Muni operators in San Francisco rejected a concessionary contract by a vote of 857 to 575 the San Francisco Chronicle reports. This is the second concessionary contract that the rank and file of a major San Francisco Union has rejected despite their leadership approving it. Last year, San Francisco city workers, members of SEIU Local 1021 rejected a concessionary contract and, rather than follow the rank and file’s lead and use the vote as a springboard for building a generalized opposition to the employer’s offensive, the leadership of SEIU 1021 along with the head of the San Francisco Labor Council publicly attacked the vote and accused the members of being confused.
Now the Muni operators have taken the same path and should be congratulated for resisting the employer’s efforts at shifting the cost of their free market crisis on to the backs of working people.
The Chronicle, a propaganda machine for big business, plays the divide and rule card and goes after the "selfish" Muni operators. By rejecting the concessions, the workers are refusing to free up nearly $15 million in operating expenses over two years the paper writes, “….money intended to stop a proposed increase in discounted passes for seniors, youth and the disabled and to blunt service cuts…..”
So the Muni drivers are to blame for the cuts in public services.
Irwin Lum, the Union president had agreed to the concessions in a deal with San Francisco’s millionaire mayor, Gavin Newsom, Muni management and the Unions executive board. Lum was forced to concede publicly that the members did not believe that their sacrifices would lead to any permanent benefit to riders, the seniors, disabled and youth that the bosses claimed they were for. The Muni drivers are not just taking a stand for themselves, they are fighting for all of us, union and non union, seniors, the disabled and youth.
Like the SEIU 1021 vote, a combined force of top Union leaders and Democratic Party politicians will attempt to force a concessionary contract down the members throats---but it doesn't have to be yet another opportunity lost.
This stand by the Muni operators comes at an opportune time. There is a movement building for a one-day strike on March 4th to defend education, jobs and service cuts. The call has been issued by a student movement that arose after a strikes and protests by workers and students throughout the UC system late last year.
As usual, the potentially powerful Union movement and Central Labor Councils have offered only token support completely shying away from any talk of strike action; in some instances they have worked to subvert the movement and this will increase as the movement gains strength. They have supported the student movement’s call for a strike knowing that the influence they have on their members and the millions of non-unionized workers in the state is practically non-existent. Instead of joining the students call for a strike, using the resources at their command and mobilizing their members to make it happen, they are proposing yet more rallies and ineffective protests aimed at pressuring Democrats in the state legislature to please not be so aggressive with the cuts. Rallies, protests and other actions are all fine if connected to actions that actually stop production, doesn't permit business as usual. Regarding the Chronicle’s report on the Muni rejection, the Union leadership will try to “salvage” the deal. “Salvage” the deal, this is not a deal and the rank and file recognize it.
At the UAW/NUMMI meeting two weeks ago the Labor leadership brought Democratic heavyweights and lesser party functionaries to the hall to calm the rank and file after a raucous meeting in January. AFL-CIO president, Richard Trumka sent a video message and announced a campaign to “pressure” Toyota to keep the plant open by picketing dealerships and embarrassing them enough so that they treat their workers right. Yes, it’s pretty nauseating. The meeting also had a nationalistic bent, as GM was not mentioned, only Japanese auto bosses are bad guys. The policies of the trade Union leadership and the rhetoric they save for public announcements do not have any credibility among the millions of Union members across the country. For more see here and here.
But the March 4th movement has formed strike committees in the East Bay, San Francisco, San Jose, and LA and at UC Berkeley and some high schools. I urge Muni workers and anyone else to contact the March 4th movement and join us in building for March 4th and beyond. Bring your families and anyone who wants to reverse the cycle of defeats brought about through years of concessionary policies and cooperation between the employers and top Union officials.
Labor and the community is welcome in these structures but the committees goal is to wage a struggle against the big business offensive not cooperate with it. The San Francisco strike committee meets weekly and can be contacted at: SFMarch4@gmail.com In the Est Bay the committee can be reached at: eastbay_March_4th_strike_group@yahoo.com
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