Jacobin Radio: Strike at the Big Three w/ Nelson Lichtenstein

Jacobin Radio

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🗓️ 22 September 2023

⏱️ 53 minutes

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Summary

Suzi talks to historian and labor expert Nelson Lichtenstein about the historic, first-ever simultaneous strike against the Big Three automakers. Thirteen thousand workers, about 10% of UAW members at the Big Three, walked out of assembly plants in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri on September 14. Instead of striking at all plants at once, the UAW is using a novel tactic they’re calling the “Stand-Up” strike with workers at select locals standing up and walking out on strike. Shawn Fain, the new militant leader of the UAW, says this tactic keeps companies guessing which other locals will be next. Nelson Lichtenstein looks at this strike in the context of the history of the UAW, the leading role the UAW played in the 1937 sit-down strikes that exemplified the power of the labor movement, and how auto workers have in many ways been canaries in the coal mine for the US working class writ large. There is broad support for striking workers, and auto workers are joining writers, actors, hotel workers, and others in this season of strikes. Are these strikes opening a new period, igniting a newly energized working class, with the UAW again in a leading role?

Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is Jacobin Radio. I'm Suzy Weisman, the first ever simultaneous strike at the big
0:16.2	three automakers, General Motors or GM Ford and Stellantis, started September 14th with
0:24.0	13,000 workers walking out of three assembly plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri, involved
0:30.3	think about 10% of UAW or United auto workers members at the big three. Instead of striking
0:37.2	all plants at once, select workers stand up and walk out on strike. Sean Fein, the new
0:43.1	militant leader of the UAW says this tactic keeps companies guessing which other locals
0:49.0	will be next. Nelson Lichtenstein, research professor at UCSB, an expert on labor, the
0:55.2	automotive industry and Walmart, joins us to discuss this strike and how it fits into
1:01.1	the recent hot period of strikes, overwhelming public support for unions and strikes, the role
1:06.8	of the UAW in leading this newly energized working class and more. We'll get his view
1:13.0	on the nature of this militancy after a lengthy period of labor quiescence and ask if he
1:18.7	sees these strikes as igniting a newly revitalized labor movement. All this when our program
1:25.4	returns in just a moment. This is Jacobin Radio. I'm Suzy Weisman. This week, the United
1:40.8	auto workers are UAW launched a historic strike against the big three U.S. automakers.
1:46.9	That's Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. You may not have heard of it, but it's the parent
1:51.6	company of Chrysler. And this strike is launched against all three all at once. UAW, President
1:58.4	Sean Fein announced the strike at midnight on September 14 against three selected plants
2:04.4	that's GM and Wentzville, Missouri, a Stellantis complex in Toledo, Ohio and a Ford plant in Wayne
2:12.0	Michigan. The strike comes at the end of a hot summer of strikes. And this strike is against
2:18.4	the very profitable big three auto companies who've made a combined $21 billion in profits
2:24.5	in the first six months of the year. Sean Fein, the new militant leader of the UAW says it's
2:30.1	time to fight back after concessionary contracts to climbing real wages, fewer benefits and a two tier
	...

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