From: John E. Peck (jepeck@students.wisc.edu)
Date: Thu Nov 08 2001 - 10:53:38 EST
Hello,
Some people are confused, frustrated, even infuriated by the
reluctance of many mainstream unions to speak out against the war. I
was recently at a Independent Progressive Politics Network (IPPN)
meeting in LA, involving folks from the Labor Party, the Green Party,
the Socialist Party and many others where this very issue came up
over and over again.
This "manufacturing consent" problem (to use Chomsky's
phrase) has existed for a long LONG time, since so many union jobs
have come to depend upon the military industrial complex. Here in WI
we have Accudyne in Janesville (a subsidiary of Alliant TechSystems)
that makes landmines for the Pentagon, now apparently being dropped
in Afghanistan. Years back when it looked as if grassroots pressure
from the International Campaign to Ban Landmines would put Accudyne
out of business (including our dumping of shoes on their
doorstep...), Gov. Thompson came to Accudyne's rescue with a half a
million bailout and the UAW was ever so "happy" that they kept their
200+ union jobs intact... No doubt those making anthrax are just as
keen to keep their wellpaid positions, no matter what the fallout of
their labor.
Just remember, though, that there are more radical unions out
there which have ALWAYS opposed wars that force people to shed each
others blood for the benefit of corporate greed. In fact, my union -
the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) - is one of these,
targetted for over century now because of its radical ideas of
"abolishing the wage system," that "capitalism can't be reformed,"
etc. IWW groups still exist across the globe - in the U.S. Canada,
U.K., Australia, South Africa - and its easy to join (as long as
you're not a boss...) For more details check out the website:
www.iww.org
In Solidarity
- John E. Peck
(IWW IU 620)
Madison GMB
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