Labor's Third Voice Speaks in Chicago

From: "Zwarich" <arm [at] americanrm.org>
Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2005 21:47:22 -0500
Subject: Labor's Third Voice Speaks in Chicago


On Sunday, July 24th, 2005, across town from where the AFL-CIO prepared to open its national convention the next day, a meeting of Labor activists from around the United States took place in Chicago Illinois. These activists, packed into a spacious lecture hall on the Harry S. Truman College campus, declared their intention to "Take Back Our Unions" from the clutches of the highly paid union 'business executives' who have taken control of the once proud and powerful American Labor Movement.



As the fat cat union bosses of American Labor have increasingly corrupted union democracy to entrench themselves in power, American workers have watched helplessly as the once proud and inspiring 'Movement' of American working people, that once provided the common spiritual bond that gave American workers the strength to fight together in Solidarity against the greed of Big Business, has become very little more than a spineless cash cow, a lucrative business itself, that supports the swelling bureaucracies that comprise the fiefdoms ruled over by the Barons of Labor. What once was a spiritually based 'Movement', a genuine 'Cause', what once provided American workers with the means to draw themselves together into a fist of power, what once provided workers with the combined strength to improve their lives, derived from the Solidarity of a commonly shared purpose, has become a vast hierarchy of corruption, whose main purpose, whose overarching reason for being, is to increase its revenues (profits) by expanding its dues base.



The greed and lust for power that now characterize Organized Labor's so-called 'leadership' has come to rival that of the CEOs and managers of American industry itself. Union bosses, and their well-paid patronized staffs of bureaucrats, are living an increasingly opulent lifestyle even as the American working class is slipping into insecurity, and often even into poverty. These union fat cats, who are now waging their public squabble over control of billions of dollars in dues taken from workers' paychecks, are themselves paid salaries and compensation ranging from a quarter million dollars per year, up to well over a half million dollars per year. Their power is rooted in their control of vast patronage systems, consisting of large staffs of people earning six figure incomes in plum union jobs. As American workers worry more each day about the security of their jobs, their health care benefits, their pensions, and even their ability to put adequate food on their families' tables, their fat cat union bosses are engorging themselves at the slop-trough of union dues, while forging new alliances with the captains of American Industry. As they gorge themselves on workers' hard-earned dues, union bosses are saddling American workers with give back contracts, two tier wage scales, no-strike clauses, shrinking benefits, and eroding rights in the workplace. The unions of American Organized Labor, which our ancestors gave blood and bone to create, to solve the problems of working people, and win for working people a share of the American dream, have themselves become a major part of the problem that is dragging American workers back into the pit of insecurity, and even poverty.



This 'Rank and File Conference to Take Back our Unions', organized by the Labor Action Coalition http://www.laboraction.org, received no attention in the mainstream press. The press has been entirely distracted by the essentially meaningless drama of the so-called 'dissident unions' threatening to leave the AFL-CIO (and take their tens of millions of dollars in AFL-CIO dues with them, the REAL crux of the matter there). Neither faction in this meaningless drama is presenting any plan that is in any way relevant to reversing the decline of the fortunes of American workers. Both sides are spouting meaningless rhetoric that amounts to nothing more than "hooray for our side". Both sides are, as they say, arguing vigorously over the arrangement of the deck chairs, as the rudderless Titanic of Organized Labor steams full speed ahead to its own demise.



But if the firm Spirit and angry determination that were apparent to everyone in that jam-packed hall at the Take Back Our Unions Conference are any indication, this meeting, completely ignored by the mainstream press, may very well come to be marked as an historic turning point in the annals of the ongoing struggle of American working people to win justice for themselves in the workplace, and a dignified living for their families.



The rich and powerful Barons of Labor, in both John Sweeny's AFL-CIO status quo faction, and in the competing faction of Andrew Stern's Change to Win Coalition, have gained an enormous degree of attention and publicity in what amounts to nothing more than a bureaucratic power play over who should control the six BILLION dollar a year industry that Organized Labor has become. While these rich and powerful union executives, who have entrenched themselves in power by corrupting all semblances of genuine democracy in their unions, fight over control of these billions of dollars in dues money taken from the checks of unionized American workers, those workers have no voice whatsoever in what has been called 'Labor's Great Debate'.



Steve Zeltzer, a member of Operating Engineers Local 39 in San Francisco, and a principle organizer of the Take Back Our Unions Conference, said, "This so-called Great Debate is a complete fraud, because the voice of America's rank and file workers is not being heard at all". Until that voice of American workers themselves is heard in this debate, it amounts to nothing more than meaningless bureaucratic infighting that will have no bearing whatsoever on improving the future of American workers. There is nothing that is yet even being talked about, there are no proposals even on the table, that have any hope of bringing a genuine Labor 'Movement', (as distinct from the labor 'industry' we have now), back to its rightful position of influence and power.



