Picket Line or Bread Line?

“In a time of such insecurity and instability, there has never been a greater need for a strong labor movement to stand up for America’s workers,”
— Senator Barack Obama

“It began in Chicago and four guys got hanged for it—the Haymarket affair in 1886. What were they fighting for? The eight-hour day.
— Studs Terkel

In the 70s I remember my dad going to CWA local union meetings and coming home talking about what the workers were trying to accomplish. He was a telephone equipment installer, proud of the work he did after moving from a small Tennessee town with few jobs. We were a blue collar family living in a trailer park on one paycheck, good public schools and a healthcare plan. Dad walked a picket line a few times, I remember. Two weeks was the longest he was ever on strike, and the union always won a good contract. My folks bought a house, Dad got promoted, and they sent three sons to college and retired on Dad's union job and Mom's household skills. Is that kind of life still possible? I wonder.

Yesterday we heard an alarm bell go off in the dwindling union movement. As the AFL-CIO opened its convention, two of it’s largest member unions walked out. After organizing a subgroup called Change to Win a month ago, The Teamsters, SEIU, United Food and Commercial Workers, and UNITE HERE—pulled out of the Convention. The last two groups may join them later.

The AFL-CIO has been losing members, while SEIU has been growing. The old guard wants to continue to donate to the Dems, while Teamsters and SEIU want to rebuild their rank and file membership and go back to Washington with renewed clout. According to Teamster President James P. Hoffa, “They said no. Their idea is to keep throwing money at politicians.”

The bigger problem for labor is that American workers have forgotten who gave them the minimum wage, the eight-hour work day, pensions and health insurance. It wasn’t management, and it certainly wasn’t a Republican White House. Unionized workers like my dad and generations before him struggled for these and many other concessions. Nowadays unions are disrespected by management, the media, and non-unionized workers alike while workers have been down-sized and out-sourced out of their jobs.

Whatever happens with between Change to Win and the AFL-CIO, I hope they can begin to rebuild organized labor in America. If they don’t, American workers won’t be on a picket line, but a bread line. — T