Labor's Role in the Obama Era: A Comment
Submitted by seachange on Sun, 2010-08-08 18:34.
The following is a response to Nelson Lichtenstein’s June 7 web article, “Labor’s Role in the Obama Era: A Troublesome and Unreliable Ally?” Click here to read Nelson Lichtenstein’s reply. Melvyn Dubofsky, Dissent, July 26, 2010 For nearly forty years now the labor movement in the United States has been on the defensive and in decline. But for a brief moment, it appeared that the election of Barack Obama might offer labor an opportunity to revive. That moment seems to have come and gone. To recapture it, my good friend and colleague, Nelson Lichtenstein, offers labor leaders lessons from history about how to build a stronger movement. ... Labor
Mistaken Assumptions
The author mistakenly assumes that the effectiveness of Labor depends on its cozy relationship with whomever is residing in the White House. His argument rests on a selective view of historical events. The meekness of the labor movement in the face of corporate assaults in large part contributed to its currently weak state, together with its attempts to get close to the president. Consider NAFTA. - Sandy Eaton, RN