An analysis piece from Workers Power..........

[mike_c]

1. reading now, but I wanted to say that the first thing that comes to mind...

...is the nascent but growing living wage movement in my community, which emerged in response to Walmart opening a store here paying poverty wages to employees. They approached our Central Labor Council for an endorsement of a ballot initiative, which we happily gave them. While their specific target is big box retailers moving into the community like Walmart, Target, and so on, they've begun to focus attention throughout the community upon poverty wages amid corporate profits and the predatory management practices that foster the creation of low wage, no benefit McJobs.

on edit-- I thoroughly enjoyed your article. Thanks for posting it.

You reminded me that one reason my own union is so dynamic and, for want of a better term, "not stuffy" is that there are few class distinctions within the membership. It's an academic professionals union-- we represent California State University professors. We work hard to obscure any class distinctions associated with academic ranks, and the union leadership is very much drawn from the rank and file. And if there's a progressive union anywhere on the planet, it'll be made up of academics, LOL. We fight hard for our members and for our students.