From: Nathan Newman
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 3:11 PM
Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] decentralization, Whole Foods style
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Henwood" <dhenwood at panix.com>
Nathan Newman wrote:
>Folks bash the union leadership on this list a lot, but then they often
>don't even engage in the basic solidarity of supporting organizing
>campaigns. General boycotts may not be particularly useful, but avoiding
>companies actively being organized and engaging in union-busting tactics
>seems the most minimal solidarity called for by leftists.
-Nathan, no one "bashes" the union leadership here. It's criticism,
-which is not personal nor is it unwarranted... And
-it's only Woj who was willing to overlook WF's antiunion behavior
-because they're the retailing equivalent of NPR. I suspect if you put
-it to a vote, you'd get over 90% support for the organizing campaign.
Hey, I went through this in Berkeley when all these supposed greenie
liberals
"supposed", nathan? a truely democratic choice of words.
crossed the UFCW picketline around Whole Foods, telling me their
organic tofu was more important than workers rights.
sound like compassionate conservatives to me.
how many did you talk to?
My point is that for all the criticism of union leaders by a lot of
progressives, those same progressives
isn't "progressive" the latest catch phrase for liberal? as in progressive democrat. if not, what's a progressive?
often do little to advance union
strength in their personal support for campaigns. Whole Foods is in many
ways the litmus test case, since its clientele is targetted at a whole wing
of progressives, who just ignore the whole issue of unionization. The issue
is not voting, but practicing real solidarity.
real solidarity as opposed to fake solidarity?
-- Nathan Newman
whole foods is important, but not the only union issue or the most significant one. where do gray davis, diane feinstein and barbara boxer stand on unionization of whole foods? how about the thoughtful, principled and effective joe LIEberman? supposedly, diane has no trouble advocating for the spotted owl. maybe she could work people into her agenda.
can you trot out a few show democrats in office that support unionization of whole foods? i'll bet just like jimmy carter practiced adultery in his mind, the progressive, elected, show democrats experience crossing picket lines in their minds.
the Democratic Leadership Counsel must be falling all over itself to express it's support of unions, particularly at whole foods.
now if only the democrats could muster as much support for unions as they do for war ....
which democratic party do you belong to, nathan, the DLC's or someone elses?
R
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