The democratic voice of Labor's rank and file is DEMANDING to be heard. The Third Voice in Labor's Great Debate, the voice that the Barons of Labor are so eager to ignore, the voice of American working men and women, the voice that will NOT be silenced, and will NOT be ignored, is clearly declaring its intention to sweep the House of Labor clean, to clear out the nests of patronage and corruption that have brought Labor to its current position of pathetic weakness, and to bring American unions back under the democratic control of American workers, so that those workers can once again join together in their common power, in their bond of Solidarity, and begin to win back justice in the workplace for themselves, and security for their families.



Even as we watch as the two major factions of Labor's ruling elite tear at each other's throats in their thirst for power and control of this lucrative (for them) union 'industry', American working people are speaking up to tell these self-involved fat cat bosses that American workers are sick and tired of watching them live in opulent affluence, making sweetheart deals with American corporations, as rank and file workers watch their pay, their benefits, and their families' security steadily erode.



"In this battle we are facing," declared Mike Griffin, a member of Allied Industrial Workers Local 837, and a scarred veteran of the battles in the central Illinois 'war zone', battles against huge corporations like Caterpillar, and Staley Manufacturing, "we are going to have to fight our own unions before we can even have a chance to fight big business for our fair share of the wealth our labor and sweat produces."



Griffin went on to relate in detail the struggles mounted by workers against Caterpillar and Staley, and how they were constantly defeated at every turn by their own unions. "As soon as workers begin an effective struggle, as soon as we start to build momentum, as soon as we start to make real progress in building the fighting Spirit of workers, the international unions swing into action to undermine that struggle," he said. "The unions always wanted to get rid of anyone who was inspiring resistance. As soon as we would get something effective going, the union would come in and discredit our most effective leaders. They would spread fear tactics, telling workers they were going to lose their jobs if we stood firm against the companies," Griffin said. "Then they (the internationals) would engage in lateral negotiations behind our backs, selling us out just as we would start to make progress."



"The Ship of Labor is floundering on a sea of deceit," Griffin concluded, "the deceit of its own collusion with industrial bosses against workers"



Rafeeq Palel, a member of Teamsters Local 744, and the Teamsters National Black Caucus, was more succinct, but equally eloquent when he said, "You're supposed to trust your union reps, but don't do it! They're a bunch of liars!" Palel related his struggle for disability benefits against UPS after an injury on the job, and how the Teamsters, his own union to whom he looked for help, double-crossed him at every turn.



Speaker after speaker came to the podium at the daylong conference, to relate their experiences fighting against their own unions in their struggles for justice in the workplace.



Sue Smith was an employee of AFSCME, (the union of government employees), Illinois Council 31, the largest union for employees for the State of Illinois, when she was struck down by a sudden severe illness ( a brain aneurysm). When her medical bills got too high, AFSCME, her own union, as well as her employer, fired her to get out of paying those bills.



Dina Padilla, a member of SEIU Local 250, as well as the Sacramento (CA) Labor Council, is a former employee of Kaiser Permanente, the health care giant. She became an expert in the ins and outs of the health care system, and learned first hand how unions and health care providers are in collusion to deny health care benefits for workers who thought they were fully covered. Unions are often 'self-insured', she explained, and contract with providers like Kaiser to provide health care benefits. Unions want to make a profit on the health care premiums they collect from workers, Ms. Padilla reported, and do so by colluding with health care providers like Kaiser to deny benefits. Since being denied benefits to cover an injury she suffered on the job, a case she is still fighting after seventeen years, Ms. Padilla has made a career of helping workers obtain their rightful health care benefits. "Kaiser is accountable to no one," she says, "They have state and federal legislators in their pocket. And the unions are their business partners. They do whatever they want"



"Union attorneys would not represent workers in their claims for health care benefits," Ms. Padilla said. "Workers had to hire their own private attorneys to pursue their just grievances," she went on. "All the unions ever did was take our dues money and string us along, and in the end they'd just tell us 'we can't help you' ".



Earl Silbar, a member of AFSCME Local 3506, and one of the lead organizers of the Million Worker March in 2004, described in detail the mechanisms that unions use to subvert democracy in their own ranks. He explained how it is common practice that people are not allowed to speak at union meetings if they challenge the 'party line', how debate is summarily cut off if things are not going the way that the union bosses want, or how votes are held when challengers aren't present. Voice votes are often used that are inconclusive, but declared in favor of the union 'party line'. Leaders of meetings simply refuse to respond to any points-of-order that might be presented, and if necessary, will have dissidents summarily expelled from meetings if they try to press an issue. He explained that AFSCME refuses to publish a national directory of AFSCME locals, or any internal contact information for union members or personnel, because AFSCME does not want union members to communicate with each other, a form of the classic 'divide and conquer' tactic. "Our unions are actively collaborating with our enemies", Silbar said, "and they will punish anyone who objects to that collaboration".



