Amy Dean, former head of the South Bay Labor Council in California, wants more local organizations and community workers to come together to form regional power coalitions that achieve political wins for unions. The modern labor unions can take the opportunity while Obama's government participation in job creation continues, but not wait for government to do the work needed for good jobs and living wages.
Reform Needed for Labor to Achieve Goals
As Dean sees the political situation, labor leadership for regional coalitions is needed to mobilize enough workers. National leadership has not prevailed. The coalitions between local unions and organizations that advocate better employment conditions for working families have been short lived because they form around current political issues. Dean plans to build coalitions that last long enough to carry out 5 to 20 year legislative plans.
Numbers actively involved is one of Dean's reasons for the modern approach. Relying on the leaders proven in labor politics leaves many people out of the plan. Obama's American Reinvestment and Recovery Act has created jobs, but certainly has not fulfilled the list of labor's goals. Many wins requires worker participation in living wage campaigns and voting drives to put more pro-labor politicians in state and local office.
Community and Workplace Coalitions Fit for the Times
Workers in local jobs reliably know the work and fellow workers' concerns. Bringing as many committed workers into coalitions as the organization can manage improves the organizational knowledge of the practices labor policies are best built around. Once the regional leadership settles policies, the regional coalition provides an avenue to inform all the workers on the polices and build common consensus.
With central labor councils, regional leaders can encourage the members of diverse local groups to join in the political activity. Informed workers are not effective at achieving goals unless they participate in politics. That is why Amy Dean has two national organizations, Working Partnerships USA for research and policy and Building Partnerships USA for the political mobilization. The two nonprofits work with the regional labor councils to keep large coalitions of workers up to date and active.
The approach proved successful in Silicon Valley during the time Dean led the region's labor council from 1993 to 2003. An experimental marketplace of technology and information had a collaboration of diverse small groups. The regional coalition approach was fitting. She now promotes this success as a model for building coalitions across the country.
One of the goals is to make collective bargaining more potent so unions can make contracts favorable to workers. Collective bargaining is the worker's means for acting for labor's interests, with or without government help. With more active members behind a labor representative, the chances for success on wages, health care, and lifelong education are much stronger.
Businessman Questions Need for Labor Unions
Opposing both Dean's reformist vision, and Obama's government help for unions, Bernard Marcus considers the enlightened regard businessmen have for their employee's happiness enough to protect their employees' interests. The retired head of Home Depot believes unions are no longer necessary. They are a thing of the past.
Marcus's opinion is representative of many on the Republican side and some Democrats on middle ground who have fallen away from union support. Prospects for Obama's legislative success might depend on opponents. Senator Arlen Specter, although sometimes in support of labor legislation, does not support the proposed Employee Free Choice Act. If enacted, labor unions could form a union after 50 percent of employees signed a union card, instead of waiting for a secret ballot.
Those against labor unions are set against any legislative wins for labor like EFCA. Future union success depends on politicians like Specter who do work on labor concerns from the middle. Dean's coalitions will have to convince these leaders business's improved regard for workers is not enough and that labor needs new laws to improve the conditions for working families.
Unions Cut Out for the Modern Economy
Labor union activity based on regions, at first, was irregular for those used to a traditional approach. But, the United States labor force has only 15.3 million unionized workers, 12.3%, and more than half are in the public sector. A private economy developing rapidly in services and technology will not have the large institutional workplaces of the past. For labor unions to grow again, a new leader has to prove they have the right approach for the modern economy.
Amy Dean has put her proposal for regional coalitions on the political table, with a proven record in California. With Obama in the presidential seat, labor unions see an opportunity to improve working conditions in the modern economy. Political wins, however, can come only if they can persuade those in the middle ground who have lost their commitment to unions and overcome the growing sentiment that good business can take the place of organized labor.
Sources:
Amy B. Dean and David A. Reynolds, "Labor's New Regional Strategy: The Rebirth of Central Labor Councils," New Labor Forum, Vol. 17(1), pp. 45–54 (Spring 2008).
http://www.amybdean.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/the-south-bay.pdf
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Union Members Summary for 2009 (2010).
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm
Adam Pollack - Adam Benjamin Pollack is a San Diego native dedicated to the great sentences on civil society. He authored the Subchapter S Report to tell ...
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