<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2722" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Yes, but you always have to be a bit skeptical when the more privileged part of a bargaining unit secedes.  No doubt IAM screwed up, but a strike by one section of a workforce can just be demanding more pay at the expense of other workers.    It makes the whole thing very messy.</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=srobin21@comcast.net href="mailto:srobin21@comcast.net">Steven L. Robinson</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=lbo-talk@lbo-talk.org href="mailto:lbo-talk@lbo-talk.org">lbo-talk@lbo-talk.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, August 22, 2005 1:34 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [lbo-talk] Tasini on Northwest</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV>If the IAM had properly represented its members, the AMFA would not have replaced it. We should recall that IAM was voted out and AMFA voted in by its own members. Bureaucrats may characterise what happened as 'raiding' but the choice of representation is a fundamental part of labor democracy.</DIV> <DIV>      IAM may have a progressive reputation among some because one of its former presidents (Wimpinsinger) used to lend his name to various progressive cause, but if it couldn't provide the basic services to its members - why shouldn't it be voted out. Now IAM appears to be compounding its errors by refusing to support its former members on strike. IAM is only cutting its own throat. Steve</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"> <P>-------------- Original message -------------- <BR><BR>> <HTTP: workinglife.typepad.com daily_blog 2005 08 the_northwest_s.html><BR>> <BR>> AUGUST 22, 2005 <BR>> <BR>> The Northwest Strike: Another (Bad) Watershed Moment <BR></P> <P> </P></BLOCKQUOTE> <P> <HR> <P></P>___________________________________<BR>http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk</BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>