> The problem is that the trade union leadership can use its limited
> power to try to keep the ranks out of "their" business, to limit union
> democracy, to run the show in a top-down manner. This demobilizes the
> rank and file, except for the limited time period around strikes or
> lock-outs. This causes the gap between the leaders and the ranks to
> widen. It also hurts the ability of the rank-and-file workers to build
> common ground among their diverse opinions.
>
> In the end, it weakens the power of the leadership itself, since that
> power arises from the sense and practice of solidarity by the ranks.
> If the ranks stop caring about union affairs (because they have no
> effect on them anyway), then all of the union official's power arises
> from the legal system and his or her alliance with management (or with
> other officials). This makes the organization much, much less
> effective as a labor union.
>
> It should not be forgotten that many union officials are liberals or
> even socialists when it comes to political opinions. That is, they
> often have more "progressive" opinions than do the ranks when it comes
> to issues outside of the union. But at the same time, the structural
> pressures on them as officials causes them to be conservative when it
> comes to issues inside the union.
>==================================
I largely agree with this, although I think there is still a tendency on the
left to draw too sharp a distinction between the consciousness of the
leadership and the consciousness of the base. Even there is an inherent
tendency towards conservatism by those who lead organizations, if there were
a real separation between a membership presumed to be more incipiently
militant and the leaders of these organizations, you would see this
reflected in much more turmoil within the unions, more frequent leadership
challenges and changes, more frequent rejections of tentative agreements -
and, especially, a more sharply defined division between a left and right
wing, as you had in the period before WWI and again in the 30s and through
WWII..