Re: AUT: the union makes us strong?

[Neil Fettes <benn@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

In the place where I work I know that if I get into an argument with my
supervisor that might result in discipline or other problems I can refuse to
continue the conversation unless my union president is there, or I can later
file a grievance. Of course, once the grievance is filed that complaint is
effectively lost in a bureaucratic jungle which means years might go by
before the issue is resolved. Better with or without? Most people would
likely say better some protection than none; however, a better choice would
be to have a climate of militancy (or whatever we want to call it) that saw
problems settled within the work place rather than resorting to external
agencies. Then again as someone elese once said, although we make our make
our own histroy we don't always get to choose the grounds on which we make it.

Likewise the case of the dues checkoff and the contract. In the case of the
CIO unions prior to automatic dues collection a shop stewart came round each
pay day to collect dues from each worker. Inefficient from one point of
view, this system had the advantage of making sure the shop stewart had to
listen to every worker he or she took money from. With the automatic dues
checkoff unions acquired a certain professionalism as a result of having a
regualr inocme, but it also meant the work force was isolated from the
union, which occasionally viewed the workers in terms of the dues base.
(hence the attractiveness of raiding - solidarity eh? My union has one of
the largest pension plans in Canada, a fact that resuklt from the 9% they
take as a deduction on top of dues)
The contract is a similar device. While it guarantees certain terms for a
period of time, the union effectively becomes the enforcer of the rules for
the duration of the contract.

It seems to me that the main axis of a critique of unions ought to focus on
what unions do under capitalism, rather than who is running them.  Marty
Glaberman of Bewick editions has produced a series of excellent pamphlets
and articles on the dynanic between bosses, workers and unions overthe last
several decades
during and after the

The Echanges pamphlet "Goodbye to the Unions" which features a debate
between Dutch council communist Cajo Brendel and NUM offical Dave Douglass
may also be found on-line at

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/2379/dougint.htm

Although it's not on line yet, the article on US unions in the British
journal Aufheben #7 is interesting too.

CGs

Neil




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