Dear current and former Dana workers, Jeep Toledo workers, Caterpillar workers, auto parts workers and Big Three workers:

The Dana workers’ rank-and-file committee’s objective is to educate, protect, and unite all autoworkers to organize among ourselves in the fight to uphold our rights.

Over 50 people have been fired from our plant in the last months by Dana, Inc., a multi-billion dollar transnational corporation. The UAW assisted the company in firing us, despite the fact that the UAW bureaucracy makes close to half a million dollars a year in dues from our plant alone. The UAW works for the company, leaving us without representation.

This is taking place in direct violation of the contract reached by the UAW and Dana in 2021. If the UAW won’t enforce the contract, we, the rank-and-file, will.

Purpose

We vow to share our personal stories with the working class and to speak for those who are too intimidated to speak up in fear of losing their jobs and livelihoods. We will take the power out of the hands that oppress us: Dana and the UAW, and give power to the workers on the shop floor.

We know Dana, its shareholders, and the UAW apparatus are powerful, but all corporate profits come from our labor, and so we collectively have the power and the right to democratically control our working conditions. This committee will fight to convince all workers that the most they can lose from joining this fight is their chains.

We will move with organization, support, love, and power. In our numbers and unity we shall not be silenced.

Demands

1. Re-instatement of all workers fired in violation of contractually guaranteed “progressive discipline” policy
2. Re-instatement of all workers fired as a result of misrepresentation by UAW officials.
3. Rank-and-file committee representation in all interactions with management.
4. Rank-and-file democratic worker control over hiring and firing decisions.
5. 30 minute paid “know your rights” classes for all workers once a month led by the rank-and-file.

Strategy

This committee will publicly expose violations of our rights and of the contract, and educate all auto workers on how to fight for our interests as a class. Exploitation is not just happening at Dana Toledo Driveline, it is happening across the auto industry, which is connected across all plants and companies.

Every car is made from parts produced by all of us, no matter what company we work for. Our strategy is to appeal to rank-and-file autoworkers everywhere to connect with us, so we can share information, democratically discuss our conditions, and unite for common action. If we rank-and-file workers do not stand up for ourselves, no change will ever come.

Values: Unity and Equality

An injury to one is an injury to all. The company and UAW use tactics to distract and divide autoworkers, many times through our roles and positions at the workplace. But we, as the working class, share the same interests. We come from different ethnic backgrounds, races, religions, nationalities, yet we all share the same oppressor.

We vow to set aside personal disputes, no matter the differences we have amongst one another, because at the end of it all, we as workers have the same enemies: the auto corporations and the UAW bureaucracy. This committee will oppose all attempts to divide us. We demand all be treated equally for we are brothers and sisters fighting the same fight.

The Dana workers’ rank-and-file committee will educate our fellow workers to treat one another as we would our own family. We will respect one another, learn from one another, confide in one another and fight toward a much bigger purpose: equality at the workplace and in society as a whole. This is a movement of the entire working class. If you work at another auto company, we want you to join this movement, because we cannot win our fight at just one plant. We are not just numbers, we are workers and we have immense power. It is time we recognize that and fight for change.

To all workers at Dana and beyond: We have the right to abolish the UAW bureaucracy because it takes our dues money and is not representing us. Therefore we the rank-and-file must begin representing ourselves.