It should be no surprise that in confronting this national/corporate rout, creative labor leaders such as Andy Stern, president of the 1.8-million-member Service Employees International Union, have turned to sympathetic local governments for the benefits and security that traditionally came, shop-by-shop, through hard-won union battles.
Corporate leaders, who brought this situation on themselves, have worried that a possible antibusiness virus will spread from Chicago to the rest of the country. In Los Angeles, where Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the City Council are friendly to labor, living-wage laws have been enacted on businesses that contract with the city. Employees at several large new developments, such as downtown's LA Live, will enjoy city-brokered wage deals as well, with new hotels being open to unionization.
Although these victories should be hailed, what government gives, government can take away. The National Labor Relations Board, which once served as labor's protector, is now an impediment to organizing. And if workers see the government as the source of their benefits, what incentive do they have to join unions?
The means to a more equitable and democratic society can only come through the expansion of collective bargaining rights to millions of unrepresented workers. The strategic use of living-wage laws, like what has occurred in Los Angeles, can raise living standards and pave the way for more unionization at the same time.
Jeffersonianism has always been a fundamental part of the American labor movement. While recognizing the power and importance of the state, the most successful and dynamic unions have also had a healthy independent ethos. Despite its flaws and current weakness, the best bet for providing the protection and decency that working people need is still a revitalized labor movement.
Some labor leaders argue that the Gompers approach simply doesn't work in today's hostile environment, and that improving conditions through politics is the only alternative. There is some truth to this. After all, where would the elderly be without Medicare and Social Security? But if there is a future for organized labor in the private sector, workers have to build power from the bottom up. Government can be helpful, but unions also have to save themselves.
