The Democratic Party lost from the top down. The Party is decimated and everyone who was a part of the Party’s demise should be fired or replaced. Labor should now understand that no one person or party is going to ride in on a white horse and make them whole again. Labor will have to do it themselves with good, strong leadership that comes from the ranks and is supported by the workers not just because it is their turn to get the job.
Labor must now start to educate the workers on the good of unions. They must organize, organize, organize, and rebuild their membership, but in order to have jobs for the workers. Unions must work to get Project Labor Agreement on school boards, city and all prevailing wage jobs for any work with government money, which falls under the Davis-Bacon Act.
This means that there must be union advocates at the meetings when jobs are put out to bid. If the rules are followed, there is no reason that union shops should not get the work. It just takes work from the union and their members. More work equals more members needed, which equals power for the unions, and more business for the union shops. When a union shop is making money and the non-union shops see this then unions an have the chance to grow by organizing the unprotected workers.
Any change will have to be done by us, the two parties have shown their disdain for the working class and to reward them with our votes in hopes they do the right thing is ludicrous, it is the definition of insanity—doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. The days of Democrats and Republicans ever supporting us with better labor laws, such as card check or better National Labor Relations Board support, are over. When the support is gone, we will either sink or swim in the next four to eight years. So all unions need to get together and quit being greedy.
If we do find an advocate like Bernie Sanders, support him or her, but don’t rely on any one person or even a party again. We should put our money where it will do the most good—in organizing.
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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