[ The likely Auto Workers (UAW) strike, which the union is dubbing
the "Stand Up Strike," could be a turning point for the U.S. labor
movement—and all of us across the movement can lend a hand to help
the strikers win.]
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WHEN AUTO WORKERS STAND UP, HERE’S HOW TO STAND WITH THEM  
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Keith Brower Brown
September 13, 2023
Labor Notes
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_ The likely Auto Workers (UAW) strike, which the union is dubbing
the "Stand Up Strike," could be a turning point for the U.S. labor
movement—and all of us across the movement can lend a hand to help
the strikers win. _

Members of UAW Local 372 in Michigan participated in a practice
picket. Auto Workers at some Big 3 facilities could be on strike as
early as Thursday after midnight., Photo: UAW // Labor Notes

 

Cross-union solidarity can turn up the heat on the Big 3 to end tiers
and make green jobs good jobs. It can also boost strikers’ morale
and build connections that endure for years to come.

When Frito-Lay workers went on strike two summers ago in Topeka,
Kansas, the Bakery Workers were amazed at the support they received,
including from UAW members who brought them water and donuts.

“It was unbelievable how many unions showed up to support us,”
said striker Chantel Mendenhall. “A lot of us now have an idea of
how it could be if unions stuck together like that.”

Three weeks after their own strike ended, she and some co-workers got
in a car on one of their rare weekends off and drove eight hours to
support striking Nabisco workers in Colorado.

“Never once had I considered going and standing on somebody else’s
strike line or bringing them food and water,” Mendenhall said.
“Now I’m like, ‘Oh, this is what we do for each other! I get it
now!’”

Here are tips for those of us near an auto plant—and for those far
away, too.

FINDING A PICKET NEAR YOU

FIND A UAW BIG 3 WORKPLACE NEAR YOU. This map
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every Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis workplace that might
strike, including assembly plants and parts distribution
centers—some of the latter are all over the country, not only in the
Midwest.

Which of these will strike on Friday? The UAW has not announced
targets yet; this story will be updated when we find out.

Many plants run 24 hours, so pickets will be up day and night. Sites
that don’t strike may still have rallies you can look out for.

A major rally featuring UAW President Shawn Fain and Senator Bernie
Sanders is planned for Friday, September 15, in Detroit; find
details here
[[link removed]].
Wear red!

ORGANIZE A CREW FROM YOUR WORKPLACE. Instead of showing up alone to a
picket line, bring your co-workers out too.

Talk to co-workers on your breaks or at a union meeting about why this
strike matters to you—perhaps as a fight that could set standards
against tiers and forced overtime, or as an inspiring model if your
local needs to strike.

You and your excited co-workers could also spread the word in any
community organizations you’re a part of. Your soccer team, for
instance, already knows how to take a side together.

REACH OUT TO STRIKERS BEFOREHAND. The best way to figure out where
and when you’re most needed is to ask. Let them know you’ve got a
group from your union that wants to support the strike.

A personal contact is ideal; ask your co-workers if anybody has
friends or family in the UAW nearby. You can also ask around in
community groups you’re active in, or your local labor council. If
that runs dry, Google the UAW local for the site you’re going to,
and call their union hall for advice.

MAKE A SIGN THAT SAYS WHO YOU ARE AND WHY YOU’RE THERE. “Nurses
stand with UAW for healthy jobs” and “Teachers agree: no more
60-hour weeks!” will lift spirits, catch the eye of local press, and
spook managers.

ON THE PICKET LINE

GET TO KNOW STRIKERS. Meet new people, and introduce yourself with
your workplace or union. Ask which demands are most important to them,
and why. Ask if you can get their number to coordinate when to show up
in the future, and stay in touch about local union issues together.

BRING FOOD AND FIREWOOD. Nourishing food and extra wood to warm the
night shifts will be appreciated. Your local can chip in to cover
costs. Grocery stores or local restaurants will sometimes be game to
donate, if you ask a few days beforehand.

ADOPT A PICKET LINE. Solidarity isn’t a one-time gig. Once the
strike gets rolling, get advice from strikers on a specific picket
shift that often needs extra hands and supplies. Make it a point of
pride for your solidarity crew to make that shift two to three times a
week.

FLYING SQUADRONS. If you’re in an area with multiple picket lines,
get a crew together to roll through a few. That’s a tradition in the
UAW that strikers will love to see turned back their way.

SPREAD THE STRIKERS’ MESSAGE. Once you get to know a striker, ask
if you can take a short video of them saying what they're fighting
for, and why community support matters to them. Ask if you can share
it with your co-workers or on your social media. Put a few picket-line
quotes in a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, along with
why this is your fight too.

IF YOU’RE FAR FROM A PICKET

PRESSURE THE PROFITEERS. BlackRock, Capital Group, and Vanguard are
finance giants who are top shareholders across the Big 3, and they
have offices that might be closer to you than a plant.

General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis have authorized $5 billion in
stock buybacks in the last year. At the same time they've been
throwing cash at investors, major Big 3 plants have claimed they're in
an “emergency” to force auto workers into 60-hour weeks to keep
their jobs.

Public spaces in front of these profiteer offices are fair game for
non-UAW members to protest and spread the word: auto workers deserve
more, and big investors have taken what they never toiled to earn.

AS A LAST RESORT, CALL. In-person pickets and rallies will build
relationships and pressure the boss the most. But on top of that, you
and other strike supporters can leave a stern phone message for Big 3
CEOs by calling 318-300-1249, thanks to a solidarity effort from
environmental non-profits including Labor Network for Sustainability
and Greenpeace. Let the executive goons know why you and your union
co-workers stand with the UAW.

_Dan DiMaggio contributed reporting from the 2021 Frito-Lay strike._

_[KEITH BROWER BROWN [[link removed]] is
Labor Notes' Labor-Climate [email protected]]_

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* FIGHT FOR SAFETY, OWN THE SHOP FLOOR »
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* UAW
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* United Auto Workers
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* autoworkers
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* Ford
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* GM
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* General Motors
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* Stellantis
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* Automobile Industry
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* Strikes
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* Labor Movement
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* Trade Unions
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* Shawn Fain
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* Strike support
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