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Can the Decline of the Labor Movement Be Stopped?

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Can the Decline of the Labor Movement Be Stopped? however, Canadian unions have moved New Leadership, Democracy from representing 25 percent of the work and Solidarity Needed force to 32 percent while facing similar economic trends. And in fact, most of the Can the Decline of the Labor gains in terms of union membership in the last 20 years in the U.S. have been Movement Be Stopped? among workers in the service sector, pri­ marily women. Unions have declined in part because By SUZANNE FORSYTH DORAN the year 2000 five percent or less of the the right to organize and bargain collec­ private sector will be unionized, the low­ tively—won only after major union vic­ y now it is fast becoming old news est level since the labor movement began tories during the 1930s—has been sys­ that American labor is in worse in the late 19th century. tematically subverted. Workers face the B shape today than it was 60 years There has been a lot of speculation in prospect of being fired, harassed and ago. In 1932, three years before passage both the mainstream and left press that otherwise intimidated by virtually of the National Labor Relations Act le­ this decline is inevitable because changes unrestrained employers. At least one in galized the right of working people to or­ in the economy have eroded labor’s tradi­ 20 workers who wants to join a union is ganize unions and bargain collectively, tional base of membership—shrinking jobs fired. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), ostensibly created to protect workers’ rights, delays conducting elec­ olitics tions and certifying victories, and hasn’t P hit employers who violate labor laws with ndepcdent /I Continued on page 11 his C lex A INSIDE: SOUTH AFRICA PAGE 3 BEHIND THE BOSNIA- HERZEGOVINA CRISIS PAGE 6 FEATURE: ECONOMY AND HEALTH CARE PAGE 16 about 15 percent of the private sector work in basic industry while the service sector AN AMERICAN UNIONIST force belonged to unions. Today only about expands—and because of the labor VISITS VIETNAM PAGE 30 12 percent does. An often quoted prediction movement’s supposed lack of “relevancy” says that if current trends continue, by to today’s workers. During the last 30 years, CONTENTS C an the D ecline of the Labor M ovement Be S t opped? W hy U.S. Economy Is In a J ob-L e ss Recovery Suzanne Forsyth Doran....................................................................1 Barry Sheppard............................................................................16 S outh A frica's “C reeping” C ivil W ar Balance S heet on W orld Capitalist O ffensive Caroline Lund............................................................................... 3 Ernest Mandel............................................................................. 18 I’ve C ome T o T ell Y ou H ow G ood T hings A re U niversal H ealth C are For A ll Matt McCarten.............................................................................. 4 Alan Hanger............................................................................... 19 N ew Zealand A lliance Leader T ours the U nited S tates Raise the S tandard of Living of the M a sses AlexChis..................................................................................... 5 Red International of Labor Unions..................................................... 22 Behind the Bosnia-H erzegovina C risis Kendra A lexander: A Life D edicated to S ocialism Malik Miah.................................................................................. 6 Barry Sheppard............................................................................ 26 W omen P rotest W ar C rimes Against W omen in Bosnia A n A merican U nionist V isits V ietnam Claudette BBgin............................................................................. 7 Carl Finamore..............................................................................30 A Report Back From C uba F ilm Review: C onstruction W orkers’ Lives Diane Wang................................................................................. 8 Adam Wood................................................................................ 31 Bankruptcy and M onopoly in the S kies W hy Army Intelligence S pied on A frican-A mericans Carl Finamore............................................................................. 