Solidarity Strong for Striking Auto Workers in New England

The big three auto companies may not have production plants in Connecticut, but the labor movement considers the UAW strike, with its slogan “Record Profits should equal Record Contracts,” of national consequence and is mobilizing solidarity.

The UAW's Stand Up Strike expanded to 39 locations across the country last week including in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Members of UAW Local 422 are walking the line 24 hours a day outside the Stellantis parts distribution warehouse at 550 Forbes Blvd.

Before the strike, they shipped parts all over New England and to upstate New York. Now, just three managers are in the warehouse.

Tyrone Mills, union chair of Ford Local 376 in Connecticut, came to walk the line in support of his UAW brothers and sisters. “A win for the union is win for everyone. When you have a pension, you have a career,” he said.

Patrick Lozeau, financial secretary for the local, has worked at Stellantis for 23 years. When a team from Connecticut People's World asked what compelled him to go out on strike he said, “Job security, a job with a future for the other workers. The tiers system has to go. The starting rate for workers is only $15.78 an hour. That's not much more than the minimum wage in Massachusetts.”

“Meanwhile,” he said, “the CEO of Stellantis, (Carlos Tavares), gets about $25 million dollars. The previous CEO - Michael Manley - was given a $38 million check when he left the position.”

“CEOS are not supposed to make 300 times what the workers make,” said Lozeau, emphasizing that the money is three to meet the workers' contract demands. .

The 45 workers at the Stellantis parts warehouse have been joined by members of the Teachers Association, SEIU, and many other unions and elected officials. UAW members at Legal Aid came all the way from New York City.

The Connecticut AFL CIO passed a strong solidarity resolution asking all locals to go to picket lines, contribute to the Region 9A Strike Fund, and stand with the striking workers. as have the retirees of CSEA (Connecticut State Employees), and the CT Alliance for Retired Americans.

“The historic struggle that the United Auto Workers are currently facing may impact the trajectory of the entire working class for years to come,” said the CSEA resolution.

In convention, state union members “Organize to Meet the Moment”

Union members from across the state recommitted to organizing and solidarity at the 15^th Biennial Convention of the Connecticut AFL-CIO themed “Organizing to Meet the Moment.”

Culminating the first year of leadership by president Ed Hawthorne, and secretary treasurer Shellye Davis, the packed agenda included plenary speakers, panels and workshops that gave the delegates an opportunity to share recent worker victories and organizing drives under way, and the strikes by SAG-AFTRA and UAW challenging corporate greed.

Major League Baseball Players Association executive director Tony Clark got a rousing reception as did SAG-AFTRA New York Local executive director Rebecca Damon,

The convention, held at Foxwood Casino's celebrity ballroom, opened with welcomes from the casino's unionized workers

A workshop on Race and the Economy led by Clayola Brown, AFL-CIO advisor on Strategic Partnerships and Racial Justice, featured a board game with fact cards exposing systemic racism and discussion on how to talk with co-workers.

Resolutions opposed privatization of public schools and paraeducators, called for banning child labor, repealing WEP and GPO penalties so all public service workers receive their full Social Security benefits, and stood in solidarity with the UAW strike against the big three auto companies.

Resolution One “To Continue the Work of the Racial and Economic Justice Committee,” asserted that “understanding race and racism is central to unifying the labor movement and to the renaissance of organized labor,” calling for a day-long discussion “Racism and Uniting Workers” on October 21 with Bill Fletcher, senior scholar at Institute for Policy Studies.

Speaking at the convention, Fletcher emphasized labor history, agreeing with ball player Tony Clark that “social movements are a combination of timing and organizing.”

Fletcher said the labor movement has “exploded and advanced when there is strategic organizing and strong leadership,” recognizing the political left that led union organizing and was purged during the cold war, but continued to organize.

“Today we are living in the legacy of cold war scare tactics,” he said. “We are watching the collapse of neoliberal economics and growth of the fascist movement. We cannot sit around waiting and not embracing union members on the left,” he concluded, calling for unity.

