Workers join forces with Timor activists
By Barry Sheppard
Readers of Green Left Weekly have followed the struggle against the Indonesian military's occupation of East Timor for many years. But here in the US, this important struggle is not well known, even on the left.
So it was of some interest when a group of locked-out workers in Illinois joined forces with the Chicago-based East Timor Action Network to fight against the same company, Trailmobile Corp.
What ties the two issues together is that Trailmobile's CEO, Edward Wanandi, is the youngest brother in an Indonesian clan with close ties to the Suharto military dictatorship.
Wanandi is the chair of Gemala North America, a subsidiary of a group of Indonesian companies known as the Gemala Group. In 1991, Gemala bought Trailmobile Corp., which manufactures over-the-road truck trailers. The Gemala Group grew out of a foundation which managed businesses owned by the Indonesian army's Strategic Command.
The Gemala Group is chaired by Edward Wanandi's older brother, Sofijan Wanandi, who was once an adviser to top Indonesian generals. Today, Sofijan Wanandi is involved in "tourist" development in East Timor.
Jusef Wanandi, another brother, established an Indonesian military intelligence institute, which helped plan the invasion of East Timor. In 1975, he organised diplomatic support in the US and Europe for the Indonesian attack.
Workers at Trailmobile's Charleston, Illinois, plant are organised in the United Paperworkers International Union (UPIU) Local 7591.
In 1992, Trailmobile's new CEO, Edward Wanandi, imposed a wage freeze on the workers. The average hourly pay rate is US$11.67. In terms of 1992 dollars, this comes out to $10.59, which means that these workers have lost about 10% due to the wage freeze and inflation.
The union's contract was up for renegotiation in January. The company demanded another wage freeze during the next three years. In addition, Wanandi intends to strip all seniority regarding overtime work and replace it with a daily sign-in sheet that would make all overtime assignments mandatory. The company also wants a "cost-savings bonus plan" in which bonuses would be paid in lieu of a wage increase, but would be purely at the discretion of management as to who got how much.
The workers rejected this concession contract by a 875 to 72 vote on January 16. Instead of continuing to bargain with the union, Wanandi broke off negotiations and locked out the 1200 workers on January 21.
A spirited picket line in downtown Chicago in front of the Trailmobile headquarters brought together Local 7591 members and activists from the East Timor Action Network.
"We are here to show Wanandi that we are going to be on his case until he ends this immoral lockout and gives us a fair contract", said Gary Collins, the president of the local.
Brad Livingston, a member of the Action Network, said, "We are proud to join this demonstration in support of the UPIU workers. Wanandi's behaviour is no surprise to us. His family has supported Indonesia's military butchers for the last 20 years as the military invaded East Timor and committed massacre after massacre. What is happening in East Timor is, literally, a crime, and the Wanandis' hands are not clean."
In this struggle, the UPIU workers are learning about the fight of the East Timorese. So are other workers who are coming to the support of their locked-out brothers and sisters. I got most of the information for this article from "The Unionite", newsletter of the United Automobile Workers Local 974 in East Peoria, Illinois, for example.
The UAW Local 974 members work at Caterpillar's plant in East Peoria. They recently lost a two-year battle with Caterpillar in a nationwide strike. The bitter lessons of that strike have helped these auto workers to understand the importance of union solidarity across union lines.
East Timor and labour activists in Australia could help, too. For more information or to send messages of support, write to UPIU Local 7591, 1401 Madison, Charleston, IL 61920, USA.