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A reminder that, despite the length of the diary, this is a brief and incomplete summary of American labor. Same rules apply and I enthusiastically encourage filling in the historical gaps, sharing anecdotes, and offering your analysis and perspectives on labor developments during this time period.
Labor Entering the 20th Century
After the AFL firmly established union organizing in the United States, unions enjoyed a steady rise in membership and influence over the next few decades. The lopsided distribution of wealth in the US at the turn of the century was a significant factor, with the top 1% of the population controlling about 60% of the accumulated wealth. Interestingly, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890, designed to limit monopolies and collusion among corporations, was used extensively to procure injunctions against striking workers, causing additional backlash with the public.
Violence by management on union organizers was intense during the early part of the 20th century. And while the violence was reciprocated in some instances by union workers, the history of the time period clearly reflects that the overwhelming majority of the acts were committed against workers by industry and government. The Paint Creek-Cabin Creek coal mine strike in 1912-1913, and the Ludlow Massacre deserve some mention here. Both were horrific in terms of brutality and symbolized the unrelenting violence upon American citizens attempting to organize.
Sometimes stories happen because of planning; other times serendipity intervenes, which is how we got to the conversation we'll be having today.
In an exchange of comments on the Blue Hampshire site, I proposed an idea that could be of real value to unions, workers...and surprisingly, employers.
If things worked out correctly, not only would lots of people feel a real desire to have unions represent them, but employers would potentially be coming to unions looking to forge relationships, and, just to make it better, this plan bypasses virtually all of the tools and techniques employers use to shut out union organizers.
Since I just thought this up myself, I'm really not sure exactly how practical the whole thing is, and the last part of the discussion today will be provided by you, as I ask you to sound off on whether this plan could work, and if so, how it could be made better.
It's a new week...so let's all put our heads together and rebuild the labor movement, shall we?
Knowing some probably small part of the history of the labor movement (at least more than just the Teamsters!), I really, really want more unions and union members in this country. We need as many advocates for "the rest of us" (h/t Carol Shea Porter) as we can get.
"My view of the labor movement today," he said in an interview, "is that we got too focused on our contracts and our own membership and forgot that the only way, ultimately, that we protect our members and workers in general is by fighting for justice for everybody."
This Labor Day, Wake Up Walmart, along with a large coalition of labor, environmental and community groups, are challenging Walmart to live up to their PR promises and join us in supporting the American Values Agenda for Change at Walmart.
To help with the effort, Wake Up Wal-Mart is airing two TV ads in major cities. Check out the first here and the second below the fold:
One of the most consistent defenses of Walmart is that it has succeeded because it simply delivered what customers wanted and that if you don't like it, just don't shop there. But Firedoglake has a great piece up this week that explains how even the non-Walmart shoppers are not only affected by Walmart, but are actually paying in many ways to subsidize it:
These guys have really bad PR people, don't they? First it was the private jets, since rectified. But we still call it the "bailout." The bankers got the media to start saying "rescue plan."
After we finish snickering at the CEOs we can start thinking about whether a bailout might be in our own selfish interest anyway. Thoughts below the fold.
Question: What do Walmart and Wall Street have in common?
Answer: The execs get fat contracts while the workers get shafted.
A week after Wall Street bankers collected taxpayer-funded golden parachutes, Walmart announced that it was shutting down its first shop in North America that had successfully unionized.
Brian White at Blogging Stocks reports on the shuttered store in Gatineau, Quebec:
"The retailer would rather see the operation shut down entirely instead of having employees with any kind of power. ... Was the global retailer trying to get a message out to any other Wal-Mart location in North America -- "unionize and we will shut your doors?" If so, that's no way to run a business, right? Is Wal-Mart so afraid of unions in its stores that it would rather shut them down (or pieces of them) instead of continuing to operate?"
In 2006 when I was running for state rep, there was a guy who came out of nowhere at the polls and started yelling at me.
"Oh, you're Andy Sylvia? You got a D from the NRA! You don't deserve to be a state rep, you don't know anything about guns, you need to learn!"
And he was livid, out of the blue he just walked over yelling. "What did I ever do to this guy?" I asked myself, perplexed at what had transpired.
