Archive for June 2018



RESOLUTION #138:
SOLIDARITY WITH 
FIRED, INJURED GM WORKERS IN COLOMBIA
Whereas, at its 2014 (36th) Constitutional Convention, the UAW resolved:
“We must win justice for our brothers and sisters around the world, if we
are to win justice for American workers,” and

“We must change the behavior and hold accountable employers that cast basic
labor standards aside and deny workers their rights, regardless of where
their headquarters are located, to ensure that everyone who works for the
same employer enjoys job security, a voice at work and a living wage” and

“We will engage in struggles for human and labor rights around the world,”

Whereas, General Motors continues the practice of firing workers injured on the job or suffering occupational diseases at its Bogota, Colombia assembly plant, and denying them compensation, in violation of Colombia law and Internationally-recognized labor rights,
Whereas, some of these former workers (members of ASOTRECOL)  have waged a prolonged fight for justice by occupying an encampment at the US Embassy for the past 6 ½ years, initiating several hunger strikes,

Whereas, the perseverance of these workers has garnered international attention and growing solidarity in the USA and from supporters around the world,
Whereas, that solidarity recently influenced Colombian judges to uphold the rights of injured workers by ordering GM to reinstate 24 such workers the company recently fired,

Whereas, GM refused to comply with the judge’s orders in the case of 12 of those workers, which resulted in a fine and an unprecedented 3-day jail sentence for a GM executive, and the workers are still fighting to get their jobs back,

Whereas, UAW-GM VP Joe Ashton, along with General Motors executives, in 2012 jointly tried without success to get ASOTRECOL to agree to an inadequate monetary settlement, which failed to cover medical expenses associated with their disabilities and more,

Whereas, the now-retired VP Joe Ashton is being investigated for inappropriately receiving payments from the GM-UAW Joint Activities Fund, which resulted in his sudden resignation from the General Motors Board of Directors, and which compromises Ashton’s integrity in his 2012 intervention on behalf of the fired ASOTRECOL GM workers,

Whereas, ASOTRECOL continues to seek justice with support from US labor, religious, human rights, and social justice activists, including many UAW locals and rank and file members who’ve helped raise funds, organized rallies, spoken out at GM shareholder meetings, and engaged in other acts of solidarity;
Therefore, be it resolved
That the UAW adhere to the letter and spirit of the 36th Constitutional Convention Global Solidarity resolution by:
·         Demanding that GM uphold Colombian law, and judges’ rulings, by immediately reinstating the 12 injured workers illegally fired in 2016,
·         Demanding that GM negotiate a fair and just settlement with the members of ASOTRECOL who’ve persisted in their non-violent tent encampment since 2011,
·         Use its website and publications to – in the spirit of an “injury to one is an injury to all” - publicize and educate about the heroic struggle by the Colombian ex-GM workers and encourage local unions to support them in their fight for job security and safe working conditions, a voice at work, and a living wage.
Be it resolved, that this resolution be adopted by a vote of the delegates at the 37th UAW Constitutional Convention to be held in Detroit, Michigan, In June 2018





June 10, 2018
UAW Convention delegates: Undo corruption in the UAW by supporting Resolution #138 in support of fired injured GM workers! 

How did the corruption at the top compromise our UAW?  How did workers get sold out in exchange for joint funds illicitly funneled to UAW leaders’ pockets?

Former UAW-GM Vice President Joe Ashton is a case in point.  Ashton is currently under criminal investigation by a Federal Grand Jury for misappropriating $ from the UAW-GM Joint Funds.  He’s also being investigated by GM.  When Ashton retired from the UAW in 2014, GM put him on their Board of Directors – a first in UAW/GM history.  When the FBI probe went public, Ashton was forced to resign.

In August 2012, as head of the UAW-GM Dept, Ashton traveled with GM executives to Colombia, South America.  That’s where non-union injured workers were protesting their illegal firings from a GM assembly plant.  They tried to fight the firings in court, but their lawyer was bought-off by GM, as was the judge. They formed an association (ASOTRECOL), set up a protest encampment and demanded reinstatement to jobs they could do & back wages, or a fair severance package. 

The workers were at the tent for a year before the GM execs and Ashton showed up, and that was only after 8 of them went on a hunger strike for 22 days, with lips sewn shut.  Ashton went along with GM setting up a rigged “mediation.”  When the workers rejected GM’s meager “final offer,” Ashton and the executives all packed their bags and split.  Back home, GM and Ashton lied that the it was ASOTRECOL that ended the mediation, and that they were just too greedy!

Ashton could have stood up for the workers, exposed GM’s rotten working conditions and illegal practices, and demanded a fair settlement.  But then GM wouldn’t have put him on their Board or given him personal access to the joint funds.  They rewarded him for his cooperation and degraded our union.

UAW delegates can turn this around, by supporting a resolution submitted by Local Unions in solidarity with the Colombian GM workers.  SEE "RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS" #138.  The UAW leadership must reject Ashton’s betrayal and demand that GM reach a fair settlement with the injured workers, who’ve been at the encampment now for nearly seven (7) years.  The UAW must publicize the actions of these heroic workers to the membership. Please make a motion to put it to the Convention for a vote.

All eyes are on the UAW Convention.  What better way to show our Union’s integrity and solidarity than by fighting on behalf of autoworkers who were forced to work in unsafe conditions and were then fired?

UAW delegates are also urged to protest at 8:30 AM Tues. June 12th at GM headquarters at the Renaissance Center
That's where GM is holding its annual shareholders meeting.  What better way to show the world your solidarity than with your feet!!!  Let’s show GM where we stand!

Frank Hammer
Former President & Chairman, UAW Local 909, Warren

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