2 biggest blunders in Labor history

[Jack Sprat]

1) abandoning the Democrats in 1980 election that catapulted Reagan into office and ushering in an era of union busting.

2) not fighting the NAFTA initiative of Bill Clinton in 1994 with more resolve and energy.

I cannot think of 2 greater catastrophic instances of failure in my lifetime as a Union member. In both instances we had a divide of solidarity that was costly for Labor and American workers.

[madrchsod]

1. neither can i

the mid 70`s on the unions were starting to lose because of off shoring. i worked at a union forge shop and we saw our business slowly go overseas. the fastener industry around northern illinois was the first to take the big hit.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. The air controllers strike

It backfired.

[Omaha Steve]

5. At the time of the PATCO srike....

I was a member of the now defunct GAU. I was fired for union organizing June 20, 1980. I was not working yet on August 3, 1981 when PATCO went on strike. I remember it well. The GAU relocated it's national convention from Hawaii to Chicago, so delegates could use alternate methods rather than air to get there to support PATCO. Part of what hurt PATCO was years of PATCO crossing picket lines of airport construction projects etc.. PATCO AND the Hormel strike that started in August of 1985 were the two biggest losses of labor as a whole in several decades. Both happened during the Reagan administration!

Reagan pulled in Democrats in several states that allowed cross over voters in the 76 Primaries when he took on Ford. Democrats bought into what he said he would do. Don't confuse that with what he did do. They turned out for him again in 1980. Many union members felt a past SAG union president like Ron would never sell out the cause. He all but gutted labor.

It is important we never get fooled again. I know my local has many that vote straight Republican tickets. But then we are a right to work state and that is our biggest problem. We have just above the 50% number of required members to stay certified. Our second largest problem is a state law that forbids public workers to strike. There is a formula used to set our wages and benefits. It sucks if we have to go that route.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Air_Traffic_Controllers_Organization

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormel

[msongs]

3. those evil union lobbyists may soon be a thing of the past :-) nt

[villager]

4. the Republicans succeeded into deluding union members that unions themselves

were the enemy, along with government (the thuggery of corporations, however, was A.O.K.!)

And if that didn't work, there was always : "They're coming for your guns!"

Later refined to: "The queers are coming for your guns!," etc.

Hard working Americans swallowed it all whole.

[Jack Sprat]

6. Yep, and you see how the deceit has worked out.

The average American has lost any sense of security. We are living on the edge of financial ruin. All leverage has been forfeited and workers, only 7% of which are union now, are at the mercy of their employer. I heard someone reflecting on why Americans are so reluctant to demonstrate actively against the power structure now. They are living in constant fear. The safety nets are gone. Organized labor once galvanized the great American spirit. Now that it is weak, the American spirit is frail and weak, too.