PASSED by the Boston DSA Coordinating Committee September 13, 2023
Whereas, the collective bargaining agreement between the UAW and Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (collectively known as the Big 3) expires on September 14, covering 150,000 autoworkers around the country; and
Whereas, the rank and file of the UAW has in the last year elected new militant reform leadership from the UAW Members United Slate to a majority of seats on the International Executive Board, including President Shawn Fain and DSA member and Regional Director Brandon Mancilla; and
Whereas, this transformation of the UAW is being led by the rank and file, including the reform caucus Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) that has managed to defeat the 75-year iron grip of the Administration Caucus, which has for many decades made sweetheart deals with the automakers and which has been enmeshed in an ongoing corruption scandal; and
Whereas, the UAW has rejected the company-friendly bargaining that had been the norm, replacing the traditional handshake with auto executives with a members handshake; and
Whereas, the leading demands include the end of two-tier wages and benefits, cost of living adjustments, and secure union jobs in a just transition to electric vehicle production; and
Whereas, DSA has shown the strength of our ability, locally and nationally, to build solidarity behind contract fights through our massively successful UPS Strike Ready campaign; and
Whereas, the UAW’s contract fight with the Big 3 automakers will be a major confrontation with capital, as well as a major test of the new rank-and-file leadership and a huge opportunity to advance a worker-led vision of the Green New Deal; and
Whereas, DSA must grow across the whole of the working class, including among the industrial working class that is at the forefront of this fight
Therefore be it resolved: that Boston DSA will take the following steps to be STRIKE READY:
Resolution and Electeds
- The Chapter will publicly commit to the national Strike Ready campaign and listening to rank-and-file UAW Autoworkers about what support they need throughout the contract fight.
- The Chapter will ask any and all socialist elected officials with connections to their chapter to commit to supporting the UAW throughout their contract fight.
Solidarity Captains and Toolkit
- The Chapter will choose Solidarity Captains to liaise with the NLC for coordination on the national campaign to support the UAW in their contract fight and ensure they are connected with the NLC and attending solidarity captain calls.
Strike Ready Pledge
- Systematically ask chapter members to sign the Big 3 Strike Ready Pledge
- Identify chapter members to assist Solidarity Captains in local support with chapter listwork and map the local labor community.
Fundraiser
- The Chapter will run a fundraiser for the DSA Labor Solidarity fund as a structure test to measure what sort of turnout the chapter can expect at picket lines. The chapter will engage in direct individual outreach to chapter members, including text messages and phone calls, as well as a social media campaign and a fundraising event.
September 14 on: The Chapter will turn out members and community supporters to show up at the picket line or other rallies organized by the UAW in their area, if near a Big 3 facility.
After the fight: The Chapter will use the excitement generated by the contract fight to recruit chapter members to commit to the rank and file strategy and debrief on experience to prepare for future labor solidarity actions.