Democrats and Labor

What is already a rather uneasy alliance should become even more so now that the "card check" provision of the Employee Free Choice Act has been dropped at the behest of "moderate Democrats". Unions spent 80 million dollars and tons of time on this campaign and are trying to present a stoic face as they see this key provision wiped out in back room deal making. They also put a lot of effort into getting Obama elected in part because he was a vocal supporter of the legislation. What lessons will they learn? The "deal" so far appears to include a limit on the time employers can stall before holding an election (currently 40 days) of 5 to 10 days. This is good. The election must take place after 30% sign and there are still much stiffened penalties for employer infractions included. Still being negotiated is the possibility of union access to company property for organizing and barring employers from forcing workers to attend anti-union "educational" meetings. This is also good , although the very fact such meetings exist is proof of how far unionism has fallen. Next they will require workers to attend church and recite the pledge!

I was never convinced that "card check" would be the miracle cure for the decline of unionism in this country but I felt it was worth supporting actively, a somewhat controversial position within Wobblie ranks. Many Wobs especially resisted the idea of binding arbitration which is also, interestingly,a provision the right-wing is fighting tooth and claw. This seemed to me an unrealistically "pure" stance considering the political realities and I think forcing employers into a contract is a defeat for them if not an actual victory for workers.

As to the long-term effects, I would like to think a certain percentage of the rank and file will become further radicalized by this compromise at their expense and start to see that only eventual worker power ( the general strike) can bring about true social change. Reliance on capitalist "democracy" will always lead to betrayal and such hollowed out "politics" can never deliver the goods. More and more people will begin to spit the word "moderate" out with disgust and such spineless cowards as the Diane Fienstiens and Arlen Specters will enjoy the enmity and infamy now reserved for those "crazy radicals".