[lbo-talk] Washington Hospital Center nurses launch 24-hour labor strike

[Carrol Cox]

I have noticed over the last year (not just on this list) a sort of
'stutter' in the voice of many leftists when the sector of the working class
involved is (like nurses and teachers) 'really' important -- a _service_ we
need. The stutter involves flinching a bit on certain demands that make a
workers' struggle a working-class struggle, a failure to take, as one's
ground position, the proposition that the work place exists for the sake of
the workers! What, from a political perspective, is THE purpose of schools:
to give jobs to teachers. What, from a political perspective, is THE purpose
of a hospital: to give jobs to nurses and janitors and technicians et al. We
are not talking agitational material here: that is a totally separate topic.
We are talking about what must be the mindset of those who hold those
positions or who mobilize support for them. And I mean _all_ teachers; not
just the  competent ones. I mean ALL nurses; not just the competent ones.

And what do workers need: they need freedom -- more specifically, in a
capitalist world, they need freedom from the tyranny of the future.

This means they must be confident that their jobs will not be take from
them. They must be confident that they will be supported in retirement. And
it means that their pay must be such that the future is no threat. It means
that their working conditons and hours are not such as to damage their
capacity to live as humans in their hours off work. 

This is how we (members of and supporters of the working class) must think
as we work out specific positions and specific actions. This is the only way
to keep the stutter out of our voices.

We must not allow ourselves for one second to think an 'objective' observer
from the sidelines, as mere cheerleaders, as mere fans enjoying the contest.

(Just incidentally, this mindset is also best for the patients and the
students. But putting students or patients first for one second of mental
time is in fact contrary to the interests of students and patients as well.)

Carrol

I agree with Alan; I'm not criticizing his post but using it as a
springboard to make further points.

-----Original Message-----
From: lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org [mailto:lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org]
On Behalf Of Adam Proctor
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2011 3:28 PM
To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Washington Hospital Center nurses launch 24-hour
labor strike

Just got home from walking the picket line all day.  There were easily
300-400 people in attendence, mostly nurses represented by National
Nurses United.  Also in attendence were public transportation workers,
teachers, firefighters, and other private sector union members.

Trumka of AFL-CIO gave a rousing speech, as did Rep. Dennis Kucinich.
Eh, their rhetoric was somewhat predictable, but it sure beats the
alternative--that is, the suits ignoring the strike action.

Management has shipped in scabs from out of state and locked out the
1650 striking nurses for an additional 4 days.  So the pickets will
continue.  Here's to hoping this thing grows over the weekend.

-Adam

On Friday, March 4, 2011, Wojtek S <wsoko52 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/04/AR2011030401
496.html
>
> Wojtek
> ___________________________________
> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>
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