WS: >>So the question is whether it is really worth to reform unions whose reformability to date is less than impressive (to say the least), or cut the losses, let the thing finally die in the next few years, and concentrate on alternative strategies that promise a wider impact on the working class, like universal health care, living wage laws, labor law enforcement, etc.?
>>It is not that I am advocating pulling the plug on the unions, but I
would at least like to know why this would be a bad idea, and
continuing resuscitation of the unions is our only hope?<<
JB: >What does 'pulling the plug on unions' even mean? Does this mean unionism? Since 'unions' is not one undifferentiated mass.
>Union dues are one of the few organized pots of money that is not
rich people's money funnelled through corporate and family
foundations, corporations, etc. Union pension funds are another
source of political power. If you want to instead fight for universal
health care, living wage laws or labor law enforcement, how are you
going to fund that? Cookie sales? And since our wages will go down
upon the demise of our unions, we won't have a lot left over to give
you, even if we could be organized to do so (which also takes money.)
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--
Jim Devine / Bust Big Brother Bush!
"Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their
common sense." -- Gertrude Stein
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