In the1920s, the corporations representing capital (money) mobilized for war of the extermination on all labor organizations in the United States, and they never stopped. They have just changed tactics and leaders overtime.
Today, the one who is leading this charge is back by the Koch brothers is Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who recently signed the right to work legislation into law. This means workers in a union do not have to pay union dues, but still get the same union benefits as dues paying workers. How the hell does this work?
When they take away union funds it is like tying one hand behind your back, and then trying to fight a two-handed bully. The anti-union money people have never given up on breaking unions or breaking up the New Deal. The other tactic union busters use is the old divide and conquer—pitting working people against working people so they will tear down their neighbors, who are lucky enough to have union jobs—and this seems to be working.
Labor was warned about this tactic back when Walter Reuther, United Auto Workers president from 1946 and 1970, who told his union that they had to go after the non-union, low-wage workers and help fight for them to eliminate wage and lifestyle inequality between the two groups.
If unions do not make the wage fight for all, the Scott Walkers of this country/world will kick our collective asses. We must resist being divided and conquered. We must focus our energy and the conversation on $15 an hour minimum wage (counter all the lies against this wage hike), free education, universal healthcare, pensions, and pushing to be compensated for our Commons, like the citizens of Alaska.
Remember, the April 15 Fightfor$15 rally for increased wages, do all you can to support this, even if you just stop by a fast food place and support them by asking if they would like to make $15 an hour – this gets them thinking and believing they can earn a decent wage for their work.
Unions’ long game is to get all union contracts to expire on the same day nationwide. The United Auto Workers combines contracts ends on April 28, 2028. This could then result in a mass national strike starting on May Day beeginning that year. This could then put enormous pressure on employers, but also on lawmakers. It’s the muscle and sweat of the workers that keeps this country great, not the individual company or corporations. This May Day strike would be the time to change the workers’ world for the better by negotiating for a 32-hour week with the same pay, and the U.S. adopts a healthcare for all with no out of pocket costs. This would also help the employers as they would no longer have to provide healthcare. By striking, the UAW won same pay for new workers, all UAW contracts will end on the same date, a 25-percent pay increase, a cost of living adjustments, a guaranteed right to strike over potential plant closures, and also the right to vote to unionize through the card che
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