Submitted by Ryan Dowling (not verified) on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 3:04pm.
In the past ten years can someone show an organizing model that was to scale and successful? AFSCME has been successful, but that goes back to the public sector point made earlier. There is CNA for a private sector model, but 70 percent of their growth over the last six years has been via raids.
Don't forget that in regards to some private sector organizing like nursing homes(heavy Medicaid and a dash of Medicare), and some hospitals (heavy Medicare and a dash of Medicaid) their funding is heavly influenced by politics. In my state the nursing home industry has guaranteed themselves a five to seven percent increase in funding every year through their lobbying efforts and resources. Why work counter to that momentum? If any union can work with an employer to secure an election process free from intimidation while working to get any funding increase (meaning higher wages and benefits), why not do so?
In any case, the questions asked in the body of the initial story are fair and should be asked. However, the same person who points out the obvious should transition into some solutions. That or at least some successful examples of alternative solutions. Problem is for the last fifty years we have no successful solutions, only attempts, and inner bickering. Now that an organization has spent its dues money to improve the quality of its members lives (and has done so successfully in a number of places) and challenged itself to spend its money in parts of the country the rest of the movement has thrown aside (south/southwest); people and groups gripe.
Can someone please show me another way or another effort that has lead or can lead to some results other then negative growth, raiding or complacency?
In the past ten years can someone show an organizing model that was to scale and successful? AFSCME has been successful, but that goes back to the public sector point made earlier. There is CNA for a private sector model, but 70 percent of their growth over the last six years has been via raids.
Don't forget that in regards to some private sector organizing like nursing homes(heavy Medicaid and a dash of Medicare), and some hospitals (heavy Medicare and a dash of Medicaid) their funding is heavly influenced by politics. In my state the nursing home industry has guaranteed themselves a five to seven percent increase in funding every year through their lobbying efforts and resources. Why work counter to that momentum? If any union can work with an employer to secure an election process free from intimidation while working to get any funding increase (meaning higher wages and benefits), why not do so?
In any case, the questions asked in the body of the initial story are fair and should be asked. However, the same person who points out the obvious should transition into some solutions. That or at least some successful examples of alternative solutions. Problem is for the last fifty years we have no successful solutions, only attempts, and inner bickering. Now that an organization has spent its dues money to improve the quality of its members lives (and has done so successfully in a number of places) and challenged itself to spend its money in parts of the country the rest of the movement has thrown aside (south/southwest); people and groups gripe.
Can someone please show me another way or another effort that has lead or can lead to some results other then negative growth, raiding or complacency?
Ryan