The State of the Union

Today is Labor Day and we celebrate the toil and sweat of all those workers who produce products and services.   We commemorate those who gave all in the struggle to win rights for working people, those who led the fights against exploitation of labor with fists, clubs and guns.  The struggle for respect and honest wages was very difficult and it continues today.  Republican Administrations, beholden to business owners and corporations have eroded hard fought rights to the point where profits are at record levels and wages are stagnant or declining.

The state of unions in America is bad.  Only 10% of workers now belong to a union and undocumented workers willing to slave for peanuts in unsafe conditions are taking many jobs.  Business owners continue exploiting human labor at every opportunity and enforcement of labor laws is non existent.

The Employee Fair Choice Act, legislation to rectify many of the obstacles raised against unionization, was filibustered to death by Senate Republicans.  This Act would level the playing field considerably for union organizers.   It's an important piece of legislation which would provide significant benefits to workers.

Unions also must adapt.  Many have been slow to comprehend the power of the internet and new communications tools.   Websites such as YouTube and the social networking groups are powerful new tools most aren't exploiting.  Blogs have large readerships and can be very supportive of unions and organizers.  The internet can and should be a powerful new tool for unions but few have embraced the new technology.

One of the biggest problems unions are having is their lack of solidarity.  It used to be no union member would across another union's picket lines.   This was a sacred rule and it gave unions huge strengths in it's pledge of solidarity.  What happened to this solidarity?  The breaking of this concept so severely weakened the labor movement and workers must once again, insist on supporting one another.

We live in a new day of globalization.  Jobs are being outsourced to around the world and key manufacturing sectors are disappearing along with middle class sustaining work.  It's a new economic revolution in the making and we aren't adapting quickly.  Globalization shouldn't mean dragging American living standards down to third world levels but raising theirs to ours.

2007 brings a new day to labor and unions however in the form of the 2008 presidential race.  The next President has the opportunity to right many wrongs s imposed on working people.  We now have Two Americas.  The statistics clearly show the rich have become quite richer under Republican leadership while working people have suffered losses.  The minimum wage was frozen for ten years while inflation eroded it's spending power to 1951 levels.  The lack of regulation of financial markets and mortgage industry has caused a meltdown in the housing industry which will result in a significant recession next year. 

The economy is now being listed by voters as one of their biggest concerns in 2008.  People are seeing the effects of their voting in 2000 and 2004 against their own economic interests.  They allowed the GOP to hoodwink them into thinking issues like choice and gay marriage were more important than progressive taxation, massive deficit spending, labor rights and fair wages, and the absence of any business regulation and enforcement.  Voters allowed them to convince them the social issues were more important than the economic issues.

It can be difficult to feel sorry for voters who fell for such tactics until you realize their stupidity affects us all.  Whether you voted Republican or not in the last two presidential elections you have been drastically affected by these policies.  Maybe you lost your job, maybe you're losing your house.  You definitely aren't better off today than you were in 1999 unless you work for a hedge fund, sell yachts, expensive jewelry, or other luxury goods.

The rich got richer and the working people got screwed.  On this Labor Day we celebrate because many Americans have awakened to the policies of the past six years and their deleterious effects on their lives.  They are demanding change.  One way you can make your voice heard today is to go a Labor Day parade and cheer those union members and leaders working for change, working to level the playing field so working families have rights once again.  Then go out in November and again next year and vote.  Meanwhile remember you can vote with your dollars every day.  Refuse to buy products from companies like Yuengling which kick out the unions.  Refuse to buy Coors beer because part of every dollar you spend with them funds the Heritage Foundation and other right wing think tanks.

Do your research and find out what company owners support Democrats and workers.  You can vote with your dollars every day and make every day Labor Day.

Blogger PSoTD asked a question he wants other bloggers to answer today:  What should the federal holiday, "Labor Day", mean to America?  And how should we appropriately honor the day?

I hope I just answered part of the first part of the question.  Labor Day should be an annual celebration for workers for what they do.  It should also be recognition to unions and their leaders for all they do protecting workers and their families.  It should also be a reminder that we have far to go and it's up to each of us to act every day for workers not just the first Monday in September.

Many communities honor the day with parades.  We do that here in Reading and many other towns and cities do also.  There should be much more.  There should be better recognition for the organizers who visit Wal-Mart parking lots every day trying to educate their exploited workers about the methods companies like Wal-Mart use to keep them working for nothing while they make record profits.  Profits the Walton family uses to fund Republican candidates enabling their exploitation.

Labor Day should celebrate working families.  It should recognize some local people who are working hard to support themselves and tell their stories.  It should be a day of rallies to tell the labor story, remind people why unions are important and relevant and remind them of the struggles of early activists for worker's rights.

Comments

[Melissa]

Speaking of unions, the steelworkers and mineworkers both endorsed John Edwards today. :-)

[tyler]

hey...cut me some slack...i am on vacation...so i am only looking sporatically...hope everyone is doing well...

however, this should have been noted on labor day...

http://newsmax.com/newsfront/U.N._productive/2007/09/03/29528.html

US workers are the most productive!

now, with organized labor being at an all time low...is it coincedence?

have a great day!

[John Morgan]

It probably has more to do with those non union workers having to put in ten and twelve hour days, their low wages, and the fact some are working three jobs to make ends meet. At what point does productivity trump working conditions, quality of life and keeping workers in poverty?

Slavery was very productive for the South but didn't make it right. I think you just proved my point Tyler.
Americans are doing more for less, far less. It's called exploitation.

[tyler]

John...here's where my insensitivity rears its ugly head...

But, who is getting exploited? If I am not happy with my job, I quit and find something else...which is what I did as recently as April of this year.

Jobs pay, people work. if you don't like your pay, you can find something else.

This is America...we pay great money to do ALL sorts of jobs...

And there is nothing wrong with working two jobs...INITIALLY...but if you are working 2 jobs out of necessity when you are 60, you made some wrong choices somewhere.

Just my opinion.

Have a great day.

[John Morgan]

See, this is a typical Republican economy: record profits for corporations at the expense of record low wages for workers. You call it a "market economy," I call it labor exploitation. Just one thing is wrong with your assumptions: there are many more workers than business owners and managers and when they vote, you lose.

[tyler]

John...again I have to be breif since i am still on vacation...

if you dont like your paycheck...either
a) start YOUR OWN company and take the risk/reap the reward yourself.

b) quit your current job and find another that pays more

and those 'record profits for corporations' arent a bad thing...they make the stock value of those companies go up...and who owns those stocks? 401k plans that employees have for their retirement, the 529 that i set up for my kids college...etc.

let Exxon make a billion a month, let Dell make two billion...my personal value increases as does anyone who owns that stock. and i am not rich, i am not an executive, i am a worker bee.

have a great day, i'll be back reading come Monday

have a great day