What's the deal with unions these days? I talk with longtime journalist & author Hamilton Nolan about his new book The Hammer, which details the tattered state of unions in the US & prospects for their future.
David, thank you for this. And thanks to Hamilton Nolan, whose new book should be on the "read this" list of every Union leader, organizer and staffer in the country. As a former "old industrial" union activist (Machinists Union) who came of age in the late '70's, just before the Reagan era PATCO destruction began (oh, youth and optimism), I admit to some poignant nostalgia reading this. It's a bit like watching the children learn how to walk, while at the same time giving birth to renewed hope after one has exited the stage, following my own some 45 years watching labor power and workers' rights erode and decline.
I was so lucky to be mentored by one of the early 20th century working class warriors who "went through some shit," Ernie DeMaio, a UE leader and the first organizer John L. Lewis ever hired for the CIO out of Hartford, CT, who went on to lead the organizing efforts at GE and Westinghouse. My god, the stories of those on-fire industrial union organizers (in contrast to the old AFL skilled trades-only unions).
The point I want to underline that Hamilton makes so well is a two-fer:
Firstly, there is SO MUCH to be learned and gleaned from reading labor history, and from taking a deep dive into original source materials (ie.g., oral histories; interviews in academic labor archive, etcetera), which is largely available now with a few key strokes.
That stuff is inspiring, educational and still informative for today - the innovative tactics that those organizers came up with! Ernie led the drive to organize the Bridgeport CT GE plant by working with Coughlinites, the MAGA of his day.
Secondly, it is my fervent belief that just as high schools should be mandated at a state level to teach Black history and Civics ,so should they be mandated to include a unit on labor history, the history of workers in the U.S., of the struggle between capital and labor, and why it matters. (And parents should should educate themselves so that they can in turn encourage their children to take that Labor History class in college.)
History has much to teach us, and much to inspire. What a profound joy it is to see the children taking, far more than their first steps, giant strides into the next chapter of organizing working class power - and protecting workers' rights! - in the U.S. La lucha continua. (Now where the f are all the comments and accolades that belong here? C'mon people, read and learn, speak up! And become a paid subscriber to Volts. Be the change.)
CORRECTION: Ernie was the first paid organizer hired by the U.E., not the CIO (wee hours insomnia brain).
For those who may want to know more (you few, you hardy souls), simply search for Ernie (or Ernest) DeMaio for links to oral history interviews, videos, photos, archives, et. al. (even his big brother Angelo 's FBI records). Here is a link to the article on from The Shoeleather History Project's article, "i fought for them and they fought for me."
Ended up listening to this on the way home from a visit to the Eugene Debs museum in Terre Haute IN so that was a nice little alignment (as an aside, great museum that everyone should go visit!)
Nolan missed one point that is often made by labor economists. Unions are good for management, because they do not answer to management. Every competent boss in the world knows that their subordinates keep bad news away from the boss. Unions provide a lot of "bad news"--admittedly biased, but likely coming from no other source. This is good for effective managers.
Unions, however, are probably bad for shareholders. Labor and capital are competing for the same surplus value of the business. Since there seem to be way too many dollars of capital competing for way too few investment opportunities, the shareholders can afford to lose a bit of this surplus.
David, I listen to your podcast weekly and recommend it to my friends, family, students, and colleagues enthusiastically. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get through the transcript of this episode. Don’t get me wrong, as an eight grade science and language arts teacher, I gratefully pay my union dues. I lament the decline of labor union power and use my vote to support leaders who will preserve workers’ rights. It wasn’t the content, so much as your word choice. What struck me in reading the transcript was your voice. It felt like I had entered a testosterone-filled room where bro culture prevailed and my response was to turn around and walk out. I stopped reading at “jerk-off centrist”.
How can I use your podcasts in my classroom when you gratuitously sprinkle in “shit”? Language has the power to move your audience toward equitable solutions to the climate crisis. If you were one of my students, I would encourage you to keep your audience in mind.
