Saturday, May 22, 2021

LABOR LEADER SARA NELSON TWEETS ABOUT DECLINE IN UNION MEMBERSHIP AND LABOR'S NEED TO BE ABLE TO STRIKE

 This was on Twitter today:



For those of you unfamiliar with Sara, she is the President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. She is a real union leader. While Michael Mulgrew is trying to sell Medicare privatization for NYC Retirees (Mulgrewcare), Sara supports Medicare for All:

The head of a flight attendants union that represents nearly 50,000 members across the country said Thursday that there is “broad support” within the labor movement for “Medicare for All.”

“This is really something that is very unifying for union members across the country and for all the people that they care about who are not union members and don’t have access to the same health care,” Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, told Hill.TV in response to Medicare for All, or single payer health care. 

Sara isn't afraid to use the strike:

January 20, 2019 — AFA International President Sara Nelson accepted the 2019 AFL-CIO MLK Drum Major for Justice Award, with a call to conference activists from across the Labor Movement to talk with their union leadership about conducting a General Strike to end the Government Shutdown.

Here are some more details from a Jacobin feature:

“There are no labor rights without the right to strike,” says Nelson. “You can’t have a collective bargaining process without the right to strike.” The reason is that without that threat, management has no incentive to reach an agreement with workers. When Ronald Reagan famously fired the striking air traffic controllers in 1981, he knew this, and his move had just the consequences that he and his right-wing backers desired. Making it harder for workers to go on strike has immeasurably complicated their efforts to build and exercise power, and union membership has steadily declined.

But worker power is not just about having the legal right to strike. Power also lies in being organized and willing to strike. During negotiations, Nelson says, “You have to be able to show the company that your workforce is ready to act. You cannot lead on policy. You can’t lead by slamming your hand on the table. I’ve never seen management, when you walk in and make this impassioned argument at the table, that they sort of slap their head and go, ‘Oh you’re right! We should pay the flight attendants more!’ No, it’s when they know that you have a mobilized workforce who can go out

Nelson’s call for a general strike last month was moved by solidarity with government workers who were going without pay. But the flight attendants’ strike preparations had an equally urgent motive: fear for their own safety. Air traffic controllers — unpaid but facing felony charges if they were to strike — were working but, Nelson says, “driving Ubers and Lyfts outside their shifts to try to provide for their families when they should have been getting rest. We said, ‘There’s going to be a breaking point here.’” Nelson insists, “We just could not continue to fly and ask the members to be put in harm’s way. It was increasingly clear that we were open to accident or attack.”

Nelson’s strike mobilization was real, and industry and government alike knew it. “The airline industry knows me,” she says. “I think they know they had to take that threat seriously. It was very clear to the airline industry, to everyone on the Hill, that we were prepared to take action.”

This is the kind of union leadership we need in NYC right about now. We should be taking back our right to strike.

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

Um, Mulgrew and Randi gave away our power. They are the kings of gvebacks. Cry me a river.

Michael Gatton said...

Couple of challenges to mobilizing teachers to strike. Vast majority are dedicated to the public service we provide to students. We feel a responsibility to them and are genuinely understandably reluctant to jeopardize their education. It takes a substantial amount of immediate pain before most teachers are willing to take that step. Our employers have learned to inflict pain in small doses and defer it to a future cohort when possible (Tier VI). UFT leadership doesn't help by selling every contract they negotiate as a great deal for members.

Anonymous said...

"Vast majority are dedicated to the public service we provide to students. We feel a responsibility to them and are genuinely understandably reluctant to jeopardize their education."

Lol. Is it April Fools Day? It is documented that in most schools, most students learn nothing. The doe is a diploma mill and babysitting program.

Perhaps in Michael Gatton's Manhattan performing school it is different, but I doubt it. His school is 50% white and Asian, he doesn't feel our pain.

waitingforsupport said...

