Ford Workers Lead the Way Forward

(The Intelligence Daily) -- Ford workers, under economic blackmail from the federal government and the UAW “union” rejected a concession contract two weeks ago. The vote represented the first rejection of a national contract since 1982. For anyone seeking evidence that the American working class is still a highly militant force- and that their “unions” are little more than a management organization of the bosses- the struggle at Ford provides an excellent case study.

Over the last 20 or so years, unions in America have ceased to be unions in anything but name. Far from being fighting organizations of the working class, they are management organizations which impose the demands of capital. Nowhere is this more evident than in the auto industry, where the UAW owns large sections of the Big Three auto companies, going so far as to add the name of the respective corporation onto the union (e.g. “UAW-GM”). The UAW acts as a battering ram for forcing the demands of bosses down the throats of workers, often resorting to fraud and even taking kickbacks from capitalists.

This is another example of “the left”- intellectual and political scoundrels that they are- being far behind the working class. Ford workers consistently oppose the UAW. Most “left” groups spend their time providing “left” cover for the trade union bureaucracy under the auspices of “reforming” it. My favorite whipping boy, the International Socialist Organization has taken the occasion of the first rejection of a national contract in over two decades to completely ignore it, instead cheerleading for the reintroduction of capitalism in Eastern Europe, debating on the subject of “animal rights,” and promoting illusions that capitalism generally and the Democratic Party in particular are capable of meaningful “reform” in the realm of health care. And I’m the one who’s “out of touch with reality.” Right.

In closing, I would urge everyone to read this article from the World Socialist Web Site on the resurgence of class conflict in America. If it’s TL;DR for you, at least take a look at the graphs which confirm, not only the perspective of the International Committee of the Fourth International on “unions,” but also the materialist analysis of sociology in general.

Nick P grew up in New England in the 1990s. From a young age he sought out the strange and unusual. He first started irritating strangers internationally when he started writing for Maximumrocknroll in 1995, being voted “Most Hated Columnist.” After being fired for allegedly being a plant for Jeff Bale and Larry Livermore , he went on to write for Jeff Bale’s far superior The Hit List until that folded. He is also a founder of the Esozone event. Nick runs a website called The Black Sun Gazette