Where are the thousands of low-wage workers? Why are they not in the streets? This is the time—it’s spring and the weather is nice for the offense of the Have Nots or the Have Very Littles. It is hard to justify not coming together here in the USA when we have the right to do so especially when we see Vietnamese Nike and Adidas shoe workers in Ho Chi Minh City fighting for their social gains for wages and pensions.
The Vietnamese workers organized 80,000 workers at the Pou Yuen Vietnam shoe factory. Why can’t we in the Free World put together that kind of number? This shoe factory is a subsidy of a Taiwan-based Pou Chen group, which employs more than 400,000 wage slaves in the countries like China, Vietnam and Indonesia. Last year 45,000 workers at its Yue Yuen Factory in Dongguan in southern China fought and won in 11 days for contributing that was owed to them. There were 300 strikes in Vietnam in 2014.
These are communist countries and the workers seem to be kicking ass and holding the corporations accountable and it seems the government is helping. Things will never change until the proletarians come together in large organized groups of thousands. Then the Walmarts, Home Depot, Target, McDonald and the list goes on will pay attention. At this time we have miners in Ukraine, Turkey, U.S., Mauritania, West Africa and oil workers in the U.S., railroad workers in British Columbia, Canada are all in the fight against inequality, and workers from all areas should come together to support each other in this fight.
These are just a few, but they all need to start talking to each other and when possible leverage each other to gain power. Remember it is a war between the Haves and the Have Nots and people power can win this inequality and $15 to $18 an hour minimum is just starting and we are gaining ground.
I hope that I am wrong, but what I see at this time is our unions are going to be in the fight of their existence. This is the most perilous time of our life. The life we had is threatened like never before. Unions are the largest organized group of people who can save our country if things keep going the way they are heading at this time. We need to all stand together for power, but we each must prepare and plan to take care of ourselves and our families. We can fight the big fight and not be distracted by worry about things that can and should already be taken care of. For instance, stashing at least one month’s pay and at least a month or even a year’s worth of food, whether the food is staples (pasta, rice, canned goods) and meat or chicken in the freezer. Keep your vehicles' tanks full and if possible a gas can full. It’s in your best interest to also save money for house or rent payments plus extra. This is not new thinking for us old trade workers who had to prepare when...
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