@10:38am... most adults leave a job that is unfulfilling. You should have left this abusive relationship after the first few years. Abusive Admin. Abusive students. Abusive Union. Don't you think you should just cut your losses for the sake of your own sanity. Damn. Now you think Michael's experience is because it's 50% white and Asian. So what's the other 50%?

Anonymous said...

Pardon my French, but fuck this. I have been a UFT member for 22 years. I signed up to work for the City Of New York KNOWING that I will have decent insurance at retirement. Now Mulgrew and his cronies are gonna give that away? It is strike time for sure. And it is just not teachers who will be facing this, a ton of other unions will also be effected by these changes. Don't expect the wuss UFT honchoes to support a strike because it is they who are selling us out. We need a wildcat strike before the MLC screws everybody over.

Michael Gatton said...

I'll ignore the ad hominem attack, other than to call it out.

Check the data.

Teacher survey question 7a:

"I usually look forward to each working day at my school."

Agree/Strongly agree: 1,766
Disagree/Strongly disagree: 22

Obvious caveats with the data, and it doesn't directly address my point, but this idea that the system is filled with ragged, angry, cynical, burned out teachers who punch in and punch out without any regard for their students or their own professionalism is false.

Got any data to counter that?

Source: https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Education/2013-2014-School-Survey-Data/5a8g-vpdd

Michael Gatton said...

Or see Slide 10 of this presentation:

https://infohub.nyced.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2020-citywide-analysis-of-survey-results4bd13c1c4b7b4f9894c6d327787e8ceb.pdf

Anonymous said...

The New York State Taylor Law has been a deterrent with stiff penalties. At least, the Triborough Amendment keeps all previous provisions of the contact in place. Of course, the SOB Bloomberg, just about let every labor contract expire when he left office in January 2014. You still have the NYC municipal unions, UFT, uniformed service unions with leaders that talk the big talk -however givebacks and now a Tier 6 have resulted with new contracts and unquestionable union power has been on the decline. Collective bargaining always seems to result in modest salary gains at the cost of givebacks.

Maybe this attitude started when Reagan did that horrible thing by firing unionized federal air traffic controllers in 1983–which was the beginning of the end of the power of labor unions. Reagan’s order still resonates today,
Ironically, at that same time—from the 70’s to the 90’s every televised Labor Day Jerry Lewis Telethon always had these big shot labor union bosses present huge checks to the MDA—so there were organized unions although times were changing. How much clout does the UAW still have? I remember when they would threaten strikes almost every 2 to 3 years back in the 70’s through the 90’s.

Unions and any kind of union activity have always been branded as a form of socialism by the wealthy and by the right side of the political spectrum.Workers are afraid of the power of the big Amazon and Walmart type mega-business —and have voted to turn down the formation unions.
No unions at any of the NYC Charters—with maybe one or two exceptions. And don’t forget that California right to work decision by the courts.

In addition, no help with the perception of unionism with the strikes by professional sports leagues during the past 30 years. Millionaires going on strike to get more from the greedy billionaire owners-may have been a just cause—but most people were disgusted by those work stoppages.

And those phony pandering politicians will join whatever Labor Day Parades are still around. But once they get your vote—they couldn’t give a hoot. And does anybody still ‘look for the union label’? It was a catchy TV tune during those days.

And finally, don’t opt out or quit your labor union—just because you can’t stand Mulgrew or any leader—because if you do -you’re playing right into the hands of those who want to destroy all the gains of the past 50 years. And that would be tragic.

Anonymous said...

My decision to strike or not strike had nothing to do with students or worker’s rights across the nation. If I agree with what we’re demanding and think a strike would get us there, I strike. Nothing else goes into the decision for me.

James Eterno said...

I almost rejected a very thoughtful comment because of the last paragraph 12:15. Opt out has been debated to death here and it is no longer up for debate. I would really appreciate if you would resubmit without the last paragraph.

Also, we have written numerous times about how the anti-strike provisions of the Taylor Law have been ruled by a UN agency as a human rights violation.

Anonymous said...

