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Unions Must Seize Opportunity to Reclaim Rightful Role
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The multiple crises of global economic meltdown, climate change and challenges to democracy create an opportunity for the union movement to reclaim its rightful place in society as the voice of those who cannot speak for themselves, says author William Greider.
This is one of those moments when the labor movement needs to take a deep breath and reclaim its role as the voice of free, democratic discussion. It’s time for labor to dream bigger dreams.
Speaking to a crowd of about 200 yesterday evening at the AFL-CIO in Washington, D.C., Greider said our current economic woes are not over and the crisis runs deeper than just the financial meltdown. In his new book, Come Home, America (available from The Union Shop OnlineTM here), Greider describes our nation as “in the midst of a profound and frightening transformation, tantamount to an aging person losing weight and muscle.”
He urged working people and their unions to jump into the discussion of the nation’s future in a large way. Saying it is time for the union movement to “lay down markers” and tell the Democrats in Congress and the White House that when they meet the marks, we are with them and when they don’t, we can’t support them.
It’s time to find out whose side the Democrats are on.
Greider, a prominent political journalist and author, has been a reporter for more than 35 years for newspapers, magazines and on television. Over the past two decades, he has challenged mainstream thinking on economics. Last night, he noted how the ongoing economic meltdown demonstrates what working people have been saying for years—an economy built on what’s good for Big Business is not good for the country as a whole.
Not only has giving a free rein to Big Business wreaked havoc on our economy but, combined with an arrogant, militaristic view of the world, it has threatened the very democracy that is the foundation of our country, he says.
Add to that the impact of climate change and the inevitable depletion of oil reserves and it’s clear we are about to undergo a major shift in policy and lifestyles.
In her introduction of Greider, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker quoted from Come Home, America, saying:
Our problem was made in America, not in foreign nations. It will not be resolved unless and until the nation lets go of false pride, faces reality and decides to change itself. In Europe and Asia, defending society means not being willing to throw people over the side. Profit making is important, but it should not trump society.
Holt Baker said she was personally moved by Greider’s suggestion that democratic conversations do not start with presidential campaigns or issues or abstract assessments of what is wrong with politics, but begin
when we start talking about ourselves, our lives and our circumstances with our family and friends who are willing to listen. There is much to discuss at our kitchen tables about our home America. At the end of those conversations, we will decide if we are a people entitled to power.
Greider’s appearance was co-sponsored by the AFL-CIO and the Campaign for America’s Future.
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8 Comments
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If Union leadership does not find a way to bring our interests
into a unified whole, we will continue to whine at the heals of capital. Today, our leardership resembles CEOs. Our adversaries know that union smoke does not means union fire. It has taken us a long time to become meek; it will take a long time and fewer smiling faces to become a force in American life.
“It’s time to find out whose side the Democrats are on.”
If the labor movement “leadership” doesn’t know the answer to this question by now, perhaps they should resign?
“Profit making is important, but it should not trump society.”
Hasn’t the labor leadership forever considered itself a “business partnher” to corporate capitalism for the last 30 years? Why is profit making important to working people, who’s basic need is not for someone else to make profit?
Working people need jobs to earn a means to live! Capitalism does not provide jobs unless the owners make a profit. But corrupt and collapsed capitalism in the U.S. can no longer provide jobs that first generates big profits to wealthy investors.
Thus we need bypass capitalism with a new economy based on filling the urgent needs of society by creating nationalized and socialised industries (under worker management) with millions of living wage jobs. The time is NOW to transition to a socialist economy.
“…working people have been saying for years—an economy built on what’s good for Big Business is not good for the country as a whole.”
Why did the labor unions continue to support the Democratic Party and Obama in this past election? Obama is now getting ready to attack “entitlements” (Social Security, Medicare) to find more big bucks to give to Wall Street, the banks, and for more profitable wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan
(and possibly Iran (in support of an Israel attack?), and possibly in “failed state” Somailia.
If labor wants to get some immediate “respect” from the corporate controlled Democratic Party, it should announce it’s break with the Democratic Party. That the union leaderships unite in calling for the formation of a new party, independent of corporate money and agendas, an anti-capitalist socialist party, dedicated to the economic and social interests of all working people, organized and unorganized.
A new mass media needs to inform, educate and organize millions of distressed working people about the changes needed in society to end the destruction of working people, the economy, in the U.S. and internationally.
