Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Strategy for Labor
Organized Labor is having an internal debate about strategy. Is it better to concentrate on recruiting new members and organizing new industries, or is it better to try to influence government to be more friendly to Labor? Those on one side argue that Labor will not amount to anything unless it reverses the long-term trend of declining union membership and declining numbers of union jobs. Those on the other side argue that organizing new industries and recruiting new members is almost impossible unless the attitude of government officials is changed and more union-friendly persons are elected.
I am not, nor have I ever been a member of a labor union. Why should I care about this debate? I care because I see a society dominated by large commercial organizations, large corporations, all operated for profit. Public good is of small importance to the managers of these organizations, except that a perception that a corporation is “public friendly” may have a beneficial influence on profit. Our society needs entities and organizations that can enforce limits on the greed and predations of large corporations. We’ve tried using government to regulate and limit the activities of these organizations. We’ve seen that the organizations are able to get candidates elected that will do their bidding. In other words, government alone is not sufficient to keep the large corporations in check.
We need a strong labor movement to supply the necessary restraint on the activities of large corporations. The free market and consumer choice are not sufficient. Consumers are not and never will be sufficiently informed to make choices based on a desire to maintain a clean and healthy environment, decent working conditions for all workers, adequate health insurance and retirement benefits for all workers, to name a few conditions. Labor unions (at least, the honest ones) are motivated to see to the benefits of their members. They have the incentive, the interest, and the ability to uncover the seamy, anti-environmental practices of the corporations, since these practices affect their own members.
Clearly, if I were involved in the debate going on within Organized Labor, I would side with those who advocate enlarging the fraction of jobs covered by union contracts. The most important thing Labor must do today is to add members and organize new industries. If Labor grows, even unfriendly governments will have to pay attention.
I am not, nor have I ever been a member of a labor union. Why should I care about this debate? I care because I see a society dominated by large commercial organizations, large corporations, all operated for profit. Public good is of small importance to the managers of these organizations, except that a perception that a corporation is “public friendly” may have a beneficial influence on profit. Our society needs entities and organizations that can enforce limits on the greed and predations of large corporations. We’ve tried using government to regulate and limit the activities of these organizations. We’ve seen that the organizations are able to get candidates elected that will do their bidding. In other words, government alone is not sufficient to keep the large corporations in check.
We need a strong labor movement to supply the necessary restraint on the activities of large corporations. The free market and consumer choice are not sufficient. Consumers are not and never will be sufficiently informed to make choices based on a desire to maintain a clean and healthy environment, decent working conditions for all workers, adequate health insurance and retirement benefits for all workers, to name a few conditions. Labor unions (at least, the honest ones) are motivated to see to the benefits of their members. They have the incentive, the interest, and the ability to uncover the seamy, anti-environmental practices of the corporations, since these practices affect their own members.
Clearly, if I were involved in the debate going on within Organized Labor, I would side with those who advocate enlarging the fraction of jobs covered by union contracts. The most important thing Labor must do today is to add members and organize new industries. If Labor grows, even unfriendly governments will have to pay attention.
