Skip to main content

A Place for All: Countering the Information War

Unions must show what they can do for their membership at this time—not what they have done before. People have a short memory. You are always judged by your last win or loss and unions cannot at this time survive on past laurels. Should labor at the AFL open the ranks, sort of like the old Minneapolis Teamsters Local 74, like a worker assistance program where you ask the workers to pay a small amount each month to belong? In return they would receive information on which labor union needs workers or apprentices, provide news on labor rights, such as federal and state laws, maybe even an electronic labor newspaper and an Internet resource center for information. The non-union workers would have support in their working place protests such as people, law advice, and maybe even representation by an attorney. This would be a wage slaves’ club for all non-union workers who would like to make their lives better. In the old days, this type of organization even offered cheap life insurance or health insurance. Now days maybe even a Christmas savings plan. If all fast food, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and restaurant workers would join at the invitation of the AFL/CIO, this could be the turning point in labor for there would be a chance to educate workers about labor history and show them there is a chance for a better life, maybe starting with $15 to $18 an hour minimum wage with free education, healthcare and maybe even a pension. We lost the information wars to the GOP and that is why people vote against their own interests. If we, unions, become inclusive and provide positive and constructive ways for people to improve their lot in life, we would draw more people in and turn the tide against the greedy GOP. It would not hurt to ask the AFL/CIO or nay union for help, maybe even some labor councils could ask on their behalf. If this could come to fruition, then all who join should or could become organizers, which are what all wage slaves should b—union or non-union. A formation of the rank-and-file creates a democracy for all proletarians.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Time for an Offense

There are three phases of a general strike and unions must plan for one. Those three phases are: 1. general strike in an industry 2. general strike in a community 3. general national strike We need to move away from being on the defensive and move toward a good offensive. The American Federal of Labor (AFL) could not have held a general strike if it wanted to because they had thousands of different contracts that expired at different times of the year. This was done deliberately so that there is no consolidation of power for a general strike. Also, nowadays, there is no law agency that will support labor, except the National Labor Relations Board (NLBR), which has been under attack and in decline for years. This leaves the burden of change up to unions, and unless unions work together, little will change. We essentially have a combination of job trusts, which are not as strong as contracts, and the courts can break easily because the NLBR will be further weakened and essentially elim...

If Gompers Could Do It, We Can Do It

Labor must vote for the person who will support and vote for labor’s best interests. And in turn, labor members have to support those who are running for office who support labor unions and vote down ballots. Voting down ballot gives the person at the top more power to do what’s best for us. This includes elections for city, county and state positions, as well. If you think a four day work week is wishful thinking, remember workers had to fight for an eight-hour work day and a five-day work week. We, labor members and supporters, need to find people who can fight and win. We need to clean the Congress and Senate of the old Democratic guard who have voted repeatedly to hold the working class back while enriching themselves. This would rebuild solidarity in a magnitude greater than anything either party has seen or offered in the last fifty years. If we can bring about the change in the ruling class we can improve all of our lives. This would be the start of the end of the tyranny of the...

Shock Troops

Gerrymandering is the only legal form of voter theft. Workers, our long range plans should involve 1. crushing Citizens United; and 2. getting rid of the Electoral College. We have been trying to get rid of the electoral college since 1876, and we are still waiting for the revolt. Our unions need to start training some members to be our shock troops and if all unions would do this and work with our local Labor Councils, it would be a good start. Our members need to know our labor laws, local laws, and learn how to protest in the streets if necessary. The antiunion people like Trump, Musk and his billionaire friends work together to crush the working people and convince workers they’re doing them a favor and then use them as shock troops against unions and their workers. All union and nonunion working people must come together and work together to protect what we have now. Labor Councils have retired union members and they could work together to prepare to bring the movement forward....