[lbo-talk] We spend years driving American manufacturing to China, and +this+ is how you pay us back?

[John Adams]

On Nov 23, 2004, at 3:34 PM, Doug Henwood wrote:


> Jonathan Lassen wrote:
>
>> Also, this is only for the 18,000+ retail workers, not the 10 million 
>> + workers in Wal-Mart's subcontracting factories. Still, a joyful 
>> piece of news.
>
> Is the FT right?
>
>> Independent unions are banned in China, and the federation unions 
>> have traditionally been an instrument for the communist party to 
>> control workers, not a vehicle for agitation and strikes, which are 
>> almost never allowed.
>
> If so, how joyful a piece of news is this?

Think of its usefulness in domestic union organizing drives. "Heck, in 
China Wal-Mart lets workers join unions--why can't you do that here in 
America? Isn't it a free country?"

	John A