The bosses forget our history but we shouldn't

On, June 21, 1877, four men were executed by hanging in Mauch Chunk, Carbon County. Their names were Alexander Campbell, Michael Doyle, John Donahue and Edward Kelly. On the same day, in Pottsville, six men were executed by hanging. Their names were James Boyle, James Carroll, Thomas Duffy, Hugh McGeehan, Thomas Munley and James Roarity. This was the "Day of the Rope" -  the largest "legal" mass execution of citizens in American history.

These victims were labor activists, made examples of what would happen to those who tried to make their lives and their families' lives better by demanding better economic conditions. They were union men, and the rich and powerful wanted them dead. All were said to be associated with the "Molly Maguires", an organization historians still are not certain actually existed. What we do know to be true, though, is that there was a very small percentage of the population that controlled most of the wealth and enjoyed monopolies in all the major industries. "Money" ruled the politicians and the courts. After decades of submitting to the coal barons, the workers revolted. Workers who were considered union (unions were just being organized at the time), and those who weren't union, both withheld their labor and the flow of coal that fueled the whole country stopped. Rather than negotiate an agreement with the workers that could help them achieve a livable lifestyle, the coal barons put their money into creating a private police force (Coal & Iron Police). They also put their money into hiring the country's most expensive detective agency (the Pinkertons). The battle was to crush the labor movement and the super rich of the era decided to make sure they'd not have to have this battle again. In the end, all the workers' determination and spirit just wasn't enough to overcome the power of money.

The names, places and tactics have changed, but the philosophy is still the same. Most of the rich and powerful in this country would eliminate or even outlaw labor unions if they had their way. After Wisconsin Gov. Walker's victory in the recent Wisconsin recall election many right-wing pundits described it as beginning of the end and the demise of organized labor. They suffer from a case of amnesia forgetting that a more far-reaching anti-union bill in Ohio last November was defeated by union supporters.

Unions use collective bargaining to improve levels of workplace justice for union members. Union contracts  have a  “spillover” and "trickle up" where non-unionized workers see their own wages and conditions improve as the result of the last set of union action. Unions are the tools that help protect employees. Non-unionized workers will support labor unions when they are inspired to do so; if the non-union community trusts labor to fight for their interests, they will fight alongside unions. Rather than vilify the labor movement, we should appreciate that unions are the only institutions in our society that endeavour to introduce some degree of democracy into the workplace and allow employees to collectively negotiate with employers about wages, hours and terms of employment. Without unions workers are reduced to a commodity that bosses can  purchase as cheaply as they can possible.

Left to its own devices, capitalism will concentrate money and power in the hands of a few and wealth inequality grows ever greater. Unions were created to combat these tendencies and to protect workers from their employers’ unrelenting pursuit of money and accumulate capital. While employers want to maximize profits, workers want enough to pay their bills and lead a comfortable life. Hence, there is a power struggle between workers and employers over how much of the company’s profits will go to wages and benefits and how much to the owners. Given that the owners have far more money at their disposal than the workers, one might assume that they hold the reins of power in their hands and can dictate the outcome.

But there is a limit to the power of money. Unions provide the potential for a far greater exercise of power than what their employers can command, even with far more money at their disposal. Workers organized unions on the principle of solidarity. While an individual worker is powerless in the face of a domineering employer and while workers who are competing against one another are collectively powerless in relation to the employer, workers quickly learned that power shifts in their direction when they join together and engage in coordinated co-operative action. If one person tries to conduct a strike, that person is simply fired. When the entire workforce conducts a strike, they bring the business to a halt and become a force to contend with. Because of this need to stand together and work for a common goal, unions generate their own culture. When they struggle together, camaraderie and a consciousness develops among  union members. They take care of one another and cover for each other, and form lifetime friendships in much the same way as soldiers who have endured battles together. After all, it is war - the class war

For this reason, union struggles can change the entire political and cultural landscape. When workers decide to take a stand in order to break the cycle of growing inequalities in wealth, when they fight for a decent standard of living that includes a living wage, job security, health care and retirement with dignity, not just for themselves but for everyone, they inspire all working people and create the possibility of a massive social movement that has the potential to forge historic changes. People are inspired by movements that aim at creating a better world for everyone, where those who need help are given what they need, where people contribute according to their ability, and where no one advances at the expense of others. This more ennobled sense of humanity engenders inspiration in a way that money never can. And people are inspired when workers wage a real fight. When these social movements achieve momentum, money no longer plays the deciding role. People shed their disconnected isolation, become engaged and talk with one another, become knowledgeable of the issues, and derive strength in their numbers. And massive numbers of people demonstrating for a common goal has proved time and again to be the prevailing factor. Labor's inherent power of unions lies in their numbers, organization, and ability to collectively assert themselves in the workplace and streets. This is how labor became strong; the mass strikes and street demonstrations that built the labor movement created an organizational power that neither Democrats nor Republicans dared touch.Unions were not given this power by compassionate Democrats in past generations; power was forcibly taken from the Democrats.

 However when workers fail to put up a fight, it will again be money that prevails.

 adapted from here and  here