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September 06, 2004
Introducing the Labor Blog
Enter a new group blog on labor issues.
Why? Well, for those of us in and around the labor movement, it's because we think what people do 8+ hours per day, 5+ days a week is where the fate of the nation and the world rests. When workers have power in the workplace, they end up with power in the political world, just as employers use power in the private economy to leverage privileges from the public sector.
That's the simplest message for many of the political folks who frequent progressive blogs, but the importance of unions goes beyond this year's election to whether there will democracy not just every four years but every day when people go to work. A union is about having a chance to vote on what your benefits will be, whether you have child care or have time to stay home with the kids when you want to, and, at the most basic level, whether you have the dignity of a voice at work.
But there is a more immediate need for a broad discussion on labor issues. Major changes are coming in the labor movement, as this Business Week article highlights. Some unions are even discussing breaking off from the AFL-CIO to more effectively organize new workers, but whatever happens, there needs to be a broad ranging debate among unionists and progressive allies on what it will take to revive the labor movement and expand the ranks of union members.
This effort is a work in progress. You'll be seeing additional authors in coming days and while you'll also be seeing additional features soon-- more links to labor resources for example-- the core of the blog is going to be the various voices involved. Please add yours to the comments and join the dialogue.
BTW as soon as the global databases catch up, this blog can be reached directly at http://www.laborblog.org.
Posted by Nathan at September 6, 2004 11:07 PM
