With a tentatively settled UAW strike, the auto workers union brought forward “just transition” — a term used to make whole workers involved in mass layoffs — but these concessions were not agreed on. Les Leopold, author of “Wall Street’s War on Workers” and other books, talks about how, since 1996, over 30 million U.S. workers have been involved in mass layoffs — a practice which used to bring shame on companies for their “bad business practices” leading to the layoffs, but now a common business practice. But an agreement to make auto batteries “union made in the U.S.” win for the union will support the workers and buffer the automakers’ transition from gas to electric powered vehicles and the layoffs expected to occur.
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