2007 Was a Disappointing Year for Workers
Despite the Democratic Control of Congress

Union members were delighted when the results of the 2006 congressional elections showed that the Democratic Party had captured control of Congress. Since unions had contributed mightily to the Democratic victory with money and volunteers, they expected a substantial political payoff with the passage of pro-worker legislation and an expansion of their influence in Party decisions. Sad to say, their high hopes did not materialize. .

We failed to get Congress to enact the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which would permit workers to join unions by “card check” and penalize employers that, in effect, denied them this basic right. Although a majority of the House voted in favor of EFCA, Senate Democrats could not muster the necessary 60 votes to force cloture and move on to pass the measure.

Although a significant majority of the American people called for ending the American occupation in Iraq and bringing our troops home, Congress failed to do so, as the addition of thousands of U.S, troops (the “surge”) brought a decrease in violence in Baghdad, with an Iraqi government still failing to achieve political stability, halt widespread corruption or provide the population with adequate electricity, clean water, sewage control and other public services.

President George W. Bush, a “lame duck” president now in his last year in office, compelled Congress to supply additional billions for the war effort in Iraq, without having to announce timetables or deadlines for the U.S. withdrawal. The outlook is that, despite massive protests from anti-war organizations in the U.S. and around the world, the war in Iraq will continue at least through 2008 and beyond, with the government pouring additional billions into Iraq with the futile hope of a hazily-defined victory.

On the home front, the crisis in health care remains unresolved. Some 45 million people are without health coverage and their number is being increased, as constantly rising premiums and deductibles are forcing families to give up their health insurance. President Bush vetoed a bill to provide health insurance for children not now covered‹a bill that had the support of Republicans and Democrats in Congress, but not enough votes to override his veto.

President Bush cannot escape the charge that his administration’s handling of the mortgage problem and credit crunch has caused hundreds of thousands of our citizens to lose their homes or face foreclosures. Nor has the government fulfilled is promises to the people of Louisiana, who are still suffering severely since the Katrina hurricane.

While profits and productivity were gratifying for employers, most workers saw very little improvement in their wages and benefits. Retirees and those getting ready to retire had plenty to worry about as many major corporations came up with new plans that would reduce the amount of income they would receive when they were ready to collect their pensions. Congress had not approved a measure that would guarantee the retirement income and benefits that workers had been originally promised.

The exodus of good-paying American jobs continued, not only in manufacturing but also in service industries, without Congress or the labor movement doing anything to staunch the flow. Although the multinational corporations have been roaming the world for 30 years, placing their factories in low-wage regions, where they can also avoid taxes and “labor trouble,” neither the AFL-CIO nor the Change to Win has come up with a strategy to deal with the problem.

Can We Afford to Suffer Continuing Defeats in 2008?

Labor’s record for the past year can be charitably described as lackluster, not only because it has achieved hardly any victories, but because there is little evidence that top union leaders are even thinking of ways to resuscitate an ailing labor movement.

Their focus has been almost exclusively to build support for the Employee Free Choice Act, which, they contend, is essential to enable workers to join unions, free of intimidation from their employers. But they are aware that any vote on EFPC wonąt come until the spring of 2009 at the earliest, even if the Democrats capture the White House. So what does organized labor do in the 15 intervening months between now and then?

How do they reach out to the 50 million workers, who, according to surveys, say they would like to join a union? There is no convincing evidence that the unions are even trying to do so or know how.

And what is labor’s message to these workers? That employers are too aggressive and intimidating. How is that going to appeal to unorganized workers?

If my repeated serious charges against the leadership of the AFL-CIO and Change to Win are untrue or even partially invalid or unfair, I invite John Sweeney, Andy Stern — or any other labor leader or union member — to take over my column and prove me wrong. As I have said many times, their very silence over a period of several years convicts them.

Our weekly column, “The World of Labor,” reports the struggles and victories of unions in countries around the globe. Check our web site: www.LaborEducator.org.