Then a conservative friend of mine starting talking about guns, and strangely enough I began to understand it the same way I, and many people on the left see abortion rights, which in itself is enough for an entire article.
That conversation, along with seeing the degradation of our Constitution* gave me new respect for the Second Amendment of the US Bill of Rights as well as Article 2a of the New Hampshire State Constitution, which is almost identical in its scope.
I probably construe the the Second Amendment/Article 2a differently than that guy who yelled at me that day since I don't construe shooting people as part of bearing arms or defending yourself(in 2a) except in a militia (which now I assume means the National Guard).
Fortunately, word had gotten to him that apparently I don't bite, and we had a good discussion at Deliberative Session a few months ago. He's never shot anyone, but on top of that he's a proud union member and is just as angry at run of the mill Republicans for trying to harm labor rights that affect him as a blue collar worker as he is at run of the mill Democrats for trying to deny his Second Amendment rights.
Since we talked back at Deliberative Session, we've talked a few more times, and I figured this time i'd ask for him to teach me about gun issues while doing the NRA questionaire again considering he made such a big deal about it in 2006.
I honestly don't know if i'll submit the NRA questionaire this year irregardless of my new friend's help. There are many people I trust who have told me just to ignore it, and that i'll be downgraded just because I am a Democrat, as it seemed with some other voter guides.
In the end though, the grade from the NRA if I decide to submit the questionaire isn't as important as hearing his views as well as the views of people in Merrimack who favor gun control so I can hopefully be part of crafting solutions to issues that reflect the views of Merrimack in the legislature.
He said I got his vote and he's going to put my sign on his lawn.
*-Ambiguity of "Free Speech Zones" breaking the 1st Amendment, The FISA Vote breaking the 4th Amendment, many cases of ignoring the Geneva Convention among other treaties ratified by Congress and signed by past presidents breaking Article VI, abuse of Executive Signments breaking Article I, etc. etc. etc.
Hello, friends: I just arrived last night to put in some walking time, talking time and writing time for John Edwards. As a member of the United Auto Workers, I'm proud to be an Edwards supporter--we've got dozens of UAW people from around the region here who have taken their own time to comb the state for votes for John.
I've just been told my a lovely woman in the campaign headquarters that I look like John Stibile, a well-known man here in Nashua--who also owns the local baseball team. Anyone known John? I think I can attest to the fact that I don't have the funds he probably has but, as a passionate baseball fan, I like the comparison. Lest this thread and diary get sidetracked, I'd better not get into which team I support--I don't think that would play very well in these parts :):)
But, I digress? Why are so many union member supporting John and his message that we must change this country?
The Writer's Guild began enforcing strike rules on speechwriters for the candidates this week. The results were illuminating.
At a stop in Ames Senator Obama was asked just what "change" he would bring to the country. This had been a fairly well nuanced response in the past. But without the script he slipped into the Socratic method he had used teaching law school:
Is change necessarily a good thing?...
What changes would you offer? Or would you impose on people?...
Does 'change' really change things? Vonnegut and the Who say No - what do you know, that they didn't?
The crowd left: some a bit confused, some invigorated, and some a bit less likely to vote in the caucus at all.
In Ottumwa - picked for a photo-op with the aging Radar O'Reilly - Sen. Clinton was asked about what her experience really comprised. Unscripted, she said:
Did I sit in the Cabinet? No, I didn't.
The real experience you should be worried about is the experience of dealing with the thugs in the Republican Party and their millionaire toady men. And yes, they're usually men. If you can't get past them the rest doesn't matter.
You folks mocked me when I talked about the 'vast right wing conspiracy:' now there's a whole industry of Hillary-haters spouting the same talk. I fingered Mellon-Scaife; I could have dealt with the Swift Boat idiots. Experience? I've got the scars - and they're tough skin today.
The crowd left as a different group than it had entered. Some of the people who supported Hillary coming in didn't like the tint of bitterness they heard. Some of the people who came to mock a 'Stepford Wife' had been surprised. Some who thought they would never see the real, hidden Hillary decided they had - and the sight was much more human and approachable than they had guessed.
