GB on 99ers- "We MUST...help the 99ers"

Glenn Beck: "We MUST reach out to and help the 99ers."

ILWU shuts down Northern California ports

On October 23, 2010, the ILWU shut down Northern California ports to support a rally for justice for Oscar Grant. Grant was murdered by BART policeman Johannes Mehserle and the ILWU and other unions are demanding that the killer get a full sentence of 14 years. This was the first labor action to protest the growing repression of Black and Latino youth by police forces. Other unions joining the ILWU included the Oakland Education Association, SEIU 1021, CUE-IBT UCB, UBC 713 and rank and file members of BART ATU 1555. For copies contact Labor Video Project (415)282-1908 (415)282-1908 Produced by Labor Video Project laborvideo.blip.tv www.laborvideo.org

Underclass

In response to: http://www.workingamerica.org/blog/2010/09/20/which-way-for-the-working-class/

Comment:

Interesting that there is a resurgence of discussions of “class” which has been taboo (except as an accusation by business elite) for so many years.

I’m afraid that it is a little premature. There are many difficulties standing in the way of a “class-wide” solidarity for labor and the left, and a number of issues that are still being ducked.

I’m thinking particularly of the relationship between: 1) the low-wage economy and the mid-wage economy; 2) immigrants and native-born; 3) employed and un-employed; 4) North/South U.S.; 5) U.S. and the world.

The “truest” mention of class that I’ve heard recently is in the notion of an “underclass.” As diluted as this may seem to some, I believe that it is an opening to a conversation that needs to happen.

What does an “underclass” mean? Most importantly, it goes straight to the heart of the employed/unemployed, low-wage/mid-wage, immigrant/native-born discussion.

Which is the underclass- someone who cannot find employment, or someone who is working in “sub-human” conditions?

Neo-Pinkertons

This is an excellent article, particularly the expose of the neo-Pinkerton techniques on display in radical forums. Pinkertons in the 20s and 30s were paid to infiltrate and disrupt the unions, Pinktertons today are hired by "think-tanks" to crap all over the web.

When estimates were finally put together the amount that was being paid to the Pinkertons by the major industrial companies came out it was truly staggering. I am sure the same will be found true of the neo-Pinkertons.

Mott's Strike

UPDATE: STRIKE IS OVER http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/business/14mott.html?src=busln

UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: A MUCH BETTER ARTICLE ON THE CONCLUSION OF THE STRIKE http://www.waynepost.com/latestnews/x907388753/Mott-s-strike-ends (hat-tip @banditelli)

Original post written in response to: http://www.workers.org/2010/us/mott_0909/

To the editor:

I am very glad to see you highlighting the strike at Mott's in Williamson on the front page of your newspaper! I wanted to add a couple of points, however.

First, while I agree completely that the Mott's workers are "defending the rights of all working people," I think it is justified to go one step further in this characterization: the Mott's struggle is one of the key struggles being waged over the future of the U.S. working class. The strike is being used as a test case by corporations, who want to see whether worker solidarity will hold firm. If support for the striking workers crumbles, it will be a clear signal to other employers that they can proceed apace with direct attacks on wages.

Second, a broad-scale movement towards wage-cutting is virtually assured by the latest economic data. Second quarter productivity figures from the BLS released in August showed a sharp decline of 1.8%. This is widely taken by the business class to mean that we have reached the limits of profit growth attainable by speedups. A second avenue of profit growth- capital investment in technology- is also ruled out by the current "slackness of demand," that is, we are already producing more than people can afford to buy. This leaves only one clear avenue for growing profits- a direct attack on wages, bolstered by maintaining high unemployment.

What does this mean for workers? We must aggressively assert class-wide solidarity with the Mott's workers. The three most important ways we can do this are: organize support for the Mott's picket line, contribute to the Mott's hardship fund, and build the boycott of Mott's products. Even small contributions make a great difference in this key struggle!

You can learn more about these actions at www.mottsworkers.com .

If we can defend the wholesale savaging of wages, we force the crisis back out into the open- in the form of a "double-dip" recession which must be acknowledged by the business class. If we cannot, it will only be a crisis for workers, borne in the silence and shame of personalized hardship, belt-tightening, and the desperate "race to the bottom."

Thank you again for bringing needed attention to this important struggle.

In solidarity,
Sam, NYC

Union members' questions

It's easy to feel really jaded about the politics of unions in the U.S.

As institutions, U.S. unions are expected to do a whole lot with very little, and are under near-constant attack. As a result, their politics are extremely defensive, and their policies are often confused.

Moreover, in order to defend their leadership roles (ie not get voted out), union leaders are forced to soft-sell their policies, cloaking them in soft-focus, feel-good rhetoric. Their politics are often difficult for rank-and-file members to discern, even more difficult than the "insider" politics of Washington (which, after all, considerable ink is devoted to analyzing for a popular audience).

With all that in mind, this is really rather touching- a genuine list of member concerns, addressing most of the important issues facing unions. I can only hope that Dick Trumka will work as hard on his answers as these folks collectively worked on their questions, and sound a note as true.

UPDATE: I want to add emphasis to this post...this is exactly the type of conversation that needs to be happening, and should be happening online. The fact that it is tucked away so deep in the AFL-CIO website is perhaps a problem, but maybe also why the seed that is growing here is so inspiring (and safe from right-wing hacks who would spam the sh!t out of any more public forum).

I strongly encourage all active unionists to look seriously at this list of questions and think hard about how you would answer them- there is a space in the forum for comments on each question, but please please be respectful of what is going on here and by g*d don't just piss some political boilerplate onto these thoughtful posters.

NELP report on low-wage job growth

NELP has released a preliminary report on recent job growth. From their press release:

While the recession depleted jobs in every field in 2008-2009, private industry growth since then has been disproportionately driven by industries that pay median wages below $15.00 an hour.

The best chart from the report:
(note that job losses on the lest measure a full year while job gains on the right measure 7 months- they are not meant to be directly measured against each other, just to show the difference in proportion)

Their conclusion:

The analyses presented in this data...reiterate the continuing crisis of weak job growth, one that is stalling economic recovery in communities across the country.

[They also document] a second trend that could be equally challenging to hopes for a broadly shared recovery: the disproportionate growth in mid- and especially lower-wage industries on the one hand, and the weak growth and even continued losses in higher-wage industries on the other.
...
[H]ow much of this unbalanced growth is permanent?...[W]hile we can expect some improvement in the wage profile of previously-temp jobs when permanent hiring picks up, it is difficult to predict whether there will be a significant impact on aggregate wage outcomes.