Al Jazeera posted a very good mini-documentary today which looks at the status of American labor unions, the labor movement, and its contact with the Occupy movement. Though certainly informative, it's also inspirational.
The piece encourages the viewer to contemplate the interconnectedness of much of what we see in the news: the Arab Spring, the Occupy demonstrations, the economy, bipartisan "bickering" on Capitol Hill (which is mostly contrived), and the 2012 elections. Whether it be the repressive measures of the military establishment in Cairo, or the Republican candidates "inventing themes" to talk about (to quote sociologist C. Wright Mills), what is consistent is the attempt to move the situation away from populism.
In the case of labor, it goes without saying that the GOP is dead-set against the unions increasing their influence; in fact, the scenario preferred by the Republicans is the disappearance of unions altogether. The Democrats are burdened with the task of creating the impression they represent labor's interests. As is made clear repeatedly by their behavior, it is anything but a labor party. (As a result, they too "invent themes," just not as crudely as the GOP.)
Power is always anti-union, and it always has been - and not just in the United States. The Bolsheviks and Soviets, the Third Reich, fascist Italy, the Chinese communist party: all of these groups - and their key individuals - looked upon labor organizations with deep suspicion. And the reason is merely practical: labor is naturally democratic, and democracy naturally opposes vertical power.
I have also posted an old link to a Howard Zinn lecture, one that I posted during Christmas 2006. Ever since, during this time of year he comes to mind; and the Al Jazeera feature was the catalyst this year. I urge visitors to consider watching the lecture.
I would also suggest chapters 10, 11, and 13 in Zinn's classic book A People's History of the United States, which discuss the US labor movement during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They make for rich reading, especially in light of current developments.
