[Marxism] RE Labor Notes leader joins ABB crowd

[Ilyenkova@xxxxxxx]

Andy Pollack writes:
>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.<

No excuses for Mike Parker. I agree entirely with the Andy's conclusions that
Parker has crossed a class line. I just don't get the qualifications ('Now I
know the skilled trades are rough milieu...He does so in the context of
addressing his fellow UAW skilled trades members, asking how they can possibly
support Bush.') What trade union milieu isn't rough today with the 
Internationals
draining our treasuries to sink into the Kerry campaign while this New Democrat
'friend of labor' has nothing to say to workers as either union members, or
'working people' in general? Probably a third or more of my AFSCME co-workers
will be voting for Bush (and this local is in Boston!). Sure I say to them,
"Whadda ya nuts?" and they ask me what Kerry's going to do for them; what's he
doing about the pension crisis; outsourcing jobs etc??  They're po'd at me
because they assume that a former officer is pushing the McEntee line on them to
follow where their dues money went and vote for Kerry. Then I do the "we don't
vote for the boss for shop steward so why vote for him for president? I'm
voting for Nader."  In all honesty, these Bush voting trade unionists respond 
that
Nader isn't on the ballot in Massachusetts. One actually voted for Nader in
2000! They're not 'nuts'; they just despise Kerry. So, in my 500 person local a
third are voting for Bush largely out of dislike of Kerry; two-thirds are
voting for Kerry with clothespins on their noses wishing he were Ted Kennedy
(Assuming 100% will vote). Sounds like Parker caved to the lesser evil trap.
There's no excuse for this from any leftist who presumes to advise the 'labor
movement' in the pages of Labor Notes or any of his 'great books.' Yecch.
Ilyenkova


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