Labor needs to back causes that the middle class and the Have Nots’ need to better their lives, like minimum wage of $15 an hour, free healthcare and college, right to form a union and a healthy world to live in. Unions also need to stand up with the students who want safe schools to go to.
Let’s not make the same mistake labor made during the Vietnam war. Labor sided with the war and against the protesters, who were also mostly young people, and some unions members even participated in beating these protestors. This was a shameful day for labor. This time we need to get it right.
These young people are our new leaders and will soon be able to vote. So far, these young people look like fighters, which is what unions need—voters and new blood, who know how to fight for their rights and what is fair.
Labor missed its chance when Occupy Wall Street was protesting. Now we have March for Our Lives. Let’s not let this chance slip by. This is ready made for labor’s support. Unions are about people and their lives. These protestors want to make everyone’s lives better, beginning with gun regulations, especially for military grade assault weapons.
As our government is pushing us toward more wars, dragging on the wars we are already involved in. The people need to just say, “enough with the wars” and start voting with their feet and the voting booth.
Again, we can start with new voters, who can get us a higher living wage, establishing a universal basic income, a free education and healthcare and make climate change a priority. This would also be a good time to end the war on drugs and use that money to treat addiction like the health problems that it is and takes the profit out illicit drugs. Then addiction would be like a tree with no water, it will just die.
At this time our young are facing poverty, inequality, inequity, poor healthcare, more unending wars and a failing higher educational system, if the students aren’t killed while obtaining their lower education.
It is up to the children because we sure as hell haven’t done anything to bring about change. This is a tipping point, and labor can take its place in support the children, helping to expedite the change this country needs to see, while bringing back the middle class.
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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