Hatred of corporate politicians and economic uncertainty creates a huge political vacuum i

Hatred of corporate politicians and economic uncertainty creates a huge political vacuum in California but the AFL-CIO leaders shrink from their responsibility.

by Richard Mellor
Member AFSCME Local 444 Oakland CA

A front page article in today's San Francisco Chronicle "Voters see race as lose-lose situation" (SF Chronicle 8-29-02) reminds us of the huge vacuum that exists in U.S. politics and the lack of confidence that most American workers and the middle class have in the politicians of big business.

The Chronicle article cites a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California that reveals the pessimism that exists among the state's population. Not only are people concerned but they see no way out. "..the voters don't think the major-party candidates have the answers" says Mark Baldassare, the survey's director. Gray Davis has spent $16 million on media propaganda and still his support has waned, and it's not as if Simon doesn't have weaknesses. That should be enough to silence those that think working people are stupid and soak up bourgeois propaganda like a sponge; material reality determines consciousness in the last analysis.

The trouble is that people are faced with an openly corrupt businessman and a politician that they see as taking bribes in the form of political donations. "I'm waiting for a dark horse to come out of the crowd" the Chronicle reports one woman saying. Another woman, a 39 year old laid off tech worker says it all, she's voting for Davis but: "It's kind of a default thing. He (Davis) doesn't seem to stand for anything, but the alternative is even more wretched...it's hard to muster the enthusiasm to go in there and pull the lever for Davis. I'm worried about the choices he's going to make about the economy, the things that are going to get cut like education."

Among the top issues of concern are the economy, education, jobs, energy and the state budget. For many of the poor and those that have removed themselves from the electoral process altogether we can include rent and the high cost of housing as another major concern.

Labor Leadership
Despite this extremely favorable situation, the heads of Organized Labor remain silent. No rallies, no attacks on the twin parties of big business, no marches. No attempt whatever to mobilize working class people black -white, young-old, men or women in a united struggle to change the conditions in which we live. How can they? Gray Davis is "Labor's" man in the State Capitol. Perhaps I am too harsh a critic. But so many people have given up any hope of changing things, of being able to influence the world around them, because they do not see a social force of any significance challenging the prevailing ideology, the ideology of global capitalism, but such a force exists, organized labor and the working class in general. Those at the helm of this force not only refuse to set it in to action, they consciously stifle it when it tries to overcome the obstacle of its own leadership. The youth who have chased the bankers and corporate politicians around the globe should be comended for their courageous lead in the absence of any real fight from the labor leadership

As a 25 year activist in the Bay Area labor movement I have heard time and time again how the working class needs educating. How the American workers are different than the Europeans or the Koreans. How we don't understand what solidarity is all about. How we have to support corporate politicians like the Democrats because we couldn't get a working class candidate elected. This is all a false argument put forward by the heads of organized labor and their liberal academic advisors to hide the fact that it is their policies, their own acceptance of the bosses view of reality, that is the obstacle to the building of a movement for change inside the Unions and out.

Instead of relying on the strength of the organized working class they cling to the ever shrinking liberal wing of the Democratic Party begging them for crumbs from the corporate table. Jack Henning, former Executive Secretary of the California State Labor Federation made this clear on more than one occasion when he spoke against my Union's Labor Party resolutions at the federation's bi-annual conferences. It is this world view and not corruption that is the greatest weakness of the AFL-CIO leadership.

The ILWU leadership at a time of heightened awareness of their issues on the west coast and at a time when there is widespread disgust and anger at the corporate thieves, offers the employers a major concession in order to avoid a confrontation. With no resistence they accept job cuts, a Union with tremendous potential power. Do they not read the papers? Jobs are a major concern for most people. It is a great organizing tool. Jobs, education, housing, childcare. Working people can be mobilized around such issues. Organized labor can build the solidarity that all the labor leaders talk about if instead of remaining silent on these issues and refusing to fight for them at contract time, they went on the offensive. Naturally they would have to break all the links they have built with the business community and their politicians to take this road. But failure to do so will mean a continued decline in Union membership and the wages and benefits that Unions bring to all of us.