Gary Jones, President

Terry Dittes, Vice-President

United Auto Workers

Dear Mr. Jones,

I am writing to you on behalf of the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR) to express our solidarity with the United Auto Workers and General Motors auto workers on strike. One of the first lessons I remember teaching my daughter is the importance of never crossing a picket line. As we walked to her pre-school, we talked about how often people who do the hardest work are treated the least fairly and that the courage to come together and sacrifice for what is fair deserves our unwavering support.

Of course, this is not the union’s first brush with either sacrifice or courage. We know the sacrifices the striking workers took on to help their company when they needed it, and to enable all Americans to continue buying cars manufactured in the country we love. They did so on the good faith belief that when times were good again, GM would recognize their sacrifice and contribution to the company and provide workers what they’ve earned.

As an organization led by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the AFL-CIO, Global Witness, and Earth Rights International, ICAR believes societies thrive when governments have the resources and independence to protect human rights against the threats of disproportionate power, access, and money. With over 40 member organizations, and partnerships spanning the progressive agenda, ICAR works to enact reasonable safeguards against corporate abuse, to protect those who speak out in service of democracy, and to combat the rise of the corporate state. And we see this strike for what it is—a courageous commitment to upholding the fundamental rights of all workers: decent wages, fair treatment, and affordable healthcare.

Your charter of demands calls for a fair share of GM’s economic success, job security, and fewer temporary workers—policies that not only honor workers but sustain communities. Indeed, instead of pitting workers against each other in a global race to the bottom, your demands hold promise for a broader shared prosperity that will lead us forward. We thank you for taking on this important fight, and we stand shoulder to shoulder with you in your strike.

In solidarity,

Alison Friedman, Executive Director

International Corporate Accountability Roundtable