Kim Scipes, PhD, a widely published labor writer, spoke about the historic collusion between the AFL-CIO and the CIA, and how the AFL-CIO has assisted in the subversion and defeat of movements for workers rights around the world. He spoke at some length about the National Endowment for Democracy, with which the AFL-CIO's International Solidarity Centers are closely affiliated, and how this group works under the guise of 'spreading democracy' to advance the efforts of international corporations to subvert the rights of citizens in underdeveloped countries. The AFL-CIO's NED affiliated Solidarity Centers are operating in almost thirty countries around the world, working to discourage workers from organizing in their own interests, and encouraging them to cooperate with American corporations. That is the mission of the NED, to use the ruse of 'spreading democracy' to advance the interests of American corporations, and the AFL-CIO is a full partner with them in this subversion of workers interests and rights around the world. This ruse of 'democracy' is being used on every level, he pointed out, to deny true democratic rights and powers to citizens and workers. This same ruse that is being used in Iraq, and around the world, is being used in our own political system, and right down to our own unions. Scipes explained that, "It is the ruse of 'top down democracy'. 'Sure you can vote', those at the top say. You can choose between Coke, or Pepsi. You can choose between Tide, or All. Sure we'll let you vote. We'll give you all the democracy you can stand. You can vote, all right, but WE will pick the candidates. WE will decide what you choose between."



Steve Zeltzer pointed out that with all the talk we hear about terrorism, little or nothing is said about the virtual terrorism being carried out against workers. "Terrorism is fear," he said. "And American working people, along with workers around the world, are afraid. They are afraid for their jobs. They are afraid for their futures. They are afraid for their families' safety and security"



The dedicated activists who joined in the Take Back Our Unions Conference are determined that the voice of American workers shall be heard before this so-called 'Great Debate' is played out. As the Barons of Labor sipped cocktails at opulent receptions in Chicago's most exclusive and expensive luxury hotels, these unsung activists, whose dedication and determination led them to travel to Chicago from every corner of the Nation at their own expense, are forging their plans to shake the corrupt bedrock of the 'Labor Industry' to its very foundation. In a discussion of future directions, (a discussion that was short because conference participants had to leave to attend a demonstration at Navy Pier, the site of the AFL-CIO conference), two basic areas of concentration were suggested.



The first was 'communications'. Proposals were put forth for concrete plans to create vibrant networks between disaffected workers around the nation. Spontaneous workers' movements are arising in many places at once with the same goal in mind. The excesses of Organized Labor have become so blatant, and working people are becoming so concerned about their own safety and welfare, that workers everywhere are arising in determination to do something about the corruption in their unions. These many movements have to be stitched together, and several suggestions were made for ways this can be accomplished. Steve Zeltzer pointed out that workers in S. Korea have become very skilled in using video technology to create communications among workers. Broadband internet access is available to 80% of workers there, and sophisticated video essays are being created and widely distributed between workers over the internet, and are having a powerful effect. This is just beginning to happen in this country, Zeltzer said, and can provide us a powerful tool to build communication among rank and file workers. Email discussion technology and blogs are connecting people in far-flung locations, and these can be developed further. People who are not yet connected, people whop are as yet isolated from each other, are arriving at the same conclusions at the same time, and the internet can provide us with the means to bring them together in Solidarity. A strong and palpable feeling is growing among labor activists everywhere that momentum is building to a critical mass, that we are on the verge of the first real movement of a force that will not be stopped once it begins rolling.



The second area of concentration that was suggested was 'direct action'. Several activists present at the meeting, including some from the classic IWW tradition, suggested that direct action to assist workers in hardship was the most effective way to win and build loyalty among workers. Brass tacks, nitty-gritty action, like providing assistance to fight against home foreclosures, or providing food or services to people in need, or assisting in disputes with landlords, or protection from neighborhood dangers, will draw people into a sense of Solidarity with the common Cause. Acts of 'peaceful sabotage' were suggested, actions used directly against companies that violate workers rights, or perpetrate any kind of suffering on workers. An example was given of actions taken during the recent bitter grocery strike in Southern California, (a strike that was lost in the opinion of many, because the UFCW bailed out on its members and caved in to company pressure). Supporters of picketing workers would enter a store being picketed in large numbers, fill baskets with foods, (especially frozen foods), and then after forming long lines at the checkout stands, or even after their checkout was already rung up, would simply leave their baskets behind and walk out of the stores. Other examples included large groups of shoppers forming long lines at checkout stands, with small items, a single piece of gum, for example, to clog the stores' operations. Direct actions like these will provide workers with the means to forge a real sense of Solidarity and the genuine purpose of a shared Cause. And that will be one important key to winning back power for a re-energized and vibrant Labor Movement.



While the Barons of Labor bask in the publicity of their greed-motivated fight over the reigns of the Labor Industry, dedicated Labor activists in every corner of the nation are rising up in determination to rebuild a true and powerful LABOR MOVEMENT, a true 'Movement' rooted in the Spirit-based common Cause of Solidarity among working people everywhere.



Labor's Third Voice, the voice of American working people themselves, WILL BE HEARD!