I agree that there are a substantive number of unionized workers that support the Republicans. I think that this frequently has to do with issues surrounding choice and around guns. In fact, HERE Local 17 supported Coleman strategically in his last election for mayor (not for above mentioned reasons). There is also more ideological diversity within labor than often admitted (aka IUE doesn' quite equal say the Carpenters' Union) However, I do have to say that the moment that you start arguing for open shops is the moment you're pretty much anti-union. I suggest you look to the south to see the impact that open shops have had on unions and the level of workers' power. Mr. Atherton took a shot a the fairshare concept. I guess I have to disagree with him. The truth of the matter is that fairshare employees benefit greatly from union representation at the barganing table and at the steward level, both of these occur because of union funding, and it seems unfair that people should get the benefits of these exclusively at the expense of members. On the other hand, I am an organizer for AFSCME 3937 at the university, so you know I have a stake in the process.
robert wood St Paul resident (Merriam Park) ps before you think that I am too rah-rah union, I think that unions far too often operate on the level of representative organizations, when in fact they should be constitutive organizations. _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
