Has the Change Led to Wins? AFL-CIO and Change to Win

http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3379/has_the_change_led_to_wins/





"Working together" (AFL-CIO & Change to Win) on the local level in politics might have created some victories for individual Democratic Candidates; however, even if the U.S. House and Senate was filled completely with such worthless candidates working people wouldn't win anything.




Here in Minnesota, a State Senate Legislative Committee, comprised by a majority of Democrats, all elected with the full support of both the AFL-CIO and Change to Win couldn't even muster enough votes to get a piece of legislation out of committee that would have helped save the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant along with two-thousand jobs.



The Republicans took one of the Democrats out for drinks and never stayed for the vote they were so confident these Democrats would do their dirty work for them.



On the Iron Range a new cancer cluster has been detected among iron ore miners in the taconite industry. What did the Democrats, all endorsed, supported, and financed by the AFL-CIO and Change to Win propose? Single-payer, universal health care which was endorsed by 72% of the delegates to the last state convention of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer Labor Party? No; these Democrats called for another "study"... just what working people and their families need when they are facing foreclosures on their homes to pay for mounting medical bills.



Over two-million American workers are employed in some 400 smoke-filled casinos strung out across the United States... all receiving poverty wages without any rights under state or federal labor laws; subjected to the most Draconian working conditions at the hands of mobsters who "manage" these so-called "Indian owned" casinos under special "Compacts." Not one of these Democrats elected by the AFL-CIO or Change to Win has uttered a peep of protest.



In fact, Michigan's labor endorsed, labor supported, and labor financed Governor, Jennifer Granholm, recently negotiated another one of these despicable "Compacts" with the Gun Lake Band outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan which will employ another 1,800 workers in another smoke-filled casino at poverty wages and without any rights under state or federal labor laws. And, the Michigan Legislature, fully endorsed by the AFL-CIO and Change to Win is considering approving this "Compact." Worse yet, the Michigan AFL-CIO and Change to Win have remained silent... so, their candidates take their lead.



These so-called labor "leaders" who can't develop winning struggles at the negotiating table can't develop winning strategies at the polls... at least not to the benefit of working people.



The war in Iraq is a related matter... organized labor could take the lead from some of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union locals and shut this country right down until the war is brought to an end... but, here again, who has voted to continue funding this dirty war for oil and regional domination in Iraq? You got it... labor endorsed candidates which both the AFL-CIO and Change to Win worked together on to put in office. And labor backed Hillary Clinton has given Bush the go ahead to start another war with Iran.



What we need is a labor movement which understands "class."



Alan L. Maki

Director of Organizing,

Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council