Clalses Penalty Clauses - Us Style

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Woodcock next to Carter, with US auto chiefs of General Motors, Chryster and Ford.

The recent auto workers contract in the United States highlighted the open collaboration between the giant corporations and the United Automobile Workers bureaucracy.

The new auto contract which was built up by the union leadership as shortening the work week actually penalizes those workers who do not have a perfect attendance record.

In order to be eligible for the twelve more "personal" holidays brought into the contract over three years an auto worker must have no absences even for sickness during each monthly period.

The holiday is then "given" at the company's discretion.

The contract language was so stringent for attendance eligibility that the UAW trade union bureaucracy witheld the actual wording from auto workers who had to vote on the contract!

The wage increase was held down to 3% • and changes were allowed that give the companies the right to hire part time workers below the pay scale and without the medical and pension benefits other workers are entitled to.

UAW President Woodcock had quite a time pushing auto workers for acceptance of this contract and was helped mightily in this task by the companies themselves.

Woodcock has of course made quite a name for himself in the US by his early support for Carter (in which he was joined by the President of Ford Motors) and his open political collaboration with General: Motors in fighting pollution standards for cars.

Woodcock therefore used the resources of GM to the full extent.

PLANT MEETING

General Motors, aware of the 40% rejection vote at Ford following the four week strike allowed" the VAW to hold the meeting to ratify the new contract for the first time in the plant cafeteria under company supervision.

This they hoped would allow a much larger vote among the conservative strata of auto workers who would otherwise not vote.

The vote was additionally tied to an 800 dollar Christmas bonus as an incentive for the 'yes. vote - a rejection would have meant the loss of the bonus.

Despite these tactics a large "no' vote was recorded and although it wasn't successful this resistance will lay the basis for the construction of a national opposition committed to the fight for a sliding scale of wages and against the attack on jobs. AMONGST THE VARIOUS

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On Tuesday January 11th, Philip Agee, ex-CIA agent and author of the book "Inside the Company: CIA Diary" , will be "tried" by a three-man tribunal handdemonstration being organised in London by the Defence Committee on Sunday January 9th on the following slogans: ..- Agee and Hosenball must stay!

- Out with the CIA! ESS, Wednesday Sth January, 1977