At 1.44 minutes in, Frank Hammer comments on this latest UAW official to be found guilty of fraud and taking bribes in his role as a UAW official. I posted some comments about this earlier in the week after talking with Frank Hammer a retired UAW rep. This is what results from the Team Concept philosophy and the failure of the trade union leadership to have any alternative to capitalism and the belief that the market is the answer to all things.
Press statement
RE: UAW Rep Michael Grimes plea of guilt in Federal Court to federal crimes
FROM: Frank Hammer, UAW-GM International Representative, retired, former President and Chairman, UAW Local 909, GM Powertrain, Warren MI
CONTACT: “Frank Hammer” via fb
DATE: Sept 4, 2019
The guilty plea by UAW GM representative Mike Grimes to accepting $1.9 million in schemes involving the negotiated UAW-GM “Joint Funds” stands as a betrayal of basic principles of union solidarity and the special responsibilities of UAW representatives to embody the highest ethical standards, as spelled out in the UAW’s Constitution and Ethical Practices Codes. He is a disgrace to the UAW and all the proud members and retirees who daily defend the union against assaults by anti-union, right wing voices.
Mike Grimes’ misconduct, according to press reports, spanned a dozen years, 2006-2018 when he retired at the UAW’s Constitutional Convention with honors. As such it’s clear that the top leadership of the UAW’s GM Dept dating back to the administrations of Cal Rapson, Joe Ashton, and Cindy Estrada were unable or unwilling to check this behavior, even after the FBI investigations began.
Mike Grimes’ criminal behavior is a product of a class collaboration culture which the top leadership otherwise known as the “Administration Caucus” embraced and promoted, which placed partnership with the companies ahead of defense of the members the UAW represented. That culture and that leadership must be replaced as soon as possible by an activated membership which puts the defense of workers and the working class generally first and foremost on their agenda.
That UAW-GM partnership and the corruption it breeds is guilty of betraying basic needs of workers and their families, not only of UAW-represented workers, but of workers overseas who work for the same US companies in this era of transnational globalization. The UAW Administration Caucus has lost sight of the basic union principle that an injury to one is an injury to all, and that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
A case in point are the ex-GM workers in Colombia in South America who face inhuman work conditions in the workplace, suffer injuries on the job, and then are cast out to the street with no means of livelihood. In 2012 then UAW VP Joe Ashton – Mike Grimes’ boss – travelled to Bogota, Colombia to make a pretense of supporting those GM workers, only to betray them. Given an opportunity to build cross-border solidarity and fight for safe working conditions for all, he failed, preferring to enrich himself – or so he is charged – with the joint funds he managed. In this he had GM accomplices who must be brought to justice as well – beginning with CEO Mary Barra.
Government intervention in our UAW is not welcomed. The only force that can reset the UAW is an awakened and mobilized membership – demanding an end to (1) destructive multi-tier contracts, and more from the Detroit 3 in the current negotiations, (2) justice for the Colombian GM workers who are still in the fight for a just settlement, and (3) demanding internal reform via constitutional provisions at its disposal.
Mike Grimes’ misconduct, according to press reports, spanned a dozen years, 2006-2018 when he retired at the UAW’s Constitutional Convention with honors. As such it’s clear that the top leadership of the UAW’s GM Dept dating back to the administrations of Cal Rapson, Joe Ashton, and Cindy Estrada were unable or unwilling to check this behavior, even after the FBI investigations began.
Mike Grimes’ criminal behavior is a product of a class collaboration culture which the top leadership otherwise known as the “Administration Caucus” embraced and promoted, which placed partnership with the companies ahead of defense of the members the UAW represented. That culture and that leadership must be replaced as soon as possible by an activated membership which puts the defense of workers and the working class generally first and foremost on their agenda.
That UAW-GM partnership and the corruption it breeds is guilty of betraying basic needs of workers and their families, not only of UAW-represented workers, but of workers overseas who work for the same US companies in this era of transnational globalization. The UAW Administration Caucus has lost sight of the basic union principle that an injury to one is an injury to all, and that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
A case in point are the ex-GM workers in Colombia in South America who face inhuman work conditions in the workplace, suffer injuries on the job, and then are cast out to the street with no means of livelihood. In 2012 then UAW VP Joe Ashton – Mike Grimes’ boss – travelled to Bogota, Colombia to make a pretense of supporting those GM workers, only to betray them. Given an opportunity to build cross-border solidarity and fight for safe working conditions for all, he failed, preferring to enrich himself – or so he is charged – with the joint funds he managed. In this he had GM accomplices who must be brought to justice as well – beginning with CEO Mary Barra.
Government intervention in our UAW is not welcomed. The only force that can reset the UAW is an awakened and mobilized membership – demanding an end to (1) destructive multi-tier contracts, and more from the Detroit 3 in the current negotiations, (2) justice for the Colombian GM workers who are still in the fight for a just settlement, and (3) demanding internal reform via constitutional provisions at its disposal.
For more info: asotrecol.org
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