[Marxism] Labor Notes leader joins ABB crowd

[andrew c pollack <andypollack@xxxxxxxx>]

Mike Parker, a leader of Labor Notes since its founding and author of
several great books against labor-management cooperation, has come out
for Kerry (see his shop newsletter at
www.rts-tech.com/meatballs, click on Meatballs #10). He does so in the
context of addressing his fellow UAW skilled trades members, asking how
they can possibly support Bush.  His only mention of the Democrats is
when he says: "To be clear: The labor movement can find much better
friends than the party that gave us NAFTA and candidates like Kerry whose
only mention of unions in the last debate on economic policy was to show
how he could talk tough to unionists.  But Bush is viscously opposed to
unions..." and the rest of the piece is devoted to showing how Bush is
supposedly much worse.

Now I know the skilled trades are a rough milieu to work in, but Mike
clearly feels he can tell workers there that Kerry's no friend of labor.
If he nonetheless comes out for a vote for Anybody But Bush, it's a
reflection not of where they're at, but where Mike has moved to -- i.e.
away from independent political action and toward voting for Democrats.

Ironically, I just finished transcribing a 1949 pamphlet in favor of a
labor party reprinted in 1979 by -- the UAW Independent Skilled Trades
Council! The pamphlet, from a speech by Robert Lynd to a UAW education
conference is also a detailed analysis of how the bipartisan corporate
elite rig the system at work, at home, and in politics to strip workers
of our democratic rights. What's even more ironic is that the preface to
the pamphlet is by the late Victor Reuther, whom Mike himself pays
tribute to in Meatballs #8.

Ironic -- but not surprising.  Victor and Mike both spent decades
building the labor movement, but both would only go so far in opposing
the system.  For Mike however, although I've had many tactical
disagreements with him, this is the first time I could say that he
crossed the class line.

Andrew Pollack
P.S. The Lynd pamphlet should be up soon at the Marxists Internet
Archive.

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