Obama’s Second Term and the Rise of Labor
Posted on December 14, 2011 by Lou
Three developments transformed American politics in 2011:
- Madison
Militant and dramatic reaction by unions to attacks on state government workers in Wisconsin, Ohio and other states triggers broad and surprising pubic support for “collective bargaining rights.”
Occupy Wall Street
Economic inequality finally gains traction as an issue thanks to brilliantly-staged and focused protests across the country.
Conservative Decline
Incompetence and over-reach expose congressional leaders and presidential candidates as self-centered, narrow-minded defenders of privilege and corruption.
The table is set for an Obama win, democratic gains and a big chance for unions to advocate worker rights and labor reform.
Unions will spend millions of dollars – and put thousands of boots on the ground – in next year’s election.
The message from the labor movement should follow the themes of Madison and OWS and clearly and forcefully promote the idea that the best way to level and democratize the economy is through unionization.
We then convince democratic candidates - including Barack Obama – to put union-building proposals at the top of the agenda for 2013.
We’d better start now.
Comments (2)
From your lips to God’s (and the voters’) ear, Lou! I pray you’re right!
America needs a Congress that will support the President’s agenda for working families. We need a Congress that will begin talking about improving benefits for Social Security recipients instead of compromising with the capitalist/conservative elites to weaken its coverage. We need a Congress that will begin a long-range plan to implement good trade legislation that will give incentives to Americans to buy goods and services made and provided in this country. We need a Congress that sees that there is no strong middle-class in this country without a strong Union movement, and will support Congressman Brad Sherman’s bill to repeal Section 14b, the No-Rights-At-Work Act, of the Taft-Hartley (NLRA) Act.
However, before any of that can happen, Labor can take control of its own future by changing the perception of Labor Unions that we have allow the capitalist/conservative elites to sell to American workers.
The International Unions of the AFL-CIO need to come together to have the AFL-CIO start a nationwide Union Advertizing campaign. Just as industry promotes its best atributes, Labor needs to tell its story instead of allowing business and anti-union politicians to continue to sell our demise.
A national advertizing campaign can be funded by every Union member contributing $1.00 per month, as per capita, to their International Union. The Internationals can then fund the program through the AFL-CIO.
What could be done with an advertizing campaign? Labor can begin to explain how Labor Unions negotiate good contracts for workers, how Labor stands up for all workers’ rights, how Labor supports elected officials who support retirement, healthcare, good trade laws, good jobs in America, and, among other things, decent public education for all.
Let’s not wait, let’s contact our Union today and ask them to inform our International Union General Presidents that we want a “America’s Unions” advertizing plan.
It will help us to elect the Congress that American working families deserve!