The Way I See It: Perspectives on the Labor Movement From the People in It
I have hope that’s not based on cynicism. I know we have people, just recently elected, who feel it in their hearts, people who have marched as Los Angeles police whipped them with batons, who have known co-workers fired unjustly even with the so-called protection of a union contract, who have led strikes that tore communities apart at their economic seams, and brought others closer together which never would have been.
“The reality is that most people don’t have class consciousness and it isn’t because they’re bad people. Personnel managers are from working class backgrounds. They aren’t necessarily evil people. . . . The goal of our union is to empower members and get stewards to resolve things. . . and we can organize. As opposed to militants who spend all their time resolving grievances because it makes THEM feel good. And influencing policies–in Congress. Leftists would rather do things that make themselves feel personally good rather than empowering working people. Substituting process for substance. ‘We fought the good fight.’ There is a way to fight the boss if they don’t consume themselves with being purists and fighting the good fight.” Labor leader.
The new president of the AFL-CIO, John Sweeney, came out of my union. I know he has been in the trenches. He has not forgotten. In my hopeful moments, I know we will organize more workers, and those new workers will re-order, re-move, re-build our futures. I hope it happens before another generation drowns.
“If the union can be true to their word, to their purpose, they can win back the people. Once they win the confidence of the people they can do whatever they want to. They can influence politics and economics and the way congress is run. . . . Not just [grievances]. Not just that, the general condition of the work place. Talk spreads out. If you go talk behind that pillar it spreads out. It’s like saying go to the heart of the matter. Go straight. When we get what we want, I’ll give them my. . . What I’m trying to say is what the general membership is asking for.” Union steward.
DLWORKERSLWORKER
SUPERVISOR
MANAGER REPSTEWARD
FIGURE 2
SCHWAB 1996
DL WORKERSUPERVISOR
MANAGER
SL WORK
STEWARD
UNION REP
FIGURE 3
PUBLIC HOSPITAL
DLWORKER
SLWORKER
STEWARD
REP MANAGER
SUPERVISOR
FIGURE 4
SCHWAB 1998
REP/STEWARDS MAN/SUPER
WORKERS
FIGURE 5
INDUSTRIAL MEMBERS
WORKERS
SUPERVISOR STEWARD
MANAGER REP
FIGURE 6
STAFF