WHAT WAS 2020? PART 3
The GENERAL MOTORS 1936-1937 Flint sit down strike by the UAW / UNITED AUTO WORKERS union that changed the landscape of the WORKER during the Depression Disaster. I believe we can do it again with this MAN MADE VIRUS DISASTER!!
I begin to think of what is an American WORKER.
And I begin to think of the Depression.
The 1930s.
I worked for a 98 year old woman in 2020.
I worked every day.
I cleaned her, I cared for her, I shopped for her, I cooked for her.
I did much more. And that is a WORKER.
I also did not make much money. I wasn’t abused, but I wasn’t paid as well as I knew other people were telling me they were making for doing the same thing. In fact, it was a huge difference.
I took the job because I needed it.
My charge was an amazing woman.
She made it clear she was a Communist, “Capital C”.
I ask her what politicized her and she made it clear it came from her living in the Depression. THE DEPRESSION CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF HER LIFE.
She became who she was because of that nightmare. She became a resister. She became aware of the plight of everyone around her and then when you see yourself suffering, what about the guy living in a shack, what about the black community of share-croppers, being abused and yet having no choice? One begins to find empathy, anger, solidarity with others and unifications begin.
It came from the collapse of everything that one would rely on.
Think, 1929 stock market crash.
Banks gone.
What little you had, gone.
The majority of people were finished.
Think how it would be right now if there was no insurance on your bank account?
You may think you are finished now if you live in America.
Especially if you live in NY.
High rents are due and late.
Eviction around the corner.
Homelessness calls you.
You did everything right.
You worked hard.
You filed your taxes.
You got 2 University degrees.
You have 150,000 in debt from student loans.
You don’t make enough.
You barely get by.
Health insurance is not part of you freelance situation.
Anything could happen and in one shot you would be done.
And you have no parents, so you have no one to make sure if you fall, you will be able to get up again.
Is this the AMERICAN way to live?
The government gave you $1,200. IN ONE YEAR YOU GOT 1,200??
IS THIS A JOKE?
When your total in a month is about 2,000 in bills!!!
And the government is telling you this:
We don’t care.
We don’t care if you live or die.
We don’t care if you are hungry.
Go get help from the private sector, but WE ARE NOT A SOCIAL WELFARE STATE. WE ARE A CAPITALISTIC COUNTRY THAT ONLY LOOKS AT SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST AND IF YOU SINK, THAT IS YOUR OWN FAULT.
From TWITTER:
“Republicans always bankrupt the country with wars and tax cuts for the 1% then start wailing about the deficit when Dems arrive and try to allocate money to the 99%. Dems need to call them on their deficit bullshit and refuse the framing”
Does any American need any more to be convinced that no matter how many taxes you pay, no matter how much you have a LOVE FOR YOUR COUNTRY, your country defecates on you.
The point to all this is that the 1% has been given a PASS GO AND COLLECT A BILLION DOLLARS by the government and the banks explaining YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY TAX. Instead, there will be “trickle down.”
Well, I got new for you:
The evidence has shown in 50 years, THIS DOES NOT WORK!!
Philanthropy does not work!!
THIS IS THE VIBE right now, end of December, beginning January 2021.
So let us to a look backwards.
Back to the 1930s and the time of hope and FIRST AIDE.
“President Roosevelt, restored confidence with his NEW DEAL using the power of the federal government to try and stop the economy’s downward spiral.”
The WPA created jobs for the worker, such as bridge building, highway construction, jobs in the post offices and schools.
What is most fascinating is during this time the most progressive changes came to be such as THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT of 1935 which guaranteed pensions, a system of unemployment insurance and the federal government claiming responsibility to care for the disabled. Along with this came the National Labor Relations Act, giving the worker the right to form unions and bargain for high wages, better working standards and conditions.”
But things were still in collapse mode.
Corporations were taking advantage of the workers.
Think AMAZON making a ton of money during the pandemic.
GM was making alot of sales because they slashed their prices, cut production of the more expensive models and laid off 1000s of workers.
But they hired many back without taking into consideration the wages from before. They simply paid lower wages.
They were whipping out cars super fast, but paying lower wages to make higher profits for themselves.
SOUND FAMILIAR.
AMAZON???
Along with this came the frustration of the worker.
Who just said, “Fugettabut it, LETS SHUT THIS MOTHER DOWN.”
And so they did with strikes. The biggest one being the UNITED AUTO WORKERS.
And don’t think this was easy to organize.
Thugs would beat the workers who were organizing, no less killing.
General Motors invested ONE MILLION in surveillance to spy on the union organizers.
“I have absolutely seen them hire a hundred men and fire a hundred all the same day.” Stated by a GM worker.
So the union sprang into action and the sit down strike stood ground.
GM played the game, courts, turning off the heat in 16 degree weather, police, security guards with tear gas attacks was normal.
Even the National Guard.
But oddly enough they protected the workers and helped negotiate talks.
(Think about that!! What would it have been like if the NATIONAL GUARD IN PORTLAND 2020 PROTECTED THE PROTESTORS, OR THE COPS STOOD NEXT TO THEM… INSTEAD OF BEATING THEM TO SHREDS AND DISAPPEARING THEM!! And instead of STANDING NEXT TO THE RIGHT WING, KKK WHITE SUPREMACISTS?)
The strike lasted 44 days.
136.000 GM workers were idle and 280,000 cars went unbuilt.
Union membership rose up, 3.4 million to 10 million In 1942.
What they got? A promise GM would not take revenge on the workers who went on strike. They raised the wages by five cents an hour.
And to me… this is what I would call for in America.
But now it is AMAZON, it is TWITTER AND FACEBOOK.
How about the digital world shut down with the WORKER SAYING “FUCK NO.”
Every grocery worker gets 25.00 an hour.
ENDPOINT.
