A new phase in the restructuring of the global auto industry has begun, and our jobs and livelihoods are once again under threat. The companies have already fired their opening shots in this battle. Last week, Stellantis announced that it was eliminating the third shift at the Chrysler Warren Truck Assembly Plant in suburban Detroit. The UAW has claimed that “no one is being laid off,” but the company has stated that as many 1,215 jobs will be impacted, and hundreds of “supplemental employees” may see their hours cut to the bone. Beyond Warren Truck, the Ford Romeo Engine Plant north of Detroit is scheduled to close next month, the result of the UAW’s 2019 sellout agreement, which top union officers like Rory Gamble falsely claimed was a “strong” and “life-changing contract.” In fact, it was “strong” for the company and “life-changing” for the workers it devastated. At the Stellantis Belvidere Jeep Plant in Illinois, workers have been subjected to round after round of job cuts, with thousands of layoffs and the elimination of two shifts since 2019. The workers who remain, many of whom are older, are being run like dogs, forced to take on work that multiple people used to perform.
Even larger job cuts are being prepared. Wall Street analysts are predicting a major slowdown in the auto industry in the next 3-6 months, and the business press has called into question the future of Ford Chicago Assembly, Belvidere and other plants which have yet to be assigned an electric vehicle product. This corporate terrorism must not be allowed to take place! I call for the full mobilization of all rank-and-file workers in the UAW to halt any further layoffs or concessions. The needs of workers must come first, not corporate profit. I call for the full mobilization of all rank-and-file workers in the UAW, including preparations for a national strike, in order to halt any further layoffs or concessions. Brothers and sisters, we must take a stand to prevent another jobs massacre. If you agree with my perspective, I urge you to plan on attending the meeting called for this coming Sunday, October 23, and to invite your coworkers. | 
