In light of the fact that unions are playing a disproportionate role in this year’s Presidential election, and especially because I have opined recently about the impact that Biden- Harris economic policy has had on American workers with green new deal energy jobs going overseas and replacing traditional manufacturing jobs in our country; I today ask why for example would an auto worker in Detroit ever vote for any Democrat? From manufacturing to natural resources—think oil and natural gas and rare metals. The support of Democratic Politicians for unproven and ill-advised policies has resulted in the transferring of USA jobs outside our country. The Republican Party has become the party of the American worker—of all races and ethnicities. The Democratic Party remains the party of the union bosses and the elites.
My answer to union sympathizers follows:
Unions have provided an important side rail against the leverage that large corporations have over workers in an “unfettered marketplace” for labor. Beginning in the pre-WWI era political ideology and political activism as opposed to economics became the primary focus of the labor movement.
The labor movement has not been given enough credit in helping with the overthrow of the Soviet Union. Ronald Reagan who was at one time head of the Screen Actors Guild, was a friend of labor, but not a friend of labor politics. Until DJT he received a higher percentage of the labor vote than any Republican that had run for President. Along with Lech Walesa and Pope John Paul II who both embraced the labor movements in Eastern Europe, the events that led to the fall of the iron curtain would have been delayed by many years in my opinion.
Finally, I must say that I saw firsthand while working at a large wholesale lumber yard in my late teens the overt racism that was rampant in the unions involved in the construction trades, especially during organization campaigns. An article in the Stanford Social Services Review tells a big story:
“Union construction jobs are not just good jobs; they are great jobs. They have a relatively low entry barrier and offer world-class training, great pay, and benefits that allow members to retire with dignity. However, what’s often overlooked is union construction’s racism, and that those great jobs, particularly leadership positions, are designed to remain filled by white men. They offer world-class training, great pay, and particularly leadership positions, are designed to remain filled by white men.”
Until very recently there has been a closed-door policy toward upward mobility within the trade union governance structures.
My other experience with union labor was when dealing with them in shipyards while I was on the USS Virginia. The overt racism in those situations wasn’t to be found in Norfolk or Charleston, but rather in Philadelphia, NYC, and most especially in Boston. Surprisingly, on at least two occasions it took an intervention from a JAG Officer to confront events that would never have been tolerated on a Navy ship. One involved a Philippine Messmen, and the other a Black highly qualified Electrician.
Like most organizations that have survived for a long period of time, there have been many good and necessary things that have come out of the labor movement. There have also been issues that have been yet to be addressed. Just like with our churches, educational institutions, hospitals and government organizations, the rank and file are not always the ones’ being served. The heads of these organizations often times forget who WE THE PEOPLE are. So many Bishops and Priests in the church think the Church (the People) are there to serve them. Same in government. Same in many large corporations. Same thing has happened to the labor movement in our country in more than a few instances.
I find it more than ironic that those on the political left fail to recognize the racism that continues to exist within the leadership structure of large unions, yet they continue to talk about “social justice” and “white privilege”. Just like they talk about the “dignity of each individual” and yet they support the abortion movement.
If you ask me, this is what is really “weird and creepy” about politics today. “Give me your money and support my campaign and we will turn a blinds eye to the real issues”—racism, abortion, antisemitism, and a media campaign against the church and family.” “Just help us win and don’t worry about what we stand for.” Power is everything in the end. Just my opinion.
