tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579189847356587096.post8415092981812097270..comments2024-02-14T11:30:29.227-08:00Comments on Facts For Working People: $15Now becomes $15 Later. (maybe)Richard Mellorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00997976754939725087noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579189847356587096.post-91016412495655421662014-05-07T19:11:43.482-07:002014-05-07T19:11:43.482-07:00There are real debates and questions that arise fr...There are real debates and questions that arise from Seattle, but this article only serves to confuse the actual questions faced on the ground, and replaces them with weird conspiratorial critiques of SA. The blog should be be renamed from "Facts for Working People" to "Facts for Sectarians". It took me like three minutes to find examples of SA and Kshama trying to do what this author of this article criticizes them for not doing.<br /><br />Here is Kshama Sawant trying to address the concerns of small business:, literally laying out tax breaks and subsidies, which the author says she did not do: http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2014/04/16/council-member-kshama-sawant-replies-to-small-business-owner-mike-klotz<br /><br />Here is SA criticizing labor leaders and their strategy, not defending it (read last section)<br />http://www.socialistalternative.org/2014/05/06/fight-for-15-seattle-shows-what-a-movement-can-achieve/<br /><br />Here is SA calling for a mass campaign:<br />http://www.socialistalternative.org/2014/03/27/winning-15-seattle-socialist-strategy/<br /><br />Here is SA reaching out to women workers over the issue of tip credit:<br />http://www.socialistalternative.org/2014/04/14/womans-case-rejecting-tip-credit/<br /><br />Oh yea, and the "CBO concession to the labor leadership", which this article claims was orchestrated by SA and fails utterly to explain the rationale behind it, was adopted by a 15 Now mass meeting open to the public in Seattle by a majority vote. I was there. After hearing genuine democratic debate and discussion, I voted in favor of Unite Here's opt out because I thought it was best for the movement, not because I like labor leaders and their treacherous strategy.<br /><br />Here are some questions I have for the author:<br /><br />1) 15 Now and SA tried to reach out to rank-and-file union members throughout the campaign through mass meetings, endorsement processes, and neighborhood action groups. Given the state of the labor movement, and 15 Now's relatively new character, HOW does the author suggest 15 Now could have done outreach differently or more effectively?<br /><br />2) Many workers hold confused consciousness around small business, making a differentiation between small business and corporations. This is evident through five minutes of conversation with actual working people. In addition, it became clear that big business was fully prepared to use genuine consciousness around small business to de-rail the movement. HOW does the author suggest 15 Now could have won a mass public debate on its own?Gray0005https://www.blogger.com/profile/01574760406826705021noreply@blogger.com