I recently posted a diary that got some attention on the loss of the union election at the Chattanooga VW plant. Despite being a union stalwart - someone who has given a great deal of my life the last dozen years to the cause of my union and of the labor movement in general - you might be surprised to hear that my feelings about this election were not totally unmixed. In my mind, this was a no-win election for the interests of American workers. The "no" vote was clearly a setback for Labor in general, and especially for efforts to organize in the South. A "yes" vote would have been an affirmation of a style of unionism - partnership unionism - that represents much of what is wrong with American Labor today.
I'll continue below with more detail.
A little bit about my own history and my union, so you know where I am coming from. I've been an RN for over 32 years. In 2000, the opportunity arose to unionize the hospital where I work with the California Nurses Association. I played a leading role in that campaign. Since that time I've served on all of our bargaining teams, I'm Chief Steward and a member of my union's Board of Directors and Executive Board. Our union is strongly opposed to the idea of partnership unionism. We are a fighting union that understands that the interest of the boss is fundamentally different from the interest of the worker, that the union should always be seeking to make common cause with the larger public interest and the interest of workers everywhere - and not make common cause with the boss. Our principles often mean that we don't play well with others. In 2004, when "Ahnold" tried to roll back our state's landmark staffing ratio law, other unions told us we couldn't fight him, he was too powerful. We went to war with him, made him a laughingstock and won. In 2006 we came to believe that public financing of elections was a critical reform to restore democracy in America and we tried to pass it by initiative. Most other California unions - used to using money as their main political tool - joined the Right in opposing us and we got creamed. We've remained proudly devoted to single payer health care and refused to become cheerleaders for a version of health care reform we see as sadly inadequate. And we are one of very few unions publicly - and loudly - opposed to the Keystone XL pipeline - which has made us pariahs to much of the labor movement. But, as we say - "There are no jobs on a dead planet." That's who we are.
Much of the labor movement in America has taken a very different path - a path of supporting the Democratic party right or wrong, a path of accommodation with the boss, and a path of making common cause with the boss - even to the detriment of the worker and of the public interest.
It is absolutely true that unions in America have been the victim of a vicious and coordinated rightwing campaign of lies and distortions for the last 50 years or more. But it is also true that many of the wounds of the labor movement have been self inflicted.
So - what is "partnership unionism"?
The details vary quite a lot, but the gist is this: In exchange for certain things the union wants or needs, the union agrees to align itself with the employer on some or all issues that affect both and to make itself a servant of the employer's interest. This can be explicit in a written agreement, or tacit in the form of an informal understanding. Partnership unionism often works well for the union leadership. It often works well for the politicians the union supports. It nearly always works well for management. Those left out tend to be the workers and especially the larger public.
A few random examples:
When Ralph Nader exposed the disregard for safety in the design of American cars, the UAW was quick to join the auto companies in attacking him personally and his book on the subject.
When environmentalists pushed for higher fuel economy standards for cars, the UAW joined the auto companies in fighting back against those standards.
A variety of unions have offered special considerations to management in exchange for the right to organize unopposed - sometimes to the serious detriment of the public good. The most egregious example that has been well publicized is when a union that represented nursing home workers proposed a deal to the nursing home owners: In exchange for the right to organize without opposition, we'll use our clout with state government to fight tougher rules to protect the safety of residents. And - even worse - if our members become aware that their employer is breaking the law, we'll do our best to prevent reporting the violations.
Today, the building trades unions make common cause with the Kochs to promote the building of Keystone XL - called "game over" for stopping or moderating climate change.
One could go on - and others more knowledgeable in history no doubt will.
So yes, I would rather that the UAW had won its election this past week. It would have been better than the loss. But I also recognize that there is a very good reason VW did not oppose the election: they saw the union as a compliant partner in working together to increase efficiency, not as a fighter for the rights of the workers. And that role of compliant partner is one the UAW is increasingly proud to fill.
Long ago, the American labor movement was built on a foundation of worker solidarity that went beyond the boundaries of any single union or employer. There was a belief that the interests of all working people were fundamentally aligned - and could never be aligned with the interests of the boss. That belief helped lay the foundation for a prosperous working class that lasted from the '40s through the '70s Somewhere along the way, too many of our unions lost their way and created an unholy alliance of union leadership, bosses and politicians in which the interest of the working class as a whole and the larger public interest were forgotten. And workers - with the help of a lot of propaganda from the bosses - responded by increasingly rejecting unions as a vehicle for worker empowerment. I believe that any rebuilding of American labor will come from returning to our roots and re-learning who we are. And I'm proud to be part of a union that has kept that knowledge intact.
California Nurses Association/NNU