The main division in the labor movement is between those unions for whom trade issues/runaway companies are a big deal vs. unions in the public sector and service sector who don't worry much about it and don't want NAFTA/WTO/China etc. to get in the way of the usual labor-Dem alliance.
-Andy English
-----Original Message----- From: Stephen E Philion <philion at hawaii.edu> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Date: Wednesday, May 24, 2000 11:36 AM Subject: Re: Labor Boycotts MCI Fundraising Bash (Re: UAW prez slamsGoreonChina PNTR
>Andrew,
>Didn't I read about the ILWU (at what level I don't recall) last week
>making a resolution against the opposition to the PMFN bill? It is true
>that those opposed to opposing China's PMFN status have not played a very
>active role in supporting China's PMFN. That is consistent with arguing
>that it is not the battle that needs to be fought at the moment. However,
>it doesn't help the labor movement leadership's efforts to block China
>PMFN to not be having an ILWU involved actively in supporting that
>leadership's efforts. That is, the effect of those *in the labor mv't*
>who have not chosen to support this battle might be a bit bigger than you
>estimate.
>
>I'm not certain that the resolution I refer to is a passed resolution,
>it's unclear from the post I got this from. However, when I scanned the
>various ILWU locals' web pages, I noticed that none of them announced the
>anti-China PMFN effort. My suspicion is that disaffection with this effort
>within the labor mov't is bigger than you estimate (though certainly
>you're right to assert it's a minority), which would confirm what Doug
>Henwood reported a few months back from a conversation with an AFL-CIO
>source. And it would seem to indicate that those opposed to this effort
>are also not simply the usual sectarian crowd.
>
>Steve
>
> Stephen Philion
>Lecturer/PhD Candidate
>Department of Sociology
>2424 Maile Way
>Social Sciences Bldg. # 247
>Honolulu, HI 96822
>
>
>On Wed, 24 May 2000, Andrew English wrote:
>
>> If China PNTR passes, it will be because of the pressures from
>> the White House on wavering Dems. The left critics of labor's
>> tactics on this issue are a tiny force with no significant impact
>> on this battle. The main ally of the corporate elite is Clinton.
>>
>> -Andy English
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Nathan Newman <nathan.newman at yale.edu>
>> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
>> Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2000 4:51 PM
>> Subject: Re: Labor Boycotts MCI Fundraising Bash (Re: UAW prez slams
>> GoreonChina PNTR
>>
>>
>>
>> >The ironies pile up. Too bad the result looks to be a win for the
>> >corporate elite on the China PNTR vote.
>> >
>> >-- Nathan Newman
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>
>