10 Malik Miah................................................................................. 32 P art-T imers in D ouble B ind Mary Doran.................................................................................14 JOIN Activists for Independent \ INDEPENDENT t Socialist Politics IpLITICS We are entering the worst capitalist crisis dependent Socialist Politics (AISP) seeks in over 60 years. The collapse of the So­ to rebuild the socialist movement in the viet Union only exacerbates this process. United States through collaboration and Independent Politics is a socialist magazine Sudden and severe international and do­ democratic discussions with other activ­ founded in 1992. Signed articles reflect the views of their authors and publication of an article does not mestic conflicts are inevitable as the rich ists and groups fighting for fundamental necessarily mean agreement with its content. Unless compete with each other for control of social change. We are activists in trade otherwise stated, all materials in Independent Poli­ markets and resources, tightening screws unions, feminist groups, Black, Latino and tics may be reproduced with acknowledgement. Please send reprints. Asian groups, student groups, and other on the poor to raise profits. The bulk of © Independent Politics 1993 the economic and social burden falls im­ movements for social change. Closing News Date: June 10, 1993 mediately and most heavily on the working If you agree with this approach and you Editor: Malik Miah people and oppressed of the world. In the would like to participate in effective po­ Editorial Committee: Alex Chis United States, increased attacks on working litical activity in the central social struggles Claudette Begin people in general are disproportionately of the day, collaborate through open and Suzanne Forsyth Doran affecting women, African-Americans, democratic discussions with other activists Alan Hanger Mo Harry Latinos, Asians/Pacific Islanders, Native and groups in the unions and social Lee Artz (Chicago) American Indians, and youth. movements, and work to rebuild a non­ Kathleen O’Nan (Los Only a consciously organized and sectarian, fighting American socialist Angeles) militant mass response can resolve the movement, contact Activists for Inde­ Design and Production: Blue Dog Design Business Manager: Alan Hanger deepening crisis in the interests of the pendent Socialist Politics for more infor­ Printing: Howard Quinn immense majority of humanity. The key mation. Write to: All correspondence and requests for subscrip­ is independent political action by the AISP tions, single issues, or bundles should be mailed to: working class. We need to break out of P.O. Box 78241 Independent Politics, P.O. Box 78241, San Francisco, the framework of the two party system San Francisco, CA 94107 CA 94107. Telephone: (415) 337-7959 controlled by the rich. Activists for In­ (415) 337-7959 INDEPENDENT P o l it ic s 2 Summer 1993 South Africa’s “Creeping” outh Africa is in Civil War ernment. This would the throes of a preserve a South Africa mighty up­ shaped by white su­ heaval.S premacy and Black By CAROLINE LUND The downtrodden tribal divisions. In Black majority is I May, thousands of pushing forward to- “ white farmers, led by ward a democratic, “ a group of military and non-racial society, amid police officials, rallied intense debate over around demands for a strategy and tactics. The “white homeland”. first one-person-one- The ANC is at­ vote election in South tempting to forge the African history could broadest possible front take place within a year. to destroy apartheid A “creeping” civil and begin recon­ war exists, with the structing a new South white supremacist re­ African nation based gime fostering police on non-racial, non- terror, random vio­ tribal democracy. lence, assassinations, and anti-social behav­ ANC perspective ior to disrupt the Its Strategic Per­ democratic movement. spectives document, More than 40,000 adopted last Novem­ murders have occurred At a community meeting in Kiskamahock the Imfingu people hear a report back from nego­ ber, begins with the tiations with de Klerk about returning to land from which they had been forcibly removed. in the past two years, assessment that the 95 percent of them unsolved. Tensions F.W. de Klerk. The gains wrested from liberation movement does not now have appear to be near the breaking point, as the regime so far (repeal of apartheid laws the capacity to overthrow the apartheid young Blacks taunt police, demonstrators and repressive legislation, release of po­ regime through a revolutionary seizure march on police stations, heavily armed litical prisoners, return of exiles, and the of power. Therefore, it states, the most white supremacist groups like the multi-party negotiations process) have realistic course is: “a negotiations process Afrikaner Resistance Movement publicly already brought important changes to combined with mass action and interna­ flaunt their weapons, and the government South Africa (see accompanying story by tional pressure which takes into account threatens a return to emergency repres­ Marina Carman). the need to combat counter-revolution­ sive measures ary forces and at the same time uses phases The world capitalist recession has hit Growing polarization
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