[lbo-talk] Health care and labor in MD

Wojtek Sokolowski sokol at jhu.edu
Fri Jan 6 06:52:53 PST 2006


There is an interesting development in Maryland involving a battle over health care between labor and capital.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-te.md.walmart06jan06,1,1 958308.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

In short, the Democrat-dominated MD legislature passed a bill requiring employers to pay certain percentage of health insurance cost, which affected mainly Wal-Mart. Other retailers supported the measure because they were already paying the required share. The reupg governor vetoes the bill, and now the legislature is poised to override his veto and they are expected to succeed. Nonetheless, both capital and organized labor are pouring their resources into this battle.

Few lessons:

1. Those who think that the DP "betrayed" labor or that they are the same as the repugs, they better think twice. While the DP may not bring socialism to the US, it does make the everyday life of working class people easier. Health insurance premiums and minimum wage may not matter for those, say, with tenure at ISU or other educational institutions, but they make a huge difference for those who toil the minimum wage jobs.

2. There are deep divisions within the capital, and one part of the capital can be recruited to kill the other part (just like the labor). Therefore, portraying the capital as a monolith and flatly refuse to seek cooperation with any part of it is not a very good strategy.

3. Legislative battles are usually far more important and offer a better chance for both a victory and a PR success for labor than street battles and other "direct actions."

Wojtek



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list