The Volvo strike and the silence of the pseudo-left lambs
With the strike by roughly 2,900 Volvo Trucks workers in southwestern Virginia reaching a decisive turning point this week, the silence on the walkout by organizations and political figures that present themselves as “left-wing” or “socialist” is taking on an even greater significance.
The Volvo strike is undoubtedly one of the most important labor struggles in the US in decades. Early on, workers formed the Volvo Workers Rank-and-File Committee, which has taken the leading role in organizing opposition to the attempts by the company and the United Auto Workers to enforce concessions in health care, pay and working conditions. On Friday, workers at Volvo’s New River Valley plant voted down a third UAW-backed concessionary agreement by a nearly two-to-one margin, after voting down two similar contracts earlier this year by 90 percent.