Working In These Times

Frank (Pancho) Valdez 19 Nov 2009
4:00 pm

The same fighting spirit that moved labor in Seattle needs to come back and secure the Employee Free Choice Act!
For labor to depend on the good will of the democrats in Congress is a grave mistake. These politicians have already shown their true color (yellow) with their watered down, pro-corporate healthcare insurance reform.
Our labor history shows us that the right to organize unions came about only when workers took to the streets and demanded it! It’s long overdue for a labor revival!

Roger Bybee 19 Nov 2009
8:07 pm

Dear Frank:
Great to hear from you again! Where are you located?

I couldn’t agree with you more about your analysis of what’s needed, although I grow more pessimistic about EFCA every day.

You’re right about 90% of the Democrats (excepting a few like John Conyers, Tammy Baldwin, Gwen Moore, Anthony Weiner, Dick Durbin, Barbara Lee, Russ Feingold, Xavier Becerra, etc.) refusing to side with workers on globalization, healthcare reform, or financial reform of Wall Street.

But despite the extraordinarily well-publicized success of the bold takeover of Republic Doors and Windows, we’re not seeing much direct action. In part, it’s due to labor leaders stuck in the “funeral director” mode rather than recognizing that they must be decisive and gutsy emergency room surgeons who will use any method to save jobs.

There is also the media-reinforced fatalism, telling workers that they must simply “get used to it,” as Milwaukee Journal Sentinel series on globalization concluded.

But what other factors do you think are holding back the labor revival we’d both love to see? In solidarity, Roger

Chicano Wobbly 27 Apr 2010
2:08 pm

Sorry Roger for taking so damned long to respond. I live in San Antonio,TX where UNITE HERE is struggling with the Grand Hyatt. I am proud to be a community supporter of these brave worker’s attempt to organize.

As to other strategy for organized labor… well I will never forget the dream of the late Tony Mazzochi. Tony helped begin a labor based political party. Unfortunatley the party never got the needed and deserved support from organized labor and has pretty much been confined to some pretty remarkable activities in South Carolina.

I truly believe that a viable third party is sorely needed. We need a party consisting of labor, environmental, peace, gay and lesbian, civil liberty and civil rights activists along with others who are sick and tired of the strangle hold that corporate America has around our throats. I believe that such an organization can and eventually will come about, but we must begin NOW!

I realize that within the Left, there are many ideas, many different approaches and worst of all far too many petty differences. This must be overcome if we are too successfully challenge the corporate monster’s dominance of our lives. We deserve better as does our families and our nation!