First Published: People’s Tribune, Vol. 3, No. 17, August 1, 1976.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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On April 15, 1975, General Baker was fired by the Ford Motor Co. for “securing employment under the use of an alias.”
Although General Baker was forced to use an alias in order to get a job, having been blacklisted for his militant leadership in the struggle of the auto workers, the discharge was an outright violation of the UAW contract with the Ford Department. The established practice is that there is a 12-month limitation of falsification of an application. Since Gen was hired at Ford Rouge in September, 1973, the 12 months had elapsed prior to the firing.
As a result of a subsequent year-long legal battle, Ford has been forced to put General Baker back to work. While this represents a significant victory, the question remains: why was Gen fired in the first place?
General Baker has labored long and hard in the working class movement, leading the struggle for a better life for the workers.
In 1968, he was fired from Dodge Main for participation in an “unlawful” work stoppage. He then became one of the founding members of the Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement (DRUM), which led many of the struggles of the Negro workers against discrimination.
The DRUM movement led to the formation of RUM organizations in a number of other plants In the Detroit area. Out of these organizations the League of Revolutionary Black Workers was formed. Many of the workers who joined the struggles of the LRBW are now victims of a vicious blacklisting system.
Gen was blacklisted. In 1971 he was hired at the Ford Sterling plant but was fired after 30 days for falsification of his application. Ford Motor Co. had secured his employment history from Chrysler Corp., and fired him because he did not include that history in his application for employment.
That history included Gen’s record as a “known black militant,” that he “has communist leanings and visited Communist Cuba,” and that “this subject is believed to be the leader of the DRUM Movement.”
Blacklisting and the sharing of “internal security” information by the major corporations were part of a conspiracy to keep General Baker and others from getting jobs in the auto plants. The basis for this conspiracy was his proven leadership of the workers, his outspoken opposition to discrimination, oppression, and the capitalist system; the capitalists well understood that General Baker was a spokesman for justice, equality and socialism.
The capitalists are tireless in their efforts to isolate, bribe or destroy the real leaders of the working class movement, so that bought-off trade union leaders and paid-off politicians will be the sole spokesmen of the people.
But General Baker has not been isolated, bought off, or destroyed.
Now that General Baker has won the battle against Ford Motor Co.’s attempts to isolate him from the struggle on the shop floor, an even bigger battle is taking shape.
That is the battle to elect General Baker as State Representative from the 9th District. Once again the capitalists have attempted to block a path of victory for the working class. Once again, with the will of the people united In support of their own best interests, victory can be won. General Baker has defeated the attempts of Ford Motor Co. to isolate him. Now it is time tor the people of Michigan to show that they wholeheartedly support the only candidate who can represent them.
Vote for the Communist Labor Party on August 3rd. Elect General Baker in November.