Is Labor surrendering more ground?

[Jack Sprat]

I hope my own pessimistic outlook is misplaced. Yet, at a time when more American workers should be acutely aware of our diminished status, I see a bi-partisan trade bill looming that is being written by the Bush Administration ready for ratification by most all Repubs, with a substantial number of Democrats. I don't know the full implications of it, because it has been formulated in some secrecy and has taken backseat to the recent Appropriation funding for Iraq. Reading the scant pieces that I have, it has been judged as unenforceable and unfair regarding international trade.

I do not see how the Democratic Party or organized Labor can effectively succeed independent of the other. Yet, it seems to me, in this frenzy of cooperative sharing between our government and corporate giants, even a chunk of the Democratic Party has been wooed and won over by the corporate interests. As a strong life-time member and supporter of organized Labor, I always felt that overlapping principles of non-discrimination and equality of life and work make a harmonious relationship with the party. But, I think Labor demands an equal amount of support and loyalty from the national party.

[IndyOp]

1. The corporate elite own all of the Republican Party and half of the

Democratic Party and we will have to fight to get the other half of the Democratic Party back on the side of labor/the people.

Are you referring to the trade bill that Charlie Rangel helped negotiate in secret? :shrug:

[Jack Sprat]

4. Yes, the trade bill Rangel helped negotiate in secret.

Although everyone is angered over the Iraq appropriations funding, I know Congressional Democrats did not have the votes to make a successful challenge. The heart and soul of the Democratic Party opposes Bush's war for oil and his war against the environment, but his war against American labor has elicited apparent cooperation with many of our fellow Democrats. This is what has me more upset with them than anything else, ever. We need to keep a watchful eye on this trade bill and whom, besides Rangel, needs to be identified as an opponent of American Labor.

[Cleita]

2. Until the Taft Hartley Act of 1947 is reversed, labor will

have a hard time being effective legally.

[mainegreen]

3. Intentionally? Probably not.

But right now labor is out gunned.

[leftofthedial]

5. The leadership of the "democratic" party

(not the nominal leader--the real power structure leadership) are all corporatists. They might as well be repukes, if they are not really.