It's time Progressives Started Caring About the Labor Movement

[SocialistLez]

"If the progressive movement and blogosphere are serious about taking on corporate power, they must invest an equal amount of resources to workplace fights as they do electoral fights. Outside of coverage of the Writer's strike a few years ago, which was an issue that got plenty of media attention, the blogosphere has failed to cover most strikes with any serious commitment or long term attention.

This has failed to happen in the past because progressives tend to come from the professional/managerial class that has had little involvement with organized labor. They are not aware of organized labor's structure's or how organized labor challenges power in the workplace.

Also, bloggers and progressive activists tend not to see strikes and lockouts as national struggles about corporate power, since strikes in most industries typically occur only as part of a specific contract. However, local strikes tend to have bigger implications: If companies win concessions in one part of the industry, companies in other parts of the industry see it as an opportunity to go on the offensive against workers through the nation. "


http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6697/its_time_progressive_bloggers_started_caring_about_the_labor_movement/

I can't find anything I disagree with in this article. I thing outlets such as Labor Radio are important but we need more progressive site covering labor issues and trying to get labor stories told.

[patrice]

1. Labor rights, the sine qua non of the Progressive/Liberal/Left movement anywhere but the DU.

[socialist_n_TN]

2. To me, ALL left wing politics ultimately boils down

to economics. As long as capitalists control workers, NOBODY IS FREE! Not African-Americans, not Latinos, not women, not gays, not ANYBODY! When workers control our economic lives, we will control our destiny. And solidarity in economic matters will lead to solidarity against ALL forms of oppression.

[SocialistLez]

3. Exactly! +1,000,000