gears up for
ac negotia ions
con
By.,aaall_
Capital News Service
LAN G - Job ecurity,
health insurance and pension
efi will be some of the is
ue United Auto Workers
union negotiators will brin to
the table t this summer' con
tr talks with the Big Three
utomaker.
"Health insurance will be the
major sticking point," said
Fr nk Garrison; Michigan
AFL-CIO president. The
U A W is affiliated with the
APJ.,CIO
"They [tlle automakers] will
try to get co-pay, or try to push
some of the cost b ck on the '
r ers," Garrison said
Garrison's priorities may not
agree ·th those of the rank and
file, ho ever. A poll of 150
autoworkers released May 18
by the Detroit Free Press
oWed job security to be the
No. 1 concern. No co-paymeot
on health benefits ranked
fourth.
UAW negotiators meet
in St. Louis to determine
the they will bring to the
table this ummer.
Ralph Shepard, Vice presi
dent of UA W local 652 in Laos
iD& said jOb securjty woUld be
top of the · • He also
mentioned pension benefit "
hich ranked econd on the
Free Pr poll.
"We do know they're going to
talk about benefits fo retirees,
health care for peop in the
p d retirees [and] peasioe
"he said.
Shepard said he thought the
automakers might try to get
co ·0 from the union on
. urance to alIo co-payment
and ded etib on medical in-
surance. .
I, think they may have some
idea to that effect," Sherpard
aid. 'We're sure they're going
to come at us with something."
Garrison blamed the health
insurance controversy on the
lack of national .health in
surance plan.
"We're the only industrial
ized nation in the world witho
ome form of Datioaal health
care,· Garrisoa. •
He . d can produced by
Canadian the same
wage level U.s. cost
S600 1 per unit, 1araclY a
result of Can da's n tional
health care plan. He said that
included the higher tales the
CanadiaDs paid to support the
p�. '
Garrison said tlie
automakers agree with ....... .,._,
on the Deed for a national health
insuranc::c plan.
"Every ODe of the Big Three
has moved people to
Wash;ngt to lobby for som�
form of national health in-
uranee," he said.
Garrison said the
automakers agree with UDions
on the need for a . health
insurance plan. ,
Shepard . the UDion is in
• strong position going into
negotiations this year.
., think the union's position
is good if not better than it
has been far as upport of the
people," he said. ,
The Free Press poll found 39
percent of tho e surveyed
. bought the UA W leadership
doiDg. good job. That com
pares to 31 percent who thought
the Big Three were doing a
good job.
ustims .run
WASHINGTON, D.C. -
Three members of the Nation of
Islam announced .their can
didacies for public office during
a joint press conference recent-
ly. .
Abdul Alim Muhammad
MD, Minister of Muhammad
Mosque #4 in D.C. and the na
tional spokesperson for Min.
Louis Farrakhan, will eek the
congressional seal of the 5th cis
trict of Prince �e' s Co ,
Maryland.
Attorney George X ewe, a
�:JUaIe of Howard Univ . ty
La 'School and legal advisor to
the highly uccessful
Dopcbusters anti1drug pcglDl,
wi 11 seek the Dis tri ct of
Co umbia's non-voting deleg
seat vacated by Rep. Walter
FaUDtroy.
Shawn X Brakeen, public
school teacher and as i tant
minister at e 4, is run
ning for a e t on the D.C.
scboolboard.
Citing a need for • fresh
City P an to ·sell Auditorium
o ban come under attack
� .... c
I I ConuDotuJent
"If you to sec the
riverfront, go to •. d a
very eel offlCial in the
City Planning Commi sion,
o i hed to remaia
. . the is
around the city, . d the
offici, bo i upset at the
propo ed ale of Ford
A tori to Comerica.
The official stated there .
a fee1iDg itbin the oommil$iOll
that the proposed ale i
s igbed.
A f eeli ng t hat the
, poposed sale of the auditorium
to Comerica for some bed and
. manifest in the -
titudes cl a lot of Ddroi .
