Yes, it's true: at long last, after what? Is it really 50 years now? Of nothin' but burned fingers and frozen-off toes? Our national union leadership is standing up. They're fed up all the way to their eyeteeth with eclair-spined party-hack "just wait till next cycle " Dembot frazzle-dazzle.
Take brother Ferdinand hizzseff, the top bull of the entire dues-yielding great American organized private sector job pampa. Why he's so pissed-off and flat-out furious that he's closing the iron door on all of 'em: all the dang blue-dogged yellow-legged turkey-necked buzzard-breasted goose-livered sparrow-knee'd frog-footed professional friends-of-the-people buggery-bay politicos.
Hear ye one and all the words of Der Trummer:
"...Our role is not to build the power of a political party or a candidate. It is to improve the lives of working families and strengthen our country. It doesn’t matter if candidates and parties are controlling the wrecking ball or simply standing aside — the outcome is the same either way. If leaders aren’t blocking the wrecking ball and advancing working families’ interests, working people will not support them. This is where our focus will be — now, in 2012, and beyond."Errr, "focus", Mr President? Focus? Maybe that doesn't really say exactly what it might oughta say, but then, it's been a long time since we've heard this much.
In other blue-collar-blues news, there's this, from the greater international of unionicity, as realized by something calling itself "the European trade union institute." And baby, is it ever the boilerplate special, the steaming heap of corned beef and cabbage, the gold-seal groupthink-up of the decade. It's entitled boldly as a bean-fed fart: "Escape from Neoliberalism: Toward the Rear End of a Brighter Future."(*)
If you're a jobholding average nitwit you can't exactly go home anymore -- at least, not to the one "Kapital" burned down 30 years ago. But you can dream about it. You can even dream of a neat new better one, the job world of tomorrow's tomorrow.
If you're stuck on the pot with the runs and an Ipad, read the jellyfish intro by Joe 'Cousin It' Stiglitz, and of course the inevitable seamless seemlessness of that timeless class actor, jobbler tribune, careful Brit scribbler and all-around self-serious veteran bore, Tom "don't call me Bombadil" Palley. Starts on page 55 -- God, yes, 55 -- of the PDF.
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(*) Yes, of course I made that up.
Comments (4)
I have that very same necktie, though now that I'm involuntarily retired, I have no occasion to wear it. I'm pretty sure it came from J Press. His suit did not, however. Brooks Brothers, I'm thinkin'.
Posted by MJS | May 25, 2011 10:59 PM
Posted on May 25, 2011 22:59
Is it really 50 years now?
It is 75 years since the Mohawk Valley Formula was "piloted", explained here (MP3).
Posted by sk | May 26, 2011 12:39 AM
Posted on May 26, 2011 00:39
http://labornotes.org/2011/05/democrats-join-raid-union-bargaining-rights
Posted by op | May 27, 2011 10:38 PM
Posted on May 27, 2011 22:38
"Politicians of both parties have been tough on public employees in this recession, balancing state and city budgets through layoffs, wage freezes, furloughs, and benefit cuts. But rarely have labor-backed Democrats targeted the very right of public employees to collectively bargain.
That’s now changing. In Massachusetts, New Jersey, Illinois, and Connecticut, Democratic legislators, eager to save money, are betting they can cut into public employee bargaining rights and still win union backing at election time.
It’s a tightrope for the pols. Democrats get most of their campaign funding—72 percent nationally—from business, AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka said this month. He added that the union share of the Democrats’ war chest has fallen to half what it was a decade ago.
But union money is still substantial. AFSCME claimed top place in all political spending in 2010, pouring $87.5 million into campaigns.
And union get-out-the-vote efforts can make or break some races. Union-household voters increased both Obama’s percentage and that for House Democrats by 2.4 points in 2008.
Legislators need to keep unions in the fold. How much can they go against core union desires and still win their backing.."
Posted by op | May 27, 2011 10:40 PM
Posted on May 27, 2011 22:40