UAW May Force General Motors to Shut Down Ohio Plant
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Kartch
1 APRIL 2008
202-785-0266
UAW May Cause GM to Shut Down Plant
Union Desire for Control Must Not Dominate the Market
Washington, D.C. — Today, the Alliance for Worker Freedom (AWF), a Washington, DC based group that advocates for the protection of workers rights, condemned the recent strike of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, which has prompted General Motors to consider shutting down one of its plants in Ohio.
The union is not striking at the plant itself, but at the American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Incorporated, an important company that provides GM with most of its axles and brakes. All products’ by General Motors—the world’s largest car manufacturing company—have been affected profoundly by the strike. The repercussions are carrying over into the stock market.
According to AWF Policy Director Brian Johnson, “It is commonsense. UAW needs to continue manufacturing products at the same level as before, otherwise they risk being the causal factor in losing up to 40,000 jobs for GM. This would be unacceptable and disastrous for both parties involved.” These job loses would come on the verge of an economic recession, as the U.S. faces new challenges in competing globally.
The strike is a perfect example of what Johnson says can happen when unions gain control over their member’s lives and their place of employment. “Unions are an ever-expanding leviathan, which utilize the same mechanisms as most despotic regimes to exercise their domination: they seek to gain control over integral parts of worker’s lives such as full control over pension accounts,” says Johnson. “As a life lesson, companies and workers need to exercise caution before ‘caving-in’ to union demands.”
The Alliance for Worker Freedom is “deeply concerned” about the issue facing General Motors and will continue to monitor the activity of the UAW.
AWF Website:
www.workerfreedom.org
