I take issue with the article “Which side are you on? Time for labor to lead on social justice” by Beth Caskie.
I do not recognize anything of the labor movement in this article! “Labor isn’t involved in social justice struggles,” — maybe where this article is from, but I highly doubt it.
“Labor needs to dump members that do not agree with the union politically?” and do what—form our own little so-called ‘left’ unions? That was done prior to the formation of the CIO (1935), proven a horrible error, isolating the left! We should dump non-agreeing members, because “we never had their support!” I do not know what kind of “union” that is.
Furthermore, the union (USW) that I love, have been part of for decades, has taken on racism, fought like hell and won members over. THAT is our job! NOT kicking out members who don’t agree. In fact, we had a rank & file movement that was based, at its core, on exactly that — Black/white unity! 63 percent, by the latest numbers, of unionist nationally voted against Trump, for Hillary. The labor movement did NOT elect Trump.
What I will tell you is that, where I am from, Lorain, Ohio, we have a mill (8,500 workers when I hired in) with only a fire-watch now. Democrats (outside of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown) are seen here, now, as those pushing trade pacts that close mills. THAT, NOT the labor movement, is who lost touch!
Bruce Bostick
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