Revitalizing unions

In These Times has an interesting post on revitalizing the labor movement. It focuses on University of Texas law professor Julius G. Getman's new book, Restoring the Power of Unions: It Takes a Movement. Getman portray's the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union (HERE) as a model of a member centered labor organization which has created its own mobilized rank and file, a rejuvenation of a movement, solidarity - core values gone missing from other labor organizations. Getman also rejects card check recognition as labor's salvation. He's not against it, he just does not believe it will effectuate needed change. Getman correctly notes two restrictions on labor's economic power have crippled the labor movement over time. The first is Mackay Radio, which held economic strikers can be permanently replaced. The second is Taft-Hartley's ban on secondary economic pressure.

75 years of labor law

Here is an overview of labor law for the last 75 years (pro-labor).

Ignore EFCA at your peril Dems

Drawing on history, one former union organizer and Obama campaign staffer claims Democrats who fail to champion workers rights are doomed to electoral failure. Claiming abandonment of EFCA is political suicide for President Obama, Mike Elk supports the claim by citing Truman's 1948 election and claiming Truman's opposition to Taft-Hartley rallied workers to support him over Dewey. The piece further claims Regan's victory over Carter and the 1994 Republican revolution were permitted as a result of sitting Democratic presidents rejecting workers' rights. I don't buy this over simplistic logic. First, union density was a whole lot higher in 1948. Second, blue collar workers were significantly more likely to vote for democrats in 1948 than in 1994, or 2010. That said, if there is no passage of significant labor legislation assisting unions in their organizing efforts, labor might take a hike on the 2010 mid-terms, and that could make 2010 a lot more like 1994.