Such a new party agenda might include: nationalize the banking industry, nationalize the energy industry (oil, gas, nuclear, electrical, etc.), and to end all foreign wars for oil and profit. Shutdown the 700 plus foreign bases and reduce the military budget by at least 50 percent. Restore progressive taxation and end tax loopholes and offshore tax evasion. End the loopholes that allow corporations to pay NO federal taxes. etc.
All of the funds generated above need to be applied to establishing a national single payer health system. The funding of quality public education at every level through college to allow free education for all.
Foreign treaties like NAFTA need to be reformed or cancelled, that have kept the majority in Mexico in poverty, and forced millions to enter the U.S. illegally.
Immediate and full citizenship to all undocumented workers and their children, who have lived and worked in the U.S. for over 5 years.
These are essential and clearly understood demands for the creation of a new labor movement and for a new life for all working people.
End the equivocation and euphemisms evident in articles and ideas such as in this above article.
Forget Obama. Forget the Democratic Party. Forget all pleas, emails, letters, etc. begging to please do something for working people in this country. All they offer are crumbs.
Stop reading into Obama’s rhetoric any hopes that things will get better in the near future for working people. They are getting worse every month. The projections of things “getting better” (for wall street,big business) are now years away! The catastrophic impoverishment of working people must be addressed now!
Continued procrastination will mean increasingly desperate “solutions” (food riots, etc.) as what little resources people have are quickly used up.
The AFL-CIO is as out of touch with working people in this country as the government.They think for us and speak for us without ever asking the rank and file what they would like to see happen.The illegal immigrantion issue is a prime example of it they are on the wrong side of this issue.Our Immigration System is not BROKEN it is only un-enforced.We have 7 million unemployed citizens now and more every week,the last thing we need is to legalize 12 to million law breakers and that is all they are.Amesty will only bring more.If you care about your children and your grandchildren.Tell the AFL-CIO to get on the side of legal citizens both natural born and naturalized.
Hi,
The society is facing problems with such laws. This has to go legal and it’s needed to be sorted at the earliest.
George,
office jobs
Is there a single issue that can galvanize solidarity between all union workers? Not really. Working families have many common needs,desires,and goals—healthy,safe communities, safe workplaces, educational opportunities for all, and a secure retirement for starters. Unions give us the perfect platform to advance our interests, where our working conditions and wages are concerned. But we don’t agree on what should happen once we go home, after we collect our paychecks.
It’s very easy to enjoy the benefits of a union contract. It’s not easy to be a union member in a hostile environment. We need to stand up for our core values together, to build our strength, and show the good we can do for ourselves and our communities at large. We need to educate folks about union culture beyond the workplace. Employers continue to perpetuate the image of unions as menacing thugs who threaten everything and everyone who comes in contact with them. It’s up to us to dispel the myths and misconceptions about our unions.
My life, and that of my children, is better because of my union. All the benefits I enjoyed working under a union contract the last thirty years have allowed me to be a productive member of the communities in which I live. In all those years, I only went on strike twice. My union hall is filled with a food bank, community college classes, and a host of activities that enhance our community and educate our members. That is what I want people to think of when they think about unions.
Democrats are for more taxes and spending for programs that usually don’t benefit working people; Republicans side with big business and corporate America. Somewhere along the line, working people got left out of the equation. Working America needs to follow the example of countries like Norway who has a Labor Party that currently has about 1/3 of the country’s legislators. Labor has a voice there, American workers have very few politicians who really represent them….who haven’t caved in to the anti-labor factions….yet.
“It’s time to find out whose side the Democrats are on.”
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to figure out just who’s side the unions are on. IMO any union that supports illegals in this country is not supporting the American worker!
Article stated:
In her introduction of Greider, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker quoted from Come Home, America, saying:
Our problem was made in America, not in foreign nations. It will not be resolved unless and until the nation lets go of false pride, faces reality and decides to change itself. In Europe and Asia, defending society means not being willing to throw people over the side. Profit making is important, but it should not trump society.
~~~~~
B-S! What FALSE PRIDE??? FACES REALITY and DECIDES TO CHANGE ITSELF???
What? Are citizens supposed to turn a blind-eye to illegal immigrants and turn this country over to them? Are we to ignore people stealing their way into this country, flaunting our laws and taking our jobs?
The AFL-CIO lauds President Obama’s new head of the Labor Dept’s Wage and Hour Division because she vows to ENFORCE the law — yet they denounce ICE for doing the same. ???
Those who break our laws in order to just get into this country, then proceed to break a myriad of laws to stay and exist here deserve to be “thrown over the side.”
The heads of Labor need to FACE REALITY. They are suppopsed to be protecting the membership.