A good article from across the pond on US labor reform and why there isn't a strong labor movement stateside:
The reasons for the absence of a party of labour are many and varied, and are conventionally seen in terms of five factors.
First, the American version of the work ethic known as the American dream and "the land of opportunity" of owning your own home, car and the like through individual hard work under the free market stresses individualism rather than collectivism, and neoliberalism and not welfare state-ism.
Second, the impact of widespread immigration since the inception of the US has led to racial and religious divisions among workers.
Third, rampant anti-communism has been used to smear labour unions as "reds under the bed".
Fourth, American nationalism in the form of imperialism and "we're No 1" has detracted from recognition of native class divides.
Lastly, the exceptional strength of employers, unfettered by the state, has led to victimisation and violence against leftwing political activists.
Labours US Catch-22
All three leading Democratic candidates support the Employee Free Choice Act and two of them have explicitly called for the banning of permanent replacement of strikers. But as seasoned labour commentator Eric Lee (Morning Star January 18 2008) suggested, workers and unions will not be able to rely on campaign promises.
That surely leaves workers and unions needing to have their own party and self-same catch-22 dilemma all over again.
Not only do I agree, but I have a solution, one that is easy for people to support. My solution is a group with a meme, an idea designed to be spread virally. Our logo, to the right, looks a bit right-wing, like one of those "support the troops" magnets (as if anyone doesn't support the troops) or the GOP's theft of the American Flag as representing their militaristic vision of democracy. It looks like it belongs to the far-right, but we use it to support nonpartisan causes, like Project Vote Smart, PBS, League of Women Voters, etc. Although these organizations are non-partisan, they are at odds with the GOP strategy of misinforming, disenfranchising, and deception of the public. The meme is patriotic in the sense of promoting democracy through education and civil rights.
The meme is easy to spread and infectious. It is not easy for the far right to innocolate against without informing or promoting the cause. Promoting is easy for moderates and progressives. You can simply recommend this diary help spread the meme of democracy for the American Middle Class, or if you're especially bold, join our group on Myspace: http://groups.myspace.com/.... Someone really patriotic folks can email me and I'll send you a free magnet celebrating the infinite strength of democracy, "Stars and Stripes Forever," to put on your car.
Our group, also at www.agilepeople.org addresses a few of the problems that the Guardian identified as weakening the labor movement in the US:
First, we are blatantly nationalistic (see our logo), making it difficult for the right-wing to attack us as anti-American. We support labor reform because the lack of penalties harm businesses that choose to obey the law and permit unionization of their employees, like Costco vs Walmart or GM vs Toyota. We also support labor rights for the same reason the U.N. supports the right to organize...its a basic human right.
Second, we aren't a union or affiliated with a union, or unilaterally on the side of labor. We are on the side of Americans and the enforcement of the laws of our nation. We are supported by my small business that doesn't fall under federal labor regulations (less than $500K in gross sales) but has to compete against corporations like Wal-Mart that do fall those guidelines and have killed many other small businesses. I am an employer, not an employee or a union. But because I don't have a lot of employees, my people all know each other. Even if I was a heartless bastard CEO and fired a union organizer, that would be about 10% of my workforce and people would notice. Small businesses do not benefit by leaving $0 penalties for labor law violations.
Third, as a small businessman I fully believe in capitalism, not communism. I don't advocate for labor rights simply for altruistic reasons, but because my customers would benefit from increased wages, which to a retailer means increased sales. I don't sell luxury yachts or other products which do well in this economy for the rich, and I don't believe in "trickle down economics."
Fourth, I believe in the American Dream , as do most small businesses. Small business create most of the new jobs in America, and undertake more risk than their stodgy corporate competitors (who buy us out when we succeed).
And the big issue that the Guardian article misses is that Americans are not very engaged in politics (Kossacks excepted). The best most American are willing to do is buy a product that has good social values (like Newman's Own Salad Dressing or Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream or maybe my Liberty Cookies ). The most active of Americans maybe put a political bumper sticker on their car. A small percentage of American's vote too, but often are mislead by the vast advertising machines of lobbyists, and as the Guardian points out even the Democrats are not precisely the party of labor...they just are not as horrible as Republicans on serving the people instead of corporate interests. Agilepeople also supports Voting Reform to help give third parties viability or at least to some money out of elections.
Help spread the meme, and let Republicans explain why it is unpatriotic. Click recommend for the diary, and sign the petition at www.agilepeople.org
Thanks!