“The basic goal of labor will not change. It is—as it has always been, and I am sure always will be—to better the standards of life for all who work for wages and to seek dignity for all Americans.” George Meany
“Looks like this time I’m gonna get to stay.
I’m a union man now all the way.” J.R. Robertson, “King Harvest Has Surely Come”
It is heartening to see union members marching in solidarity with the Wall Street Occupiers. It seems like a mighty long time since unions have taken initiative in any popular mass movement. Organized labor did not start this protest, but union people quickly got involved, although there was no defined program, although it was unclear how it would turn out, although there were no sides chosen, besides a small number of protesters against the Wall Street behemoth. Coming in on the side of the obvious underdogs, when labor could have hidden behind the excuse that this was not their fight, foretells a welcome inclusive spirit in the labor ranks, and a willingness to actually engage in the class warfare that, like it or not, is being waged against all workers.
By joining this struggle, unions can reclaim George Meany’s declared creed of labor’s “basic goal.” The original protesters are mostly poor, unemployed, counter-culture types, and labor leaders could have taken a superior attitude and ignored them. But by standing with these marginal people (dismal prospects for union membership), labor once again stands for “dignity for all Americans,” and not only with words. And by taking this stand, the labor movement regains its standing in the national dialogue.
In recent years organized labor has been an object of lament, of ridicule, or both. And while labor’s demise is principally due to constant attacks by big business in partnership with big government, we must admit that working men and women have been co-operative enablers of their own downfall. In recent history we see changes in attitudes and actions among the workers, which led to events that were clearly contrary to labor’s enlightened self-interest.
Meany himself violated his creed on several occasions, among the most critical being his support for the Vietnam War, and his backing Richard Nixon over George McGovern in 1972. Thus began a rift among working people that has lasted to this very day. The corporate world has been quick to seize this opportunity to divide and conquer. The rift was wide enough to elect Ronald Reagan, who soon afterward put organized labor into a retreat that became a rout. Reagan fired striking air traffic controllers and was cheered by many in the working class. Reagan, as head of the Screen Actors’ Guild, was known by the House Un-American Activities Committee as “Informant T-10”, which suggests the assault on labor unions goes back at least as far as the end of WWII.
Working Americans, be they actors, carpenters, or whatever, are patriotic, so it comes as no surprise that labor unions would want to co-operate with their own elected government. Beginning in WWII, when all were fighting a common enemy, labor made many concessions to keep production going at maximum output. Many workers no doubt expected the era of co-operation to continue. This presented an opportunity for the masters of capital to cripple labor and gain control of the government, and they were not about to let the opportunity pass. And the corporate elite kept up the assault, dividing and conquering, little by little, until in 2011 we find ourselves living in a corporate state, which is the essence of fascism.
That the unions, (what is left of them) have chosen sides in Occupy Wall Street, is a sign that working Americans are waking up to reality. And having played defense over the last thirty years or more, labor is now recognizing that the best defense is a good offense. By siding with people who are not union members in good standing, unions are once again embracing the inclusiveness that can produce solidarity, which is labor’s main strength.
Rightly or wrongly, unions have long been perceived as being agents for the prosperity of their clients: dues paying members. Nothing wrong with this, of course—it is what workers have a right to expect in return for their dues. But this tack has led to a perception of unions as labor procurement enterprises, existing solely for profit. And as businesses, unions do not have the strike as an effective tool for better wages and conditions. Businesses are expected to increase their profits by selling better products, more products, or cheaper products—not for taking their products off the market. Do that, and another business will step in. Strikes, to be effective, depend on sympathy from the general public, and this is possible only if most of the public sees its interests and that of labor unions as one and the same.
Polls consistently show most American workers would join a union if they could. Most support a modern, healthy infrastructure, progressive taxation, a social safety net that provides for all, especially in bad times. But what American workers want is not forthcoming from the top down. “Dignity for all Americans” will be acquired only if all Americans demand it. And labor unions, by taking the initiative in the Wall Street protests, are showing a priceless leadership quality in the struggle that is upon us. It must be a peaceful struggle, and labor unions have experience in conducting peaceful struggles, and winning.
Solidarity.
#27
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