[lbo-talk] Union top Dennis Rivera: "No one throws a

[Jim Straub]

Uh, poor people with a powerful union.  We're talking about CNAs and dietary
workers and hom health aides here--- poor people.  But they've formed a
strong organization with a great organizing program that has given them the
highest organized density of health care workers in the country.  As a
result they win breakthrough gains.  I thought as socialists we were in
favor of the poor workers winning substantial material gains in the here and
now.  In Vegas where I work, the casino workers have a similarly strong
union, and there undocumented latino busboys have fully paid family health
care, a pension, good wages.

This is what a serious organizing program results in.  We should be in favor
of this.  It doesn't make someone not a worker if their organization has
successfully fought the boss against a wall and scored some really
meaningful wins.  We would know more poor people who had those things if
every union in the country would organize new workers industrially with
ruthless zeal.

But yes, it is a silly article.  The 'center for union facts' is the new
big-money boss-class front group to smash up unions in the public.  They
have some unwitting allies among leftoids, sadly.


> It's a pretty silly article. How many "poor" people do you know with a
> defined benefit pension plan and an employer-paid full family
> healthcare plan?
>
> > Union for poor lives high
>
> > By Douglas Feiden
> > Staff Writer, New York Daily News
>
> > The union powerhouse that represents some of the poorest workers in New
> York
> > City
>
> [ . . . ]
>
> >.Clearly, something is working: Local 1199 members enjoy free health care
> > benefits, fully funded pension plans, college scholarships, life
> insurance,
> > job guarantees and child-care and home-loan programs.
>
>
> --
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