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23 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
IBEW 494 !!!!!
"greats". But that's just me. I've always hated the plantation mentality that looks to the Master for wisdom. 
"
...
It was toward this end that in 1935 Roosevelt made two far-reaching concessions to workers. He pushed through the National Labor Relations Act (also known as the Wagner Act), which finally made it illegal for employers to refuse to bargain with unions. And he secured passage of a Social Security program, by which the U.S. government agreed to provide a minimal standard of living for the poorest families in society and for the elderly.
These two concessions proved to be the biggest gains workers won from the government during the Depression decade–gains which earned Roosevelt his legendary status as a friend to the working class. But although Roosevelt promised workers that "we have only begun to fight," these were to be the last significant reforms he would grant to working class people.29 In reality, these concessions were nothing more than a calculated move to capture the loyalty of the ascending labor movement for the Democratic Party.
The labor leaders were all too happy to deliver. By raising the slogan, "The President wants you to join the union," at picket lines all over the U.S., the CIO leadership virtually guaranteed Roosevelt’s continued popularity among workers. This, despite Roosevelt’s boast, "I am the best friend the profit system ever had," which indicated that he desired to prevent revolts from below through reforms from above.
...
Although Roosevelt remained popular, many workers–especially those who were most active in building the new industrial unions–began to turn away from the Democratic Party as the Depression decade wore on. Indeed, Democratic politicians were proving in practice that they stood firmly on the side of the bosses, while the compassionate New Deal rhetoric went out the window as soon as the class struggle intensified. In 1935 alone, 20 state militias–most controlled by Democratic governors–were called out against strikers in 73 disputes.
...
"
Here.
Now one could adopt the logical fallacy of pointing at the source and disregard it, but the facts remain, feel-good poster notwithstanding. The New Deal Democrats helped kill off the people involved in the Industrial Unions who were fighting for decision-making power, in favor of the Business Unions, those with their noses firmly up the asses of their Masters in business, the forerunners of what is left of unions today,
And after we had exploited the natural resources and people as much as possible, the Business Union model, still subservient to the owners despite the theater that we all enjoyed, failed the workers, and has profited the Mi$$ RobMe class of the world mightily.
So just rebuilding what led to failure isn't going to be enough. It may be that it won't be possible to get back to the Industrial Unions of the post-civil war to
roughly 1935 era, but people shouldn't fool themselves in thinking that re-inventing what they experienced will lead to anything different. Because while you were leading that comfortable life in your union a thousand other families were being exploited so you could have a sliver of the chunk the Master was getting, and that retirement you have now is at risk like never before.
Still, a nice poster if you don't look into the history behind it too deeply.
K&R!
and I currently work for the local firefighters union. More... my Daddy was a union president back in the 60s before he died. Organized labor is in the blood! 
DURec.
[font color=firebrick][center]"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want a party that will STAND UP for Working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone [/font][/center] [center]
[/font]
[font size=1]photo by bvar22
Shortly before Sen Wellstone was killed[/center][/font]