David, thank you for this. And thanks to Hamilton Nolan, whose new book should be on the "read this" list of every Union leader, organizer and staffer in the country. As a former "old industrial" union activist (Machinists Union) who came of age in the late '70's, just before the Reagan era PATCO destruction began (oh, youth and optimism), I admit to some poignant nostalgia reading this. It's a bit like watching the children learn how to walk, while at the same time giving birth to renewed hope after one has exited the stage, following my own some 45 years watching labor power and workers' rights erode and decline.
I was so lucky to be mentored by one of the early 20th century working class warriors who "went through some shit," Ernie DeMaio, a UE leader and the first organizer John L. Lewis ever hired for the CIO out of Hartford, CT, who went on to lead the organizing efforts at GE and Westinghouse. My god, the stories of those on-fire industrial union organizers (in contrast to the old AFL skilled trades-only unions).
The point I want to underline that Hamilton makes so well is a two-fer:
Firstly, there is SO MUCH to be learned and gleaned from reading labor history, and from taking a deep dive into original source materials (ie.g., oral histories; interviews in academic labor archive, etcetera), which is largely available now with a few key strokes.
That stuff is inspiring, educational and still informative for today - the innovative tactics that those organizers came up with! Ernie led the drive to organize the Bridgeport CT GE plant by working with Coughlinites, the MAGA of his day.
Secondly, it is my fervent belief that just as high schools should be mandated at a state level to teach Black history and Civics ,so should they be mandated to include a unit on labor history, the history of workers in the U.S., of the struggle between capital and labor, and why it matters. (And parents should should educate themselves so that they can in turn encourage their children to take that Labor History class in college.)
History has much to teach us, and much to inspire. What a profound joy it is to see the children taking, far more than their first steps, giant strides into the next chapter of organizing working class power - and protecting workers' rights! - in the U.S. La lucha continua. (Now where the f are all the comments and accolades that belong here? C'mon people, read and learn, speak up! And become a paid subscriber to Volts. Be the change.)
CORRECTION: Ernie was the first paid organizer hired by the U.E., not the CIO (wee hours insomnia brain).
For those who may want to know more (you few, you hardy souls), simply search for Ernie (or Ernest) DeMaio for links to oral history interviews, videos, photos, archives, et. al. (even his big brother Angelo 's FBI records). Here is a link to the article on from The Shoeleather History Project's article, "i fought for them and they fought for me."
https://shoeleatherhistoryproject.com/2013/11/09/they-fought-for-me-and-i-fought-for-them/
Ended up listening to this on the way home from a visit to the Eugene Debs museum in Terre Haute IN so that was a nice little alignment (as an aside, great museum that everyone should go visit!)
Nolan missed one point that is often made by labor economists. Unions are good for management, because they do not answer to management. Every competent boss in the world knows that their subordinates keep bad news away from the boss. Unions provide a lot of "bad news"--admittedly biased, but likely coming from no other source. This is good for effective managers.
Unions, however, are probably bad for shareholders. Labor and capital are competing for the same surplus value of the business. Since there seem to be way too many dollars of capital competing for way too few investment opportunities, the shareholders can afford to lose a bit of this surplus.
Thanks for this. Companies think unions make for bad employees but often great customers.
David, I listen to your podcast weekly and recommend it to my friends, family, students, and colleagues enthusiastically. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get through the transcript of this episode. Don’t get me wrong, as an eight grade science and language arts teacher, I gratefully pay my union dues. I lament the decline of labor union power and use my vote to support leaders who will preserve workers’ rights. It wasn’t the content, so much as your word choice. What struck me in reading the transcript was your voice. It felt like I had entered a testosterone-filled room where bro culture prevailed and my response was to turn around and walk out. I stopped reading at “jerk-off centrist”.
How can I use your podcasts in my classroom when you gratuitously sprinkle in “shit”? Language has the power to move your audience toward equitable solutions to the climate crisis. If you were one of my students, I would encourage you to keep your audience in mind.