Is there a more pathetic strategy than this?

This below is from my central labor council. This is a body that at one time when I was a delegate. represented about 160,000 workers I think, now it is somewhere around 120,000.


This is a call to a "vigil" at, I assume, the president of the University of California's home. The Union leadership representing these workers called a strike during the summer at the University, when most students are not there. It was a strike where the Union paid the workers $80 a day to not work for a week or so. Then they sent them back to work. Now the CLC is calling a "vigil".

They are calling it a vigil, which is a term often used by religious groups to describe a prayer meeting, in order to let the powers that be, the bosses and the police etc, that nothing will be done that will actually have an effect; that will work. The Labor leaders are terrified of victory, terrified of the potential power of their own members as this power always threatens the relationship they have built with the employers, a relationship based on cooperation and support for the market at all costs.


This is the pathetic state of affairs in the Labor movement. Anything stronger than this would also bring a phone call from the local Democratic Party heavy weights warning the Labor leaders not to jeopordize the Obama campaign.


More demoralization will flow from this catastrophic and collaborationist strategy. The workers will not get a sense of their own strength because everything has been done to ensure that strength is not organized and used.


Then the labor leaders will blame the members for not being willing to fight.


They are shameful and are perhaps the greatest obstacle to building an offensive against the bosses. During the 1996 election cycle there was a real opportunity for labor to put forward an independent and viable alternative to the Democrats as the LP was in formation led by Tony Mazzochi of OCAW. As usual, this effort was sabotaged by the Labor bureaucracy led by its left wing as they were supporting Clinton and they ensured (includign many so-called socialists among them) that the LP ended up but a pressure group on the Democrats and eventually a dead duck.

Now the Labor leadership is offering Obama as our savior, a candidate of Wall Street supported by Paul Volcker and the likes of Google's boss, the 59th richest man in America according to Forbes.


There's much disappointment ahead and the Labor leadership are to blame for it.

Here's the call to action from a leadership of a body representing more than 100,000 workers in the east bay area.

VIGIL To End Poverty Wages at UC at President Yudof's House



FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24th7 pm



Candle Light Vigil Meet at Grizzly Terrace, Oakland



The Alameda Labor Council, AFL-CIO.100 Hegenberger Rd #150, Oakland CA 94621, Tel: (510) 632-4242,info@alamedalabor.org, Fax: (510) 632- cwa39521/afl-cio tcwVIGIL To End Poverty Wages at UCat President Yudof's HouseFRIDAY, OCTOBER 24th7 pm Candle Light Vigil Meet at Grizzly Terrace, OaklandThe Alameda Labor Council, AFL-CIO.100 Hegenberger Rd #150, Oakland CA 94621, Tel: (510) 632-4242,info@alamedalabor.org, Fax: (510) 632- cwa39521/afl-cio tcw