In a move that will transform the balance of class forces throughout the United States and indeed the world, the AFL-CIO leadership has instituted a series of militant actions that have already shaken the confidence of bankers and politicians alike.
Weknowwhatsup has been fortunate enough to have received details of the new combative strategy. With one of our Bloggers receiving the following details from the AFL-CIO
From the AFL-CIO’s James Parks, Nov 22, 2010 “Dec. 7: Show Your Solidarity with Long-Term Jobless Workers on Facebook, Twitter”
But here is the meat of the militant actions the AFL-CIO leadership are proposing that you “Mark your calendar for a Dec. 7 day of online solidarity with America’s long-term jobless workers.”
Hold up, there’s more. “That day, you can show your solidarity with jobless workers by replacing your Facebook and Twitter images with this jobless avatar (left). And change your status to: “We Are All Jobless.” We will post more details in the coming days.”
So we can put the image you see on the left on our Facebook and Twitter pages and, as you can see, we are putting it on the we_know_whats_up blog.
Gather your composure for a minute, filled as you are with a combination of shock, awe, and joy, and take in the next phase of the counter-offensive against the bosses the AFL-CIO experts have orchestrated.
Wait a minute, I am so filled with emotion and pride, I have to compose myself. I wish I could express this clearly in this medium but I am having considerable difficulty typing; so many of my friends have been unemployed and have come close to or have lost their homes already. I have waited 30 years for this moment, for a return to our militant past, to the days of Big Bill Haywood, Mother Jones and Joe Ettor. If Malcolm X were alive he’d be right in the thick of this.
The bosses and their politicians will be stunned by phase one, adding the jobless avatar, to our Facebok and Twitter pages (this is an incredible two-pronged offensive) so now the experts at the AFL-CIO bring in the killer punch:
“Meantime, you also can take action now. Click here to see our Unemployment Benefits Clock, and share it with your friends. We urge you to post it on Facebook, tweet it and embed the clock to your blog or website.
Stop crying and get to work, as you can see, by the clock that I tried to put on here but couldn't do it right that weknowwhatsup has completed phase two of "operation fightback” We have done what the labor experts atop the AFL-CIO have asked, “Let Congress know that refusing to extend this essential assistance to those in need is not the American way.”
The tactics themselves are brilliant but even more incredible is how they figured out that all we have to do is to let the politicians in Washington know that depriving almost three million workers unemployment benefits is “not the American way.” Had we known this, my former Union, AFSCME, to give one example, could have avoided spending $90 million of the member's hard earned dues money getting Democrats in to office last month's election. Slavery, sweatshops, massacring the native population and child labor is not the "American Way" either is it?
We wrote about this issue last week and when we think about it, it is not just unemployment benefits that we should be fighting for but the long-term solution of jobs through a massive infusion of spending on infrastructure and social needs like schools, hospitals, public transit etc. This and a shortening of the workweek to 5, 6 hour days with no loss in pay would go a long way to solving the problem of unemployment and the psychological damage, shattering of personal relations and crime that go along with it.
From what we understand, the strategists atop organized Labor are meeting with the pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Dalai Lama and heads of the Islamic and other major faiths to organize a global mass pray-in for jobs. But this may not be necessary as these responses to "operation fightback" from major global industrialists seems to indicate:
“We are sorry for our prior abuse and exploitation of the world’s youth. I have ordered my subordinates to double wages and reduce the hours of our 1.7 million employees worldwide. All our meat will be range fed from now on as well.” Jim Skinner, CEO McDonald’s Corp
“I am resigning my position and from now on, workers will not only work the assembly line but have a majority on the board We don’t want no trouble.” Alan Mullaly President and CEO, Ford Motor Company
“I appeal to Rich Trumka and the entire AFL-CIO executive board to show some restraint. We can work together on this. Meantime I will donate $20 billion to the Democratic Party for the AFL-CIO.” Bill Gates, very rich man who works at Microsoft
“We are taking back the trillions in bailouts, reversing the foreclosures so everyone who had their home stolen from them by the bankers can return to them as well as raising the minimum wage to $20 and capping CEO pay at $65,000a year. Please don’t carry out your operation fightback.” Joint statement from Barak Obama, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich and Warren Buffet.
It is rumored that this appeal will fall on deaf ears as a Phase three is planned which would entail the formation of an independent worker's party.
A new day is borne brothers and sisters. Despite these attempts at conciliation from the bosses, history has taught us we can’t trust them. Don’t back down now. Take up the banner the AFL-CIO leadership has handed to us and twitter away.
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1 comment:
It takes such a huge effort to try to raise a family well. There are just so many challenges. It would be the worst nightmare to not be working and be worrying about a Childs future at the same time.
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