raghu wrote: > - Unions as they currently exist (corrupt, undemocratic > special-interest lobbyists for the labor aristocracy, and enablers for > the financiers)
Let's be specific rather than broadcasting empty generalities. Some unions are corrupt (e.g. the Laborers International), while others are undemocratic (e.g., the SEIU) without being corrupt in the usual meaning of that word, i.e., taking bribes and the like. Some are neither (like the UE, I understand). Many unions are democratic (especially at the local level), but these are typically craft unions, which are inclusive (a bit like fraternities) and almost always act as special-interest groups (like the AMA and other professional organizations). I'm not sure exactly what the "labor aristocracy" is, but many or most craft unions tend toward acting that way. (We leftoids have always advocated replacing craft unions with more inclusive industrial unions and the like.) The phrase in the parentheses makes more sense if we replace the word "and" with "and/or" or "or." Putting "most" at the start of the sentence helps too. It's wrong to talk about unions without putting them into context, i.e., their relations with capitalist management. To some extent, all labor unions have to act as special-interest lobbyists (usually for the industry they're in). It's a survival strategy for dealing with management's attacks (or even to ally with management). The Truman-McCarthy era shoved unions away from anything but this kind of political strategy, as Taft-Hartley was imposed and commies were purged, etc. In a period like the one we're living in, the percentage of craft unions in total membership rises because they're better at such strategies. The public-sector unions are currently under severe attack as people like Scott Walker try to reduce public-sector unionism to the situation of non-craft unions in the private sector (i.e., dying). Labor unions are hardly the only enablers of financiers. Others include almost all governments (state, local, federal) in the US and public pension plans. Yet more include those who work in the finance industry. -- Jim Devine / If you're going to support the lesser of two evils, you should at least know the nature of that evil. _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
