[lbo-talk] a teacher in trouble and the union

[Doug Henwood]

Michael Hoover wrote:


>my own experience tells me that 'lefty' anti-union attitudes are often held
>by folks who have little actual experience - warts and all - with unions
>themselves...

I don't have much, aside from the dismal National Writers Union, but 
Fitch has plenty. First joined one at age 15 (Laborers, in Chicago). 
Worked for Musicians Local 802 as an organizer, and CWA Local 1180 as 
a policy guy. He's spent lots of time studying the inner working of 
DC 37 in New York, too. And he's been covering unions as a journalist 
for almost 20 years.

I could turn this around and say that lots of left intellectuals and 
academics have a romantic idea of unions, and are unacquainted with 
the warts.

Doug