Jonathan Michels at Jacobin reports the South has long been the Achilles heel of the American Labor Movement. The United Auto Worker (UAW) Union is trying to make inroads - including a heated contract fight between Workers and bosses at the Multi-National Corporation Daimler Truck North America (DTNA). The contract between DTNA and 7,000 UAW-represented Workers who build the company’s heavy trucks and buses at plants in North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee is set to expire at midnight on April 26th.  While Daimler Truck posts multi-billion-dollar profits, DTNA Workers say they are beaten down by stagnant wages, the rising cost of living due to inflation, and an increasingly demoralizing work environment.  UAW Members are fighting for wage increases, improved health insurance coverage, and an end to divisive tiered employment structures, among other demands.  If not met, Workers are ready to Strike.  UAW Member Tonya Brown said: “I got my walking shoes and I’m ready to walk that line because we deserve so much more than what we’ve been given.  This is our time.”

To Directly Access This Labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: Daimler Truck Workers Are Strike-Ready in the Anti-Union South (jacobin.com)