The best example of this is in the logging industry, where owners insist on the need to cut down each and every last ancient Redwood and Douglas Fir using as their main argument the need to preserve jobs. Workers fall for this hook, line and sinker, identifying strongly with their employers and joining in a kind of cultural alliance. No one thinks to say hey, where is this argument when the bosses introduce massive clear cutting machinery and other labor-obviating capital to fell the trees at an even quicker rate. Who worries about jobs then? Or indeed the whole culture of the timber man? (Please excuse the gender centricity.)
Edwin
----------------------------Original message---------------------------- From: "Alex Lantsberg" <wideye at ziplink.net> To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Subject: RE: the auto Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 10:51:57 -0700
charset="iso-8859-1" In-Reply-To: <l03130309b1bad818cb76@[166.84.250.86]> Sender: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com Precedence: bulk Reply-To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
An inherent limitation of unionism may me the narrow self-interest that prevents the organized to advocate for a new system based on ecological sustainability. Sure there's retraining programs, but how many of us really think that the unions or their membership would buck the status quo, when their own livelihood depends on it (an the conflict that it breeds). Capitalists need unions to keep them somewhat honest. Lets imagine for a moment that the UAW demanded a cessation of the current mode of auto production, demanded that the automaker was responsible for the disposal of the product once past its useful life, and demanded that our cities be rebuilt with people, not cars, in mind. I not only don't see it happening, but see the unions joining the capitalists in fighting to prevent this from ever happening.
-----Original Message----- From: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com [mailto:owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com] On Behalf Of Doug Henwood Sent: Saturday, June 27, 1998 10:13 AM To: LBO-talk at lists.panix.com Subject: the auto
Oh yes, I don't expect the UAW to do much thinking either about the ecological sustainability of the auto. Contrast this with Tony Mazzocchi, who thought that in a better world most of the oil, chemical, and atomic workers wouldn't have their present jobs.
Doug