Friday, May 20, 2011

Union Blues(?)

   On Friday, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka outlined the union's future position in national politics, saying that "Our role is not to build the power of a political party or candidate. It is to improve the lives of working families and strengthen our country." He warned Democrats that if they continue to stand beside "the wrecking ball" and fail to protect the rights and interests of working-class Americans and union members, unions will pull their support from Democratic candidates in 2012.
   This is a huge lapse in judgement by Trumka and union organizers supporting him. They are upset, justly, that certain rights and privileges of union members are being destroyed while corporate executives rake in more cash than ever and profits are on the rise. However, withdrawing money from Democratic candidates would only hasten this process, pushing the American economy toward something resembling serfdom.
   Democrats do not have the political power to improve conditions and benefits for workers.  Republicans gained sixty-three seats in the House of Representatives last election, and they got there in part by promising an attack on unions and bargaining powers. It is very clear, as it has been since the Great Depression era, on which side of the labor-management divide the Republican Party stands. So in order to secure rights for workers, unions must first work to secure seats for Democrats.
   The 2012 election is a golden opportunity for unions to try to undo some of the damage visited upon them in recent months. The Republican Party has yet to produce a viable presidential candidate, and whoever they end up choosing will likely have been in the race for a short time and will have limited experience and appeal. The candidate for president is almost always the face of the entire party during an election season, so without a strong and unifying voice, the Republican effort will likely be trumped in both the Executive and Legislative branches.
   It is a lose-lose situation for unions and their members if they choose to relinquish their support for the Democratic Party. In our two party system, people and organizations in pursuit of influence (whether that influence is good or bad) must pick a side. If they stop funding Democratic campaigns and the Democrats win a majority, those Democrats might not feel obligated to protect the interests of unions and workers. If they stop funding Democratic campaigns and Republicans take control of more votes in Congress and state governments, the unions that will help fund campaigns in 2016 might not exist.    




    

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