(Note: the Labor Notes Conference is a biennial gathering of activists seeking to build a more democratic and more effective labor movement. It takes place in Detroit Mich.)
In the aftermath of the disruption and violence by SEIU at last weekend's Labor Notes conference, there have been a flurry of analyses, finger-pointing, hindsight, and criticisms. This issue is too important to drop...in recent days SEIU's campaign against CNA/NNOC (California Nurses Assn/National Nurses Organizing Committee) has veered from harassment into violence-which has absolutely no place in the labor movement.
This weekend, SEIU-UHW is having a little get-together. Just a few friends getting together. 2000 healthcare workers, a quiet bunch, just trying to relax.
Ok, I jest just a little bit. At about 9:30 this morning the lights went out and slowly the drums began. For fifteen minutes, the drums went on, slowly bringing the pitch to a crescendo, when several union members came to the floor, with those six words: Our Vision, Our Voice, Our Union.
Let me just say this up front, chills are kind of standard around here. Even ingnoring the over air-conditioned San Jose Convention Center, you can't help but get the chills. From the charismatic leaders like Sal Rosselli and Jorge Rodriguez, to rank and file members telling their success stories. This video, titled Winning in 2008, shows just how important this moment in labor history really is. Besides the elections that will determine so much, the union has an exciting year come up. Both of the old locals that merged together have been fighting for decades, and now with their vision of organizing along with high standards, they will be fighting for workers for a long time.
Over the next two days, you'll be seeing some more posts about this event. Labor is so important to building a progressive movement in this state and the nation. The middle class of this nation cannot exist without a strong labor movement, or to put in Jorge Rodriguez's words: "To rebuild the middle class, we must rebuild the labor movement."
