My impression is the AFL-CIO was pro free trade until the early 1980's, when Bluestone/Harrison and others began writing about the vanishing 'middle class.'
mbs -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Devine, James Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 3:35 PM To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' Subject: [PEN-L:26722] RE: Re: RE: Re: PK on race to the bottom (a different one) I wrote: > >The point is that in the earlier long period of U.S. rule by the > >GOPsters (1861-1932, with short periods of DP rule, under Cleveland > >and Wilson), they regularly raised tariffs. For example, any > >pro-competitive impact that the anti-trust laws had was undermined > >by higher import taxes. Doug writes: > And organized labor was anti-tariff at the time, right? In general, the CIO was anti-tariff until the 1970s. I don't know about the AFL, which was relevant back in the period I mentioned. My impression is that the AFL was more involved in another kind of protectionism, that of being anti-immigrant and anti-Black (and anti-woman-in-the paid workforce). The Knights of Labor, the IWW, and the CP-oriented unions (e.g., the TUUL) were of course better on (some of, all of?) these issues. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Free Jos� Padilla! or at least put him under civilian law rules! JD
