There's been an important breakthrough in the United Auto Workers Union (UAW). A referendum of all active and retired UAW members has endorsed moving to a direct election system (one-member-one-vote) for electing the International President and other top officers. Over 140,000 ballots were mailed in, and one-member-one-vote passed by a crushing 63.7%, despite opposition by the entrenched leadership âAdministration Caucusâ that has run the union for decades.
The campaign for direct elections was spearheaded by Unite All Workers for Democracy (uawd.org), a new rank-and-file organization of UAW members.
This was not the first attempt by the rank and file to force democracy on the UAW hierarchy. However this time the UAW leadership agreed to the membership referendum in a consent decree to resolve federal corruption charges. In all, 12 top UAW leaders have been charged and jailed, including two former International Presidents of the union.
Phil Taylor and Tony Leah discussed the connections between lack of democracy in the union, collaboration with corporations and concession bargaining, and corruption. The victory of one member one vote opens the way for a more militant, working class oriented leadership that can challenge two-tier agreements. The recent victory of the Teamsters United slate, also possible because of a one member one vote system, is another encouraging sign.
Leah pointed out the relevance of this major breakthrough to members of UNIFOR in Canada. UNIFOR President Jerry Dias has announced he wonât be running for reelection next summer, and that the leadership are âhaving discussions about the best replacementâ. According to Leah, UNIFOR members are the ones who should be having those discussions. Many UNIFOR members will be inspired by the UAW developments and push for the same democratic reforms here.
In addition, the issue of COVID and unions was discussed. Tony and Phil pointed to the significance of the election of a new leader for Toronto Transit workers. The incumbent leader who had made himself an obstacle to vaccinations for all TTC workers only received 9 percent of the vote. This outcome should give pause to those like Max Blumenthal of the âGrayzone,â who have been spreading the myth that rank-and-file workers are resisting the campaign for vaccinations for all workers.
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Interview with Tony Leah
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