>> On Sat, May 15, 2010 10:37 am, Eric Beck wrote:
>>
>>> with unions' structural position within capitalism. It's their job to
>>> mediate between bosses and workers
>>
>> Nope, that's the job of arbitrators, contract negotiations, or
>> government regulators. It's the job of democratically-elected union
>> officials to represent the interests of workers, period.
>
> Representation is not mediation?
Not the same thing. That's why there are union elections -- if the union officials aren't doing their jobs, the members need to elect new and better ones.
Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of business unionism. But the critique of unions as handmaidens of capital is a useful corrective, not an ethical absolute. That would be like throwing out elections because corporations buy politicians off, or throwing out the right to assembly because some Rightwing nutcases are parading down some street.
-- DRR