Lughnasa Labor Day Moon
When a worker with a high school education, maybe less, gets hired by an international corporation, the imbalance of power is obvious. It may be less obvious, but no less true if that new employee is a college graduate. What is the imbalance of power? It is the individual against the collected wealth and authority structure of corporate America.
When a Procter & Gamble or Ford or General Electric decides to take action against an individual unless that individual has a union on their side, they will not get a fair hearing. Even if corporate structures were not captive to greed and oligarchic interests, which they are, the imbalance of power would still exist. With greed and class placed on the fulcrum as well, an individual is powerless.
When an individual in the employee of a large corporation wants a raise, better health benefits, improved vacation leave, their opportunity to win the conversation comes at the bargaining table, negotiating from collective power rather than depending on the kindness of middle management.
Labor Day celebrates both workers and their unions. As a child, the UAW (United Auto Workers) made a huge impression on me. The parents of my friends were members of the UAW. More than once I saw them, through their union, fight General Motors, Chrysler, Ford and win. Many, perhaps most, of these parents were recent immigrants from the hills of Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky. Most had less than a high school education, but they earned middle class wages with good health care, retirement packages, vacation and sick leave. I saw first hand the benefits of union membership.
Decades later I’m still convinced of the power and necessity of unions. Support them, if you can. Goodwill is not enough.