The convention closed with presentation of awards to 20 unions that won organizing drives including locals from AFT Connecticut, AFSCME, .Amalgamated Transit Union, IBEW, IUOE, SEIU 1199, UAW, UFCW, UNITE HERE and CWA.

Connecticut Groups Join March to “End Fossil Fuels”

Connecticut environmental, peace, labor and senior groups will be well represented at the “End Fossil Fuels” Climate March in New York City on Sunday, September 17 in New York City three days before the United Nations Climate Ambition Summit to provide a people's voice to the deliberations.

Union members are preparing to join the labor contingent. The Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs will march with other environmental justice advocates to demand that President Biden “take bold climate action, reject new fossil fuel projects, phase out fossil fuel production, and declare a climate emergency.”

Seniors are participating through the newly formed environmental organization Third Act CT.

Environmental groups organized with the Connecticut Climate Crisis Mobilization (C3M) to “stop fossil fuel expansion.” Their call says “marchers will leverage as much national and international pressure as possible to call on Biden to change course. This is a critical moment.” C3M is leading a campaign for a Connecticut Environmental Rights Amendment to the state constitution to establish a right to “clean and healthy air, water, and soil and a stable climate and healthy ecosystems.” with equitable protection. The bill was brought to the state legislation this year and will be brought again in the next session.

The Greater New Haven Peace Council and other peace activists are marching with the Anti-Militarism hub headed up by Code Pink. "We know that for real 'climate ambition', we must address the largest institutional polluter in the world, the US Pentagon," said organizer Olivia DiNucci. "Fossil fuels have been and continue to be a primary reason for many of the wars over the last century. A just transition to clean renewable energy and environmental, social and economic justice for low-income and people and communities of color are essential to world peace."

Communist Party clubs in Connecticut will march in the national Communist Party contingent as part of the Anti-Militarism hub. Joe Sims, co-chair of the Communist Party USA called upon  “progressive and democratic folks to join the fight to stop the twin existential crises of global scorching and  threat of nuclear war. Ending use of fossil fuels is critical to both. We're joining the anti-militarism contingent to demonstrate our support for achieving these goals and to demand Biden meet the march's demand to end fossil fuels and stop pursuing Cold War 2.0 policies.”

Unity Boosts Tenant Power against Ocean Management

When mega landlord Ocean Management tacked 16 eviction notices on the doors of 16 tenant union members at 311 Blake Street, the courageous tenants decided to organize even harder. They are taking their case to court, to the City of New Haven Fair Rent Commission. and to the streets.

Several hundred turned out in solidarity for a spirited tenant power rally at New Haven City Hall and then marched to Ocean Management to state their demands: rescind the evictions, commit to never take such action again, and negotiate with the tenants union.

Before the march even started, a new tenant union formed at another Ocean Management property on Quinnipiac Avenue.

The tenants at 311 Blake Street told their stories. They want security, they want repairs taken care of, and they want the landlord to bargain collectively with them, just like workers bargain collectively with their boss through their union on the job.

Sarah Giovanniello got rousing cheers and applause when she said “Even when your landlord tries to threaten you, to make your children sick, or make you feel powerless, you have the power when you organize with your neighbors.”

The struggle of tenants at 311 Blake Street has become a test case. Part of the Connecticut Tenants Union (CTTU), which is an affiliate of SEIU Connecticut State Council, their goal is to organize and “transform housing in Connecticut.”

“It's a new day,” said Kooper Caraway, SEIU Connecticut State Council executive director, leading a chant, “Power to the People.” and vowing that labor and tenant unions will take on the crisis of “rents that are way too high and wages that are way too low” in a united movement.

The New Haven Board of Alders passed a law giving tenants the legal right to organize a union if there are ten units owned by the same landlord, and participate with Fair Rent Commission investigations of complaints.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, State Senators. Martin Looney, and Gary Winfield, and Board of Alders president Tyisha Walker-Myers all pledged support to the vibrant, multi-racial youthful crowd.

“Housing is a human right. We have your back,” said Walker-Myers. Many signs and chants reflected that vision of housing as a right and not a commodity.

Contact CTTU at ‪(860) 756-0257‬ or CTtenantsunion@gmail.com