Tonight’s category: Top 10 Reasons for Going to the Labor Notes Conference on April 23-25 in Dearborn.
#10: Learn all about what worked somewhere else that just might work here.
#9: Drink beer and sing songs with the Wobblies, until Security shows up.
#8: Eat rubber banquet chicken entirely prepared and served by union labor.
#7: Pick up tons of literature that can be easily plagiarized for local newsletter.
#6: Maybe hear Andy Stern’s side of the story.
#5: Spend quality bus time with the cream of Madison’s labor movement.
#4: Recharge batteries for next two years.
#3: Talk to alchemists who can turn craft unions into industrial unions.
#2: “Sorry, I’ll be out of town” sounds a whole lot better than “I don’t care if you already bought tickets, I still ain’t goin’.”
And, reason #1 for going to the Labor Notes conference: What happens in Dearborn stays in Dearborn.
If you haven’t yet made arrangements, it isn’t too late.
To register for the conference go to: www.labornotes.org.
To get a room call the Hyatt Regency at 888-421-1442 and mention you want the Labor Notes rate.
To get a spot on the bus from Madison, contact Tony at 608-347-3435 or anthonycollin@gmail.com.
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Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Wiz
Toto muzzled open the office door. There, behind the huge desk, sat a little man, shouting into a speaker phone. His amplified voice boomed into the outer office.
“Close the door. And go away. Pay no attention to the man behind the desk. I am the Great Wizard. And I command you.”
“Oh, shit,” said Dorothy. “Look. It’s the Wizard. But he isn’t a wizard at all. He’s just a little guy yelling into the phone.”
“Dang,” said the Scarecrow. “If the Wizard doesn’t have magical powers, we came all this way for nothing. Now we’ll never pass the Employee Free Choice Act, so we’ll never be able to organize.”
“Yeah,” added the Tin Man. “I was going to ask the Wizard to pass a law so I could organize Academic Staff. Without a new law, we’re screwed.”
“What about me?” whimpered the Cowardly Lion. “I was counting on the Great Wizard to get the NLRB to rule in our favor, so we can save the union at Woodman’s. If he’s a fake, we’ve got no chance at all.”
“And I came all this way to ask the Wizard to institute a government that would be responsive to the needs of working people,” sighed Dorothy. “It looks like we were all just wasting our time.”
“Oooooh. Oh, no,” said the Wizard, coming out from behind the big desk. “No, no. You didn’t waste your time. Not at all.”
“Sure, I’m just a faker. I got no magical powers. But look at you!”
“You, there, Scarecrow. You don’t need no new laws to organize unions. Why, the great industrial unions in this country were organized totally outside of the laws. They struck for recognition and they used mass picket lines and sit-down strikes to force the boss to the table. You can start organizing as soon as you realize that.”
“And, you, Tin Man. You won’t organize Academic Staff with a law. You’ll organize them by going out and talking up the union. If you have something worthwhile, they’ll join up in droves. If not, forcing them to pay dues with a law sure won’t solve your problems.”
“And, hey, Lion. Stop your sniveling, for Christ sake. You came all this way, kicking flying monkey butt and melting witches, but you still ain’t figured it out.”
“You want to save the union out at Woodman’s? Then you gotta go out and talk about the union with the workers. Get ‘em to working together to fight those speed-ups and that 2-tier health care system. Show ‘em how working together—organizing a union—can make their lives better”
“And, Dorothy. Dear Dorothy. What can I say? You and your brothers here speak for the material interests of the vast majority of the people. Working people, in this country and around the world.”
“You don’t need no Wizard with magical powers to get that working class government you want. You’ve had the power all along. You just have to realize it.”
“But, how?”
“Look down, Dorothy. See those red shoes you’re wearing. They’ll take you to that working class government you want.”
There was a long silence as Dorothy, the Lion, Scarecrow, Tin Man and even Toto pondered the Wizard’s words.
“Did I mention the shoes are red?”
“Yeah, yeah, Wiz. We got that part.”
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“Close the door. And go away. Pay no attention to the man behind the desk. I am the Great Wizard. And I command you.”
“Oh, shit,” said Dorothy. “Look. It’s the Wizard. But he isn’t a wizard at all. He’s just a little guy yelling into the phone.”
“Dang,” said the Scarecrow. “If the Wizard doesn’t have magical powers, we came all this way for nothing. Now we’ll never pass the Employee Free Choice Act, so we’ll never be able to organize.”
“Yeah,” added the Tin Man. “I was going to ask the Wizard to pass a law so I could organize Academic Staff. Without a new law, we’re screwed.”
“What about me?” whimpered the Cowardly Lion. “I was counting on the Great Wizard to get the NLRB to rule in our favor, so we can save the union at Woodman’s. If he’s a fake, we’ve got no chance at all.”
“And I came all this way to ask the Wizard to institute a government that would be responsive to the needs of working people,” sighed Dorothy. “It looks like we were all just wasting our time.”
“Oooooh. Oh, no,” said the Wizard, coming out from behind the big desk. “No, no. You didn’t waste your time. Not at all.”
“Sure, I’m just a faker. I got no magical powers. But look at you!”
“You, there, Scarecrow. You don’t need no new laws to organize unions. Why, the great industrial unions in this country were organized totally outside of the laws. They struck for recognition and they used mass picket lines and sit-down strikes to force the boss to the table. You can start organizing as soon as you realize that.”
“And, you, Tin Man. You won’t organize Academic Staff with a law. You’ll organize them by going out and talking up the union. If you have something worthwhile, they’ll join up in droves. If not, forcing them to pay dues with a law sure won’t solve your problems.”
“And, hey, Lion. Stop your sniveling, for Christ sake. You came all this way, kicking flying monkey butt and melting witches, but you still ain’t figured it out.”
“You want to save the union out at Woodman’s? Then you gotta go out and talk about the union with the workers. Get ‘em to working together to fight those speed-ups and that 2-tier health care system. Show ‘em how working together—organizing a union—can make their lives better”
“And, Dorothy. Dear Dorothy. What can I say? You and your brothers here speak for the material interests of the vast majority of the people. Working people, in this country and around the world.”
“You don’t need no Wizard with magical powers to get that working class government you want. You’ve had the power all along. You just have to realize it.”
“But, how?”
“Look down, Dorothy. See those red shoes you’re wearing. They’ll take you to that working class government you want.”
There was a long silence as Dorothy, the Lion, Scarecrow, Tin Man and even Toto pondered the Wizard’s words.
“Did I mention the shoes are red?”
“Yeah, yeah, Wiz. We got that part.”
Want to leave a comment? Here's how you do it:
1) Click on "Comments" at the bottom of the message.
2) Type your comment in the box.
3) Then hit "Anonymous" button. Don't ask why. It just works better that way. If you want to include your name, type it in the comment box.
4) Finally, hit the "Publish your Comment" button.
Got something to say? Sure you do.
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