I know this isn't really a hot take, though. But I don't see a scenario in which we can make real changes that help people, save the planet, and destroy US imperialism without an organized working class - and that requires mass unionization. And right now the deck is stacked so much against unionization, from a legal / policy / regulation standpoint. But also, I do see a whole lot more positive energy regarding unionization among the working class in the US. People really are seeing through the anti-unionization lies spread by neoliberalism over the last few decades. Really, the one big objection from workers is they don't want to get fired, which is totally reasonable. That's why we need to make radical changes to the unionization rules and really beef up enforcement.

And this is has the benefit of being ostensibly in line with the goals of the Democratic party. Now of course, the party is beholden to capital and capital will fight this tooth and nail. But I think there will still be plenty of D politicians who see mass unionization as increasing their base of power, right or wrong.

So I think this should be our electoral focus, even if that means to the exclusion of other policies (because not like we're gonna get shit done in those areas as things stand now, anyway.

  • ErnestGoesToGulag [comrade/them]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Nothing inherently wrong with unions but I feel like, especially in the US, the propaganda against socialism is so strong that they would never go revolutionary. Almost every union I've encountered seems so ridiculously neutered I can't imagine them ever supporting any actual joined worker's front

    • invalidusernamelol [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Yeah, but it's easier to radicalize a union than it is to radicalize atomized workers. Plus you can push for entryism in union leadership and turn almost any union into a more radical one as long as you have some support.

    • star_wraith [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      I don't have the stats pulled up, but my hunch is that current union rolls skew towards trades and government employees, who by all means are workers and need unionization, but probably skew towards "better" incomes and caucasian, which strikes me as naturally less militant.