John Edwards spoke in Cedar Rapids. After the stump speech, a man asked about his 'hypocrisy' for running on class issues as a millionaire. The man called him out for the well-known story of his anniversary dinners at Wendy's, where he and Elizabeth had met.
Yeah, I'm rich. And I know some rich people that I would trust with my children, and I know some poor people I wouldn't trust with my car keys. That doesn't make you good or bad - and come on, you know that. But the rich, including me, can shoulder more of the load here than we have been.
And you know? We don't go to Wendy's for a photo-op or story, or really for the food - we go there because I know money makes it easy to get completely isolated from the lives of most Americans, and a fast food restaurant helps keep me grounded. Plus, I like the fries - but I like MacDonald's better.
(Elizabeth hollers up from the front seats: "We don't do MacDonald's.")
The Writer's Guild is considering relaxing the rules for political writers. Too many people are happier without them.
I. Energy: Global Warming Presidential Forum w/VIDEO of Forum
II. Labor and Trade: Edwards Walks the WGA Picket Line
III. Election News: Iowa & New Hampshire
Two trends have been particularly destructive to the people of our nation who make things with their hands. One is privatization and the other is outsourcing.
The supposed reason for promoting privatization was the promise of more efficient and lower cost goods and services than government agencies traditionally delivered. That promise hasn't been realized, as we all now know.
Connecticut Fire Fighter Chris Tracy came up to Manchester, New Hampshire last Friday to be there for the roll-out of the International Association of Fire Fighters endorsement of Chris Dodd for President. After the event, he talked to a local TV reporter. Here's part of the interview:
Chris Tracy: ...we've had to use all together too often. With the SAFER Act they've provided equipment and funds back in the Nineties, before 2001. With the FIRE Act, rather the FIRE Act then, the SAFER Act later that helped us staff our equipment, and the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the energy, and the protection of the Constitution. Terrific, important issues that Americans understand. Here's the thing, you don't want a rookie to run the fire when you see your house on fire, and we have a seasoned professional here and we want him in the White House.
America's Professional Fire Fighters know that Chris Dodd has the experience and the bold ideas needed to keep America safe and secure while restoring our standing in the world. He's their pick to sit in the Oval Office in 2008 and Tracy does a great job articulating why Dodd's proven record of legislative leadership and success is the best recipe for the Presidency come January,2009.
At the end of a long and winding road through the state the Edwards family wrapped up their bus tour with a Town Hall event on the banks of the river at lovely Prescott Park in downtown Portsmouth, NH which was well attended by more than a thousand people.
Edwards takes questions at every event and this half of the vlog (vee-vlog) contains the full Q and A for the event; there were some amazing moments that night, but none more than when Nebraska showed up to thank Mrs. Edwards and took the opportunity to tell Edwards:
I just want you to do something about health care and fix it, please, without compromising health care because that's why I'm alive today.
If you'd like to see the full remarks, check out part one of this vlog, he gave some great remarks too so those clips might be worth a viewing.
Last Sunday evening at the end of a long, hot, winding road through the state the Edwards family wrapped up their bus tour of NH. They were greeted by well over a thousand people at a Town Hall event on the banks of the river at lovely Prescott Park in downtown Portsmouth NH.
His remarks were sharp, clear and passionately delivered to an enthusiastic crowd.
He threw down the gauntlet on universal health care in the field and challenged the entire Democratic party on financing campaigns through lobbyist money. He presented the voters in attendance not only with his vision for change in this country, but he gave us a very clear picture of the kind of America that he wants us to create together. The grassroots are not only central to the campaign in this vision, but they need to be central going forward from January 20, 2009.
Today at 10 AM Chris Dodd will be endorsed by IAFF President Harold Schaitberger in Manchester. We're streaming live and I'll have the video up shortly after it's over.
Tonight's features are:
At the end of a long and winding road through the state the Edwards family wrapped up their bus tour with a Town Hall event on the banks of the river at lovely Prescott Park in downtown Portsmouth, NH which was well attended by more than a thousand people.
Last Sunday evening at the end of a long, hot, winding road through the state the Edwards family wrapped up their bus tour of NH. They were greeted by well over a thousand people at a Town Hall event on the banks of the river at lovely Prescott Park in downtown Portsmouth NH.
