For most construction workers today, work is looking tenuous, with the economy and all. I’m working 20-hour weeks right now. I was driving home from work this morning when I heard about a ballot measure that has got most of the unions fired up. UNITEHERE, the Teamsters and the UFCW: 3 big unions with at least one that calls itself progressive, are fighting a measure that’s gonna kill jobs. They’ve joined big business and big Agriculture to fight to save California jobs. Great! Jobs to be saved! I'm all for jobs!
The measure is Proposition 2. This Measure essentially gives chickens a few extra inches per cage to be able to turn and stretch their legs and some exposure to outside light. It’s a fairly minimal anti-animal cruelty Proposition to give our fellow winged workers a chance to shake up some of that limb-numbness that comes with being on your feet all day (and all night). So why are the unions against Prop 2?
Well, business, rightly, from its own narrow perspective, says that the new, legally-bound, construction will cost them money and lost revenue (profit). In their media campaign they argue they are extremely concerned that the working class will be hurt by higher prices and job losses. Also outdoor poultry could lead to increased aviatory flu (can chickens fly?) Thank God business is looking out for us, like they always do. Unfortunately, the union leaders believe this stuff! That’s why businesses are here: serving the working class community? The poultry “community," could they speak, may be less convinced.
It didn’t miss my radar that my own union, the Carpenters’ Union, has not come out on either side of this fight. If millions of new construction dollars are to be spent on new housing (cages), maybe my union leaders see a positive side to helping out animals!
My main, serious concern, is this is another example where union leaders side with business to supposedly save jobs at the cost of making the labor movement look like a bunch of narrow-minded, boss-like people who put business first at the cost to all else.
Well I'm voting for the leg room. Yes on Prop 2.
After this fight perhaps the animal rights folks can support better conditions in California prisons and in low-income human housing. When that happens you know the revolution has started.
3 comments:
Well here's what the AFL-CIO blog sent out today says:
Sept. 22, 2008
John McCain says the best way to fix the nation's broken health
care system is to model it on the fractured banking and finance
industries. Seriously! In a recent magazine article, he writes
that we should deregulate the health insurance industry "as we
have done over the last decade in banking." How's that turned
out, besides a proposed $700 billion Wall Street bailout
taxpayers may soon get hit with?
This is the labor leadership in this time of crisis for capitalism, obsessed with getting a Democrat in to the White House in the hope it increases Union membership which amounts to more dues money. They will return the favor by hopefully getting more votes for the Democrats in the future.
But this experience will increase opposition to these two big business parties as the Democrats help the administration bail out their friends.
I think the revolution is starting!
Thank you for your support of Prop 2 and for seeing how easily some can be led astray.
Prop 2 is a modest request to allow pregnant pigs, 'veal' calves and hens who lay eggs to turn around stretch their limbs.
The United Farm Workers and Delores Huerta have endorsed Prop 2 - so luckily some have seen the importance of common decency.
And why do I believe the revolution has started? I am an animal rights activist and my all volunteer non-profit organization works on issues such as farm worker rights and access to healthy foods in low-income areas.
Thanks again!
lauren Ornelas
Founder/Director
Food Empowerment Project
www.foodispower.org
I was talking to a friend about hunting today. I can't say too much about hunting because I eat meat but I never had much respect for the idea that killing an animal other than for food was anything but a bit sick, especially when their body parts end up on your wall.
It is the pleasure the person gets from killing it that bothers me. Not that all people that hunt for sport are bad people but don't like that they have this desire to just kill an animal for the sake of it. I do believe though that those that are cruel to animals are also cruel to the human animal.
I grew up as a youngster in the countryside in England. We used to go to the US airbase and get aniseed and meat bones then we would use them to throw the hounds of the Fox's trail when the local landed gentry and rural middle class used to hunt them. They even went around at night and blocked up the fox's earth so they couldn't go to ground; some hunters, the poor thing couldn't get away from the 30 dogs, 40 horses and five Landrovers.
Like most humans, all my life animals have played an important comforting role; they still do.
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