WIN Week In Review May 16-18, 2008

By Doug Cunningham

UAW President Ron Gettlefinger told Detroit’s WWJ radio that with thousands of workers still on the American Axle strike picket lines, the company’s greed knows no bounds.

[Gettlefinger]: “I have never witnessed a situation where there was more callus disregard for the workforce than there is here. We have literally made hundreds of changes in this contract and throughout these negotiations. And I mean literally hundreds of changes, all to the company’s advantage. And they continue to push back for more and more. They’re out to crush this membership.”

Gettlefinger says the UAW never wanted GM to offer up to $200 million to help settle the strike, which has stopped or partially reduced production at 29 GM plants. He says that offer has actually made the situation worse.

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West Virginia’s mostly white, working class handed Hillary Clinton a blowout win against Barrack Obama in the Democratic Presidential primary. Clinton told her supporters she’s in this race ‘til the end.

[Clinton]: “I'm in this race for the millions of Americans who know that we can do better in our country. For the nurse on her second shift, for the worker on the line, for the waitress on her feet, for the small business owner, the farmer, the teacher, the coal miner, the trucker, the soldier, the veteran, the college student."

Barack Obama’s delegate lead continues with the next primaries in Oregon, where he has a big lead in the polls and in Kentucky, where Clinton has a commanding lead. In Michigan this week Obama laid out a manufacturing revitalization plan that includes $150 billion in green technology development.

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With working families nationwide fed up and ready for a change, steelworkers are making crucial differences in congressional elections and in governor’s races from Indiana to Louisiana.
In three recent special congressional elections in Illinois, Louisiana and Mississippi Republicans associated with the policies of George W. Bush have lost. Steelworker Dexter Guidry says the union’s political action elected Don Cazayoux in the congressional district around Baton Rouge,

[Guidry]: “People are tired of Republicans not supporting the working man, and I think it’s a move in the right direction. I can assure you without the steelworkers Don Cazayoux would have not been elected.”

In Indiana steelworker political action made sure that Democrat Jill Long Thompson became the first woman to capture the Democratic nomination for governor. Brett Voorhies is a steelworkers’ rapid response coordinator in Indiana.

[Voorhies]: ““I think Indiana is on the path to being a blue state. 1.2 million people came out and voted Democrat, which is the biggest primary as far as I know that we've had in Indiana history.

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The American Federation of Government Employees wants John McCain to fully fund veterans’ affairs. Jesse Russell has more:

McCain is a ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and AFGE President, John Gage said in a statement that the Senator is "in a position to do something that will have long-range impact on the health care of his fellow veterans."