Immigrants fight for union

The bosses at Hope Global in Michigan thought they could hide behind Washington’s anti-immigrant offensive to easily get rid of union organizers and pro-union workers. But that hope was dashed in the early hours of June 2 when union and community supporters of 20 fired workers massed on the front lawn of the plant, just west of Detroit’s city limit.

The bosses then locked the doors and gates, refusing to speak with anyone except Father John Nowlan from the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice. A Latina Auto Workers organizer quipped that the manager “has a lot of sins to confess.”

Why did the workers sign union representation cards with the United Auto Workers? The workers at Hope Global assemble visors, armrests and other upholstered interior parts for Lear Corporation, a unionized just-in-time parts supplier for the big auto corporations. The work, all manual, damages hands and arms, especially given the high hourly production quotas demanded by the company.

Elena Herrada, an organizer with Centro Obrero, described the issues, “It’s the higher production expecta tion of Mexican workers, over-all discrimi natory treatment of workers by managers, in this case who are also Mexican. Many of the workers have carpal tunnel syndrome and are working with injuries. Most are wear ing braces on their wrists. Many have been fired for being unable to keep up production levels with injuries.”

Hope Global’s headquarters is in Rhode Island; it has facilities in Mexico, Brazil and France. The UAW is filing unfair labor practice charges, but more street actions are planned, too.

— Story & photo by Cheryl LaBash