James, the sneakers we wear are a human rights violation. No one cares about Chinese slaves, they sure as shit won’t care about us.
Michael. Not the original commenter but.... The only data I have are the teachers in my school. Except for the coaches and the librarian, we all hate the job. We do it for the money and benefits. Glad you’re in a happy school. I’m not.

Anonymous said...

Well James 12:15–I’m definitely not in favor of any laws on the books pertaining to potential UN human rights violations—
and please forgive me—as I will certainly opt-out of making any taboo comments pertaining to blank-blank—from this point on.
Thank you.

Anonymous said...

LOL at the survey. Well then surely everyone is happy as Mulgrew got 86% last election. I believe the writer meant that most schools are far less white and Asian and white and Asian schools perform better. Anyway, yes, all you have to do is ask teachers, they hate it, or most do.

Anonymous said...

And another. Not sure what you want, you get evidence but continue to censor. Fauci himself said it may have come from a lab. Three Wuhan Institute of Virology researchers became sick enough in November 2019 that they sought hospital care, according to a U.S. intelligence report that could add to calls for a fuller probe of whether the Covid-19 virus may have escaped from the lab

James Eterno said...

The origin of the virus is completely off topic and irrelevant to a discussion on Sara Nelson and union militancy.

Anonymous said...

Really? Ok. You had no problem calling it a conspiracy with no real sources. Now, with evidence...No comment. You should apologize.

Anonymous said...

4:18. The doe, UFT, and now this blog.... Conveniently this is what fake news enablers do. Lie or enable the lie. Refuse to hear your evidence because they’ve moved on to more lying or enabling more lies.
Seriously James. You let us get called crazy right wingers over this issue and now that your god Fauci finally admits the lab leak is possible, you won’t let it come to light. I posted today on this issue but did so on an older post on topic because I knew you’d pull this and didn’t want to get aggravated at censorship. Well 4:18, thanks for the aggravation. Seriously. Own your censorship, James. You just don’t want to piss off the lefties here who want all dissenters silenced. Critical thinkers, please start scrolling back to old posts to correct the record in order to avoid the censorship. Until the anti critical thinkers convince James to never let us get the truth out. Sorry James, I’m probably being extra harsh but come on, man!

James Eterno said...

When did I say how COVID started? I don't recall writing a posting on that. Regardless, it has nothing to do with Sara Nelson or labor militancy.

James Eterno said...

Fauci is not my god. Never was. Perhaps you are mistaking me with someone else. Again, please get back on topic. I have enjoyed the last few days where I can moderate discussions on union and education topics and forget the irrelevant things that have no place here.

Anonymous said...

You said they were conspiracy theorists and propagandists and ridiculous right wing sources. Now you have legit sources including fauci himself. That's all. Be fair.

James Eterno said...

Dr Robert Redfield took the lab leak theory for origin of COVID mainstream on CNN in March. It still has absolutely nothing to do with this post on Sara Nelson. For the last time, stay on topic and move on.

Anonymous said...

The headline about a decline in union membership sort of parallels the news of a decline in the world’s population.

Anonymous said...

I know militancy. The worst union president in the country gets nearly 90% of the vote. Keep hoping James.

James Eterno said...

80% active do not vote. If only they did.

Anonymous said...

All you do is make excuses.

Anonymous said...

So 20% vote and the opt outers can't vote. Mulgrew has no chance to lose aa he got 86% last time. Prep the 2022 excuses. Prep the 2025 election argument.

Anonymous said...

James you’ve advocated for teachers for decades. I appreciate your efforts. If 80% of teachers can’t be bothered to vote, we as a group deserve to have Mulgrew screw us every chance he gets. It’s unfortunate that good people have to suffer with them but 80% seem to be fine with it.

Anon2323 said...

Besides Sue Edelman, I think the only other person to help expose the fraud at the DOE and expose Mulgrew is Project Veritas. I plan on emailing them and seeing what they can do.

James will be apologizing and lots of explaining to do in the future whether its origination of covid, fauci, cuomo, election fraud. All the censoring, he will see soon.

James