Abstract

Mann: Taking on General Motors. Tiger by the Tail

This article focuses on the book "Taking on General Motors: A Case Study of the UAW Campaign to Keep GM Van Nuys Open," by Eric Mann. In March 1988, auto workers from eleven countries met in West Germany under the auspices of the Trans-nationals Information Exchange. Two experiences shared by all the assembled workers had brought them together. One was the global mobility of capital: The corporations that employ them routinely make countries, cities and even individual plants bid against one another for work; those offering the lowest production costs and the best "labor climate" get the jobs. The second experience was management's sponsorship of "team concepts." "Employee involvement" and "quality of work life" plans have become as familiar to the lowest-paid workers as they are to the highest.