GM Lansing Workers Rank-And-File Committee Taking Shape

GM workers at several Lansing, Michigan plants are organizing the GM Lansing Workers Rank-and-File Committee to provide themselves and other GM auto workers with representation.

Alleging the United Auto Workers (UAW) union fails to represent GM’s workers and colludes with management, as reported by the World Socialist Web Site, the committee wants the UAW abolished and power transferred back directly to the workers. The Committee would operate as part of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees.

Claiming “the union no longer fights for us” and that “the UAW apparatus supports GM and GM supports the apparatus,” the Committee is organizing workers at two plants located near Lansing where it asserts the UAW has “failed” employees.

One of these is the GM Lansing Delta Township plant, which produces two of The General’s crossovers, including the Chevy Traverse and the Buick Enclave, while the next-generation GMC Acadia will also be built there. The current union local is UAW Local 602.

The other is the GM Lansing Grand River facility, with UAW Local 652 as the union local, where production of the Chevy Camaro, Cadillac CT4, and Cadillac CT5 takes place. The the high-performance CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing variants are also produced there.

The grievances of the GM Lansing Workers Rank-and-File Committee include the use of temporary workers. These workers have no union rights, are paid a maximum of $16.64 per hour, and must work a year to become seniority workers paid $32.32 per hour. At this point, the Committee alleges, GM replaces them with new temporary workers “with the UAW’s blessing.”

Other complaints include moving workers to different tasks and production lines with no warning and minimal training. This allegedly results in more work, lower pay, and potential safety issues. GM is also said to push defective cars through to increase production numbers, lowering quality; provide raises that are below the inflation rate; and cut costs through layoffs.

The Committee alleges UAW collusion with all these actions and calls for abolition of worker tiers so that temporary workers receive the same pay as seniority workers for the same work, worker control over production and safety, and livestreaming of contract talks with worker oversight to prevent “backroom deals.”

A GM worker at a Lansing assembly plant

While the UAW did negotiate removal of profit-sharing caps, leading to workers receiving a $12,750 check in February 2023, the union has been hounded with allegations of corruption. Six UAW leaders were released in July 2022 after serving only a fraction of their corruption sentences. At least 19 investigations into UAW corruption had been filed by the latest UAW monitor by that date.

UAW officials themselves are accusing the UAW of corruption. Former UAW president Ray Curry accused challenger Shawn Fain of disenfranchising “thousands” of union members to secure his own victory.

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