ATU 192 REJECTS TAKE AWAY TENTATIVE AGREEMENT
The courageous rejection of the TAKE AWAY tentative agreement by the ATU 192 (AC Transit) last night will inspire and strengthen the resolve of the ATU 1555 (BART) workers to stand firm against the TAKE AWAY proposals now on the table in their negotiations.
The timely coincidence of the stalemate of both of these negotiations with ATU and SEIU is putting the logic of a united transit workers strike with the potential to grow over into a general strike which unites all out of contract unions and low wage workers in fast food and Wal-Mart on the agenda. All workers who have been subjected to TAKE AWAYS and “SHARING THE PAIN” while the billionaires gained are looking for ATU 192, ATU 1555 & SEIU 1021 to turn the tide-to play hardball to win!
What may have been an obvious strategy to the Oakland labor movement in 1947, when solidarity strike action launched a general strike, is farthest from the intent of the labor leadership today although it is needed more than ever.
The ‘business as usual’ union leadership’s role historically and today is to defuse the fighting spirit of the rank and file and direct them to accept the TAKE AWAYS the bosses present as ultimatums. The unholy alliance of the union leaderships to the Democratic and even in some cases the Republican parties (note Sac Bee reports Teachers and SEIU contribute to Republicans) prevents labor from confronting the very laws which prevent unions from using the only winning tool they have-the indefinite strike assisted by solidarity strikes leading to general strikes. But labor cannot confront the anti-labor laws in the streets while in the state house they are allied with the bosses twin capitalist parties.
The Democrats are administering the economic crisis and driving the imposition of TAKE AWAYS on all public workers across the state and even the country, they are drawing on and counting on their long term allies in the leaderships of the AFL-CIO and Change to Win and ILWU to put the toothpaste back in the tube or clean up their mess by selling the TAKE AWAYS.
IT IS THIS ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE LEADERSHIP OF LABOR AND THE POLITICIANS OF THE CAPITALISTS WHICH WILL EITHER BE BROKEN HERE AND NOW; OR IT WILL BREAK THE ATU AND SEIU WHICH WOULD BE A MAJOR SET BACK FOR ALL LABOR!
The defeat of this unholy alliance is on the agenda and can be won. It requires the membership hold mass inter-union strike committee meetings which unite all labor, workers and oppressed to prepare, build and extend the united transit workers strike. This will mean putting forward new leaders who agree not to back down at the table, making the negotiations open and transparent before the entire working class and holding the negotiators subject to immediate recall by the vote of the strike committee.
Truth be told management is forcing the strike and only labor can make it quick and merciful by uniting across labor federations and launching the 2013 Bay Area General Strike! LABOR CAN TURN THE TIDE!
