workers pay the price for it and get left behind. That’s got to stop in this country.
On the question of what President Biden has to do to get the UAW endorsement:
“Our [presidential] endorsements are going to be earned . . . no matter what politician . . . our negotiators are fighting hard. Our leadership’s fighting hard. It’s going to be won at the negotiating table with our negotiating teams, with our members manning the picket lines and our allies out there . . . Who the president is now, who the former president was or the president before them isn’t going to win this fight. This fight is all about one thing . . . workers winning their fair share of economic justice instead of being left behind as they have been in the last decades.”
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From Shawn Fain’s speech on September 22, 2023 to union members, announcing the next phase of expansion of the UAW Stand Up strike. Excerpts highlight the growing support for the strike. View entire speech at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4KttRLbWoU
“The world is watching and the people are on our side. We’ve seen poll after poll come out saying the American people support what we are doing. In fact, polls say support for our strike is growing. That’s across parties, across ages, and across all kinds of people, and it’s not just the US. Obviously, we’ve been in close contact with our Unifor family in Canada . . . their fight is our fight. We’ve been in close contact with our Mexican union counterparts who have held demonstrations in front of GM offices in Mexico City. In Italy, 6,000 Stellantis workers recently went on strike. To our Italian union family, your struggle is our struggle. From South Africa to Malaysia, we continue to receive letters and messages of strength and support encouraging our members to hold the line and win big, and we will. So now it’s time to hit the picket lines across the country. It’s time to show the companies we are united and we are fired up and we are ready for a record contract. It’s time to stand up against corporate greed. It’s time to stand up for our communities. UAW family, I’ll see you on the picket line.
“As promised, we’re expecting to stand up and strike in response to the lack of progress in bargaining with General Motors and Sellantis. We will shut down parts distribution until those two companies come to their senses and come to the table with a serious offer … So at noon Eastern today, all parts distribution centers at General Motors and Stellantis will be on strike…
“This expansion will also take our fight nationwide. We will be everywhere from California to Massachusetts, from Oregon to Florida, and we will keep going, keep organizing and keep expanding the standup strike as necessary. Across the country, people are going to know that the UAW is ready to stand up for our communities and ready to stand up against corporate greed. And I know more of you are ready to walk. I’ve seen incredible strike ready demonstrations across the country, Local 551 and Local 862. We see you Spring Hill. I know you’re ready to go. And Kokomo, stand ready. Stick with us and be prepared. I’ve also heard of the members standing strong on the job…
“We invite and encourage everyone who supports our cause to join us on the picket line from our friends and families all the way up to the president of the United States. We invite you to join us in our fight. The way you can help is to build our movement and show the companies that the public stands with us and stands with our elected national negotiators.
“Our greatest protection we have is each other … “
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