The official exprased
hope someoae will form a zoaiDs
coaIitioa to save the torium, <lty Council Prelideat
they cid for Tiler Sbd Mahaffey taleel she
The official incicated Id are of y stalllllel
hope for a st te tatute th d probibit the sale of
ould prohibit the sale of the . COrium. .
uditorium to Comerica. She says the Ford family
Mi· Stale Assis IDd Pord MotQI' Compaay e
Deputy Attomey General R. taken the po ition of,.
John Wernet Jr., stated-there "WbMevets good for the city:
could be a rcvcrsi.OIl cl in. . leaviDa the decisiOll cl
the deed to the property, that se11ias the • to MayOI'
requires the city to sell the IaDd Col Y
t.ck to the dceder if it is not Mahaffey at ted the
used for i iDteoded JXIIPO& Pord's dccisiOll· • CIted they
He iDdicated that it ould do not have much iDterest in the
be up to the dcederto enforce the city........_ __ --=1 �idcDt u.-
cla Wernet ex�do ,� \fUUUW& r-
t t the city violated any cated the popolCd of the ,
. tori is a bad deal fOl' the
city. '
She cited the $18 miDi
city I to Comeric:a, to be paid
The Oty Com-
OIl the . tori . te
de ignated under Planned
Develop ent 0 the city's
leadership", Dr. Muhamm d,
who is the diretor of t e
Dopebusters, told the em ly
of residents, students and s
tbat he repeatedly has been
ked by friends to see pu c
Office. .
·My kneejerk response
been I have DO political Pta
tions. But we live in troublipg
times. Problems continue to
mount and sol utions e m
remote," he aid
, "Tbere i m ive po·ti
apathy and corrupion that all
a few to rule the many in
that are not just. When the
ception of the leaders does
meet the ex pectation 0 t e
needs of the people, those 110 -
representative and nee-res
sive leaders must go."
The historic announceme
occurred on the porch of � -
jamin and Clara M�ma
two' Muslim pioneers whC> -
lowed the Honorable �ij8h
Muhammad to tay with
. wben he was establishing t
N . on of Islam. The buildi
sits OIl the boundary of the Dis
trict of Columbia and Maryl
Voicing hi uppolt of
candidates during the May � -
niversary of the Dopeb
Min. FUrakhan aid the
cict.ci of ' the Muslims
scat a falIfillnM::nt of a desire
the HoDonbIe PJijah M
mad. ,
Min. Parrakhan explaine
the lb. FJijah Mubamm
supported uch leaden
late Adam Oayton Powell
former Georgia leg· 01' Julian
Boed, but ultimately, ·what be
aid w " What we need is a
Muslim politici ,.
He dded the M�ue
(M lim place of w ip) w
to be a training ground to fostet
character and char cteristi
that would make followers
the Hon. Elijah Muhamma
good servants to the people.
"The scripture says, ,
man having a light would hide i�
under a bushel basket?' No, you
take your light from der
the b el et and you place
n9
ess
it on a hill. Wha hill? Capitol
Hill!. ..
·When we see the need for
good leadership, courageous
leadership, incorruptible leader
ship, then we ve to ay it is
time DOW for us to come out of
the Mosque ... into the com
munity to serve the needs (of
all),· he said
Continuing, the'leader of the
N . on of Islam ked D.C. and
Maryland voters to vie the
Muslim candid tes with
balanced vi . on. ,
• Get uainted wi'th us and
if you allow u the ame
privilege and right th t you
allow everyone else, t n we
guarantee you th we will serve
the people in a way that they
have ever been served before,"
he aid
Worker
sue
Co tlDU d fro Pa 1
Send letter or telegrams
supporting the union's
demand to: Harold Poling,
CEO, Ford Motor Co.,
American Road; Dearborn,
Ml 48121; and R.M. Godsell,
Anglo- American Corporation,
44 Main St., Johannesburg
2001, South Africa.
Labor Note reque that
anyone sending letters, Iso
send a copy to Solidarity et
wor ;- c/o Labor Note , 7435
Michigan Avenue, Detroit,
Michigan 48210.
Jack on
Continued fro P
1
civil rights were right. Now
he is threatening to veto the
1990 civil rights act which
affects women, or ers and
mioori tie . He w opposed to
raising the minimum wage for .
workers hite advoc ting a
cut in capit I gain for the
rich. 'In South Africa, he i
circumventig congres ional
nctions by allo ing the im
portation of iron and eel."
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