[lbo-talk] Labor Imperialism

[Carrol Cox]

For a short time I was an AFT member (due to some other merely nominal
connection) during the Central-America wars. Their national newsletter
contained articles on Nicaragua & El Salvador that would have made a WSJ
editorial writer blush. We used to have a Shanker acolyte on this list -- I
don't remember his name but his posts were notorious.

Carrol

Carrol

-----Original Message-----
From: lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org [mailto:lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org]
On Behalf Of Doug Henwood
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2012 1:57 PM
To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Labor Imperialism

On Jan 30, 2012, at 1:21 PM, Billy O'Connor wrote:


> Wojtek S <wsoko52 at gmail.com> writes:
> 
>> Why would AFL-CIO engage in all that on
>> behalf of the USG?  What is their payback?
> 
> Cashy money.

Not just that. It's what's expected of junior partners. It assures that
invitations to the White House will be forthcoming. And there's ideological
affinity too. I recall a WSJ article from the late 1980s or early 1990s,
during some serious labor unrest in S Korea, that quoted an AFL-CIO advisor
on the scene as saying, "The problem with Korean unions is that they don't
know how to control their rank and file." The AFL-CIO (remember when George
H.W. slipped and said AFL-CIA?) has always been anti-communist, and you
don't need to have communists around to be anti-communist.

Doug
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