"Blowback" and the Union Activist

As someone with questionable judgment, or possibly a glutton for punishment, I have gone out on “political casual” assignment for this mid-term election cycle. For the uninitiated, this means I’ll spend the next 90 or so days: talking to Union workers about the candidates/issues, leafleting at plants, phone banking, knocking doors, and generally stumping for labor friendly candidates. Seems mundane, right? But, me being someone who is passionate about both the Labor movement and politics, it’s the proverbial “no- brainer”, I love this shit. Question my sanity all you want, but I really DIG stuff like this.

                But, and this is a very big but, as most of my “seasoned” compatriots can tell you, one of the first things you do, besides reaching out to staff, is contacting local Union presidents, and this is where you first encounter the dreaded “B” word—Blowback.

                All of us have heard it—“my guys don’t get into politics”, “they don’t want to hear about insert name here”, “this political stuff is just going to divide us more, shouldn’t we be concerned more about solidarity”, or the oft implied, but never verbalized,  “hey I’m not gonna come right out and say it…but please fuck off, and leave us alone!”

                This, of course, begs the question: “When, the actual fuck, do you plan to ‘get into politics’”?!?!? Seriously, brothers and sisters, we’re being attacked on all fronts here—“Right To Work”, robbing pensions, Unemployment shell games, out-of-control health care…

                When, exactly, is it time?? When we’re all out on our asses, scraping by, living on whatever crumbs these corporate asswipes brush off the table onto the floor for us???

                I shared a meme on Facebook a while back, it stated, simply, that the mayor in “Jaws 2” was the same mayor in “Jaws”, and that local elections matter.  I’m a horror movie geek (don’t get me started on the debate about “Jaws” being an actual horror film…), so maybe it needs some clarity. And, don’t get me wrong, I know this is fiction—but PEOPLE WERE EATEN because of this guy’s lack of vision and leadership skills. And, because part 2 takes place several years later, we know that THEY RE-ELCTED HIM!!! Even though, quite literally, PEOPLE WERE EATEN!

                So, dear blog readers, I don’t give a shit (in fact I don’t give two) if you voted for Trump, or Hilary, or fucking Spiderman---THIS ISN’T ABOUT THEM!! It’s about us, in Ohio, or wherever, that we need to vote our INTERESTS!! Red or Blue, D or R, I don’t care…get out, VOTE, vote for the guys that STAND WITH LABOR!! And remind every single brother or sister you encounter, this THIS ELECTION COUNTS!! It’s our livelihoods, it our paychecks, it’s our rights, it’s our very existence as Union workers!!

And remember----PEOPLE WERE EATEN!!

Alternative Facts-Union Style!

You've seen it all over the media, Orange Caesar, Kelly-Ann Cryptkeeper, Sean Spicer, and the rest of the presidential bullshit artists spreading outright lies and dubbing them "alternative facts". It got me thinking, while I was on "casual" last Fall, educating members on what turned out to be a losing campaign, that I heard a lot of "alternative facts" about my Union. You'd be unpleasantly surprised at what some of our brothers and sisters actually think about what goes on. So, me being me, I got out my little notebook, proudly emblazoned with our Union's logo (AND made in the USA) and wrote down some of the best, 100%, undiluted, Grade A, outright falsehoods I heard about how our Union functions.

1. "The Union is useless, they don't do anything for me, they don't have any power"

This is a good one that always produces a chuckle from me. Let state this clearly: If your Union isn't worth a damn, the problem is....drumroll please...YOU! 
Any Union, ours included, is only as strong as it's members, much like the proverb about a chain being only as strong as it's weakest link. If you have a problem with the strength, unity, and/or function of our Union, DO SOMETHING! Get involved, go to meetings, run for office, join a committee, MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! My favorite saying concerning the labor movement, and politics, is: "apathy never solved anything", and it doesn't. Sitting around whining about how bad things suck, or running down people who are actually fighting for change, fighting for YOUR rights, makes you part of the PROBLEM not the SOLUTION!! Our power is in our solidarity, that is fundamentally what a Union is. Don't bore me with stories about how so-and-so is running things into the ground, do something to change it or get out of the way while the rest of us fight to protect your interests!

2. "I'm sick of my hard earned money going to crooked politicians!"

Nope. Sorry. Wrong again. While our Union can spend money to educate our members on what candidates will support us, based on research, not one penny of your dues money went directly to Hillary, or Bernie, or even ::gasp!:: Trump. Our by-laws forbid it. Any money given to a campaign comes from PAC (Political Action Committee) contributions. Those contributions, by the way, are VOLUNTARY. And I know what you're thinking, but nope, there's no shady shell games going on, our Union has to report everything, in crazy detail, to the Federal government. Even the hours put in by grunts like me are strictly monitored. Americans For Prosperity has it better than us, trust me.

3. "The company forces me to work overtime, and the Union doesn't care, they just get more dues outta me!"

You're 0 for 3 champ. Your dues are capped. Ask your financial secretary. One and half times the ASTR (Average Straight Time Rate) is all you'll ever pay in a week, plus 2 cents an hour if your local opted into the Strike and Defense Fund. So there's limits. Unions are about fairness for our members. Nobody is out to get you. Relax. These "alternative facts" are fun, aren't they? We're learning shit here!

4. "The leaders of the Union are just a bunch of fat-cats getting rich off my hard work!"

I'm a Union officer. And I'm also pretty fat. But, I'm certainly not rich. And I've been to some functions where some District Directors and even the International President attended, and while nobody rolled up in a shitbox '71 Duster, nobody had an entourage of black suited thugs in shiny Escalades either. I'm sure these guys are doing all right. I mean, their bills are getting paid on time. But rich?? I don't think so. And you know what? I kind of want my leaders to be doing all right. How embarrassing would it be, if, after testifying before congress or something, one of our Union leaders could be heard to say "hey Senator, can I get a dollar from you? I have eaten since breakfast and I've been eyeing up an Almond Joy in that vending machine in the lobby. C'mon, I'm good for it!". Very unbecoming. So relax, nobody is lighting Cuban cigars with your hard earned dollars whilst lounging poolside. These guys EARN their money. Think of all the problems people come to your stewards and officers with in a week, then multiply that by a thousand. Sinking in yet? Yeah, exactly. They probably need a RAISE!

So, think before you speak out in your lunchroom. Research things. Google is your friend. Ask an officer. If they don't give you a straight answer, run against them next election. THAT is how YOU solve problems. Not random bitching. This UNION is you. If your local isn't worth a damn, that simply means YOU aren't worth a damn. Seriously, someone should have told you this long ago. Question, but support. Point out a problem, but offer a solution. We're in this together, and we're gonna have a strange few years ahead of us (and some of you nitwits voted for this guy! We forgive but DAMN! What were you thinking??). We need to be Steelworkers, and more so, we need to have a steel resolve. They're going to come after us sooner or later, and not just on social issues, but things that will effect how we make a living, and how our kids may or may not make a living in the future.