Monday, July 25, 2005

Letter to the editor

Here's a letter to the editor I wrote:

Before Democrats begin to bemoan the current rift in organized labor, I would like to show my support of the SEIU and Teamsters for taking such a principled stand despite overwhelming political pressure.

Oragnized labor, which once accounted for over one-third of all private sector jobs (during the 1950s) now accounts for a mere 8 percent of private employment. The AFL-CIO's only proposed solution is more of the same: Donate as much money as you can to politicians, then wonder why your base numbers, influence, and public perception continue to decline.

In direct juxtaposition to the AFL-CIO's backwards thinking, the coalition of Change to Win has a fresh approach. Rather than acting as a cash cow for politicians, these unions intend on using their strength to do what unions do best: fight for the rights of working people everywhere.

By turning attention and resources away from politicians and toward forming new unions, SEIU and the Teamsters are doing the work that Democrats cannot (or will not) do: re-build the base. Union workers are much more likely to vote Democratic than non-union employees, so what's all the fuss over then? Is it that the Dems (much ilke their GOP counterparts) are only worried about where their next campaign contributions are coming from?

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