Union Perspectives

Tactics means doing what you can with what you have. In the world of give and take, tactics is the art of how to take and how to give. Our concern is with the tactic of taking, how the have nots can take power away from the haves. Saul D. Alinsky had some of the best tactics to use. The symphony tactic: the plan was to buy tickets for workers and feed them baked beans before the symphony that the wife of a corporate mogul’s attended. The workers won. The O’Hare Airport tactic: organizers counted the number of stalls in the restrooms of the airport and then give union members money to tie up the stalls. At the time it cost 5¢ to use the toilet and the user could stay as long as they wanted. The organizers also got men to line up to use the urinals. The workers won. The gum tactic: when college students were unable to reach an agreement with the college administration, the students, who were not allowed to have fun, dances or drink beer on campus, were asked what could they do? The...

Are retired union workers living under a rock? I have often wondered why union retirees, with a union pension, move to Shasta County and become a GOP nut job and vote for people who oppose unions and the working class. These same people collect all sorts of government sponsored programs, such as Medicare, social security and possibly veteran services. Do they just want to belong? Are they conformists? Are they ashamed to have their GOP neighbors know they are Democrats or retired union workers? Or are they coldhearted, bloodsucking gnats who got theirs so to hell with everyone else? I just don’t understand. I, for one, am proud of my union pension, my medical coverage, and my social security. I worked very hard for all three and I will fight hard to keep them. If other retired union members, social security and Medicare recipients don’t think the GOP are trying to take these benefits away, you’ve had to have been living under a rock. I think all of us with these union and governm...