Weakness, Strength and Propaganda

$200 to $300 per month has been taken from us.  The county wants to eliminate our retirement plan.  Our healthcare costs continue to rise. I could be talking about Ventura County, but I could also be describing what is going on throughout the country.
We all want something better in life and in seeking that we often seek fairness.   One might consider that a flaw in our character considering how well greed and corruption are rewarded in America and the rest of the world.  To seek improvement in our lives we must make choices.  I see too many choosing weakness for us.  When a person chooses weakness they must also choose the responsibility for having less in their lives.
Choosing Weakness
People say to me, “Where’s my raise?”  “The union does not do anything.”  They point at the union staff and say they do not do enough for us.  “What am I paying dues for?”  With that, I wonder if they feel that money can buy them what they want.  After all, it fits right in with the American way of greed and corruption and undoubtedly would reap benefits.  I hear them complain.  I hear their words of criticism.  With all the energy they put into complaining and criticizing they will not join in a common effort to work for improvement in their lives.
Choosing Strength
There are people who know that there is power in numbers and our numbers are 5,000. These people work with the SEIU staff.  They work with bargaining committees.  They go to the rallies.  They know we must work together for all of us.  They know the benefits of having a Union.  They seek that common goal we all have and that is to improve our lives.  It has always been the masses that have brought about social change.  There is safety and strength in numbers.  When you choose strength you have made the choice that will lead to improvement in your life, your family’s life and your children’s lives.
We may not agree on everything.  But there is one thing we all agree on.  It is much easier to complain and criticize than it is to do something.
The Propaganda
We work against us. HR and Labor Relations often work against us. Managers, administrators, and the Board of Supervisors often work against us. Propaganda against unions is propaganda against all workers.  It is something most of us do not think about.  Before the 1930’s, the practice of corporations was to hire thugs to bludgeon and shoot strikers and organizers.  Deemed inappropriate in the 30’s, a new scientific approach was created by Rand Remington.  It is called the Mohawk Valley Formula.  The propaganda practices, though basically the same, have evolved and adapted over the years.  The hired thugs are companies on the stock exchange and, of course, there are the legions of lawyers.
We also see these tactics in action at our worksites. We see this when upper management teaches managers how to punish workers who have stood up for their rights or the rights of others.  We see this when an administrator makes up rules that do not exist. On the surface it appears that there is only one victim, but in fact, we are all victims.  The resolution to conflicts is purposely drawn out for as long as possible.  These tactics are designed to make the victim feel like the union is doing nothing.
 
When the workers and unions work together to improve their lives, you hear the right wing crying “communism.” When the rich and powerful create laws to increase their wealth and power no one cries “aristocracy.”
There is propaganda heard in our own ranks.  We hear, “They can do that” or “What they are doing is legal.”  Just because it is legal does not mean that it is right.  We must recognize the fact that there is a problem when you have law breakers making laws.
This organized bigotry against the American worker can only be stopped if we all work together.
Emmett Faulconer
Certified Biomed Equip Tech, Ventura County Health Care Agency