PHILADELPHIA—As part of a larger fight back against General Motors, several Progressive Labor Party (PLP) comrades and dozens of other workers joined striking United Auto Workers (UAW) outside a distribution plant in Philadelphia last month in a demonstration of solidarity. Even though this strike has come to an end, there are important lessons we can take away. Mainly, that workers need to take a step further than striking for better conditions, and smash this capitalist system with communist revolution!
Workers must fight back together
Workers from numerous fields came out to support the strikers and emphasized the interconnectedness of everyone’s struggle, acknowledging that the General Motors strike was an action that could benefit all workers. CUNY faculty and staff organized in the Professional Staff Congress (PSC) union pointed out that some of the biggest struggles professors are facing are strikingly similar to those that pushed GM workers to strike: unfair treatment of part-time workers, and poor health care benefits. As one worker put it, “your fight is our fight."
Same enemy, same fight!
Bosses will do anything to divide the working class. Some of the striking workers seemed to — for the moment— buy into the racist “America First” narrative and expressed a desire for General Motors to move production back to the United States. However, workers also expressed empathy for their sisters and brothers in Mexico, saying they “didn’t blame them at all” for being upset at recent General Motors layoffs that occurred in Mexico. They also commended Mexican GM workers who refused to work overtime in response to the strike.
It’s the role of communists in PLP to sharpen the internationalist aspect of this contradiction and win auto workers from the U.S. to Mexico into PLP!
The workers also rejected the capitalist notion that some workers deserve more pay than others. In response to lower salary caps for new workers, one striker explicitly stated, “We don’t care if someone new is making the same as us older workers, even if it’s not what we were paid when we started. We are glad for them.” A young worker expressed dismay that he was getting paid more than his part-time coworkers, even though they do the same work. Another added that the bosses lie about how much money GM workers make to turn the community against them, a strategy also used against MTA workers and teachers.
Black workers key to revolution
Workers were positioned at two different entrances, one for managers and one for employees. Some comrades noticed that white workers were stationed at the more comfortable manager entrance, which had a larger shelter, while young Black workers were stationed near the employee entrance by the highway, a location some called “dangerous.” This served as an important reminder that even within a significant action of worker solidarity, workers must be vigilant to ensure multiracial unity.
Three PL’ers spoke to one of the Black strikers at the employee entrance, who told us that they chose this entrance because of the flow of traffic and that they had requested more support to no avail. This is why we say Black workers are key to revolution. These young Black workers were strategic in reaching the community of their fightback instead of opting for the more comfortable picketing station. Despite his worry that he was “not that experienced,” we urged him to take more of a leadership role and exchanged contact info.
The fight for communism marches forward
As comrades began to leave, some of the workers expressed that they hoped their strike would mean that others would not have to strike. A comrade sharply pointed out that the fight will not be over after this strike. He remarked that the ruling class will continue to attack workers. Another worker similarly expressed that we need a “wave of struggle.” The contradiction between boss and worker cannot be destroyed without communist revolution.
When the strike ended, the Black worker we contacted feared that GM workers went on strike “for nothing.” A PL’er disagreed and stressed to the worker the importance of learning about the union’s corruption, the courage of workers, and how far we need to go. What we are fighting for cannot be given to us; it can only be taken. This system will never allow us to live as comfortably as the rulers who exploit us.
When asked, “don’t you think it would be better if workers ran everything and we got rid of bosses?” a young striker replied that his bosses “do nothing. We could run the plant without them.” The international working class does not need bosses. Through communist revolution, we can build a world where workers run everything for ourselves.