Verizon: union win

[Andrew English]

In most of the labor struggles I've been involved in, the rank and file
workers expressed pride in their work
as part of their demand for respect and dignity.  Certainly that was true of
the UPS strikers or
the many strikes by heath caregivers.  I've never heard of a strike waged
under the banner of
"work sucks".    On the other hand, there have been many battles against
overwork, for decent
hours, time-off, time to be with families.

-Andy English

-----Original Message-----
From: kelley <kwalker2 at gte.net>
To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>;
lbo-talk at lists.panix.com <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
Date: Tuesday, August 22, 2000 3:13 PM
Subject: RE: Verizon: union win


>At 03:51 PM 8/22/00 -0400, Max Sawicky wrote:
>
>
>>. . . Since you are
>>reformist, who thinks that these meaningless jobs will be with us
>>forever, . . .
>>
>>
>>In Utopia, who will make soccer balls and
>>crew socks for the anarchist soccer league?
>>
>>mbs
>
>
>why hell max, don't you know?  they'll make them themselves!  they'll hunt
>for animals to make the leather.  then they'll tan the leather (fun, i've
>done that before).  then they ply it in order to make it pliable enough to
>sew. they'll make stuffing from the black turtlenecks they've
>outgrown.  and socks!  hell, anarchist knitting circles.  yeeehah.  and
>chuck, FOAD, if you think i'm not an anarchist or whathaveyou.  my
>criticisms don't mean i'm against you.  although you seem to like to keep
>it that way.
>
>chuck your attitudes toward work are the very same attitudes toward work
>that mean that work considered "women's work" is considered unimportant and
>meaningless.  that is, without a more nuanced analysis you are buying into
>what is, often, not just plain ole capitalist oppression but a part of the
>system of capitalist gender oppression.
>
>kelley
>