WHO IS THE REAL ENEMY
For those who think Canada is not linked to us and are more our competition than our Autoworker Brothers and Sisters. We offer the following:
1. Globally workers, ANYWHERE, who have and maintain high wage jobs are both our equals, peers and friends in the fight of resisting poverty wages being paid by corporations – in third world countries.
2. As we have directly seen in our own Detroit 3 contracts; for the last 35 years – or so – in the race to the bottom; the Detroit 3 have a “Me Too” mindset for all concessions. To be ABSOLUTELY CLEAR to “you”, IF Canada loses something at the bargaining table; rest assured that we here in the U.S. will have a very difficult time trying to keep it two years from now – during our 2019 negotiations.
3. The Jerry Diaz the National President of UNIFOR in Canada – Actually spoke at the 2014 UAW Constitutional Convention, and was widely supported.
4. Canadian autoworkers making the same money U.S. workers do, are no more your competition than any other group of U.S. autoworkers. And, THAT is because of the “Competitive Clause” in all three Detroit Contracts GM Appendix K; mandating that the bargaining chair participate in making the products more efficient. [In Short; To do more work with fewer people.]
5. So… If you really want to blame somebody for job loss and low wages – Start with these:
a. Corporations who influence governmental policies to their advantage for greedy and ridiculous profits for the corporations, and glutinous benefit packages for the executives who run the corporations.
b. The “Corporate Puppet Congress” who have allowed a global tax imbalance with the U.S. for 35 years since the Mexico City Summit of 1982.
c. The “Corporate Puppet Congress” who have for 35 years allowed the dumping of products – built with poverty wages – onto the U.S. economy.
d. The “Corporate Puppet Congress” who allowed the pairing of two first world companies with a third world country with not sliding scale “surcharge” for the 3rd world until they achieve parity as a “first world” country. [NAFTA]
e. The “Corporate Puppet Congress” who have allowed all of the above disadvantages for the U.S. to be “locked in” for all time, never to be revisited or sunsetted by signing onto a 1994 Global Agreement on Tax & Tariffs [GATT].
6. So, as you can now easily tell our enemies are many and very powerful, but for damned sure our enemies are NOT Canadian autoworkers who are also fighting to keep their own higher wages, and by default our own higher wages.
7. We understand your anger, and are pleased that you are not expressing the apathy that is so prevalent in our country. There is, however, a way to properly direct your anger at the correct enemies, and you already know you can do THAT at the voting polls by voting for candidates who DO NOT SUPPORT GREEDY CORPORATE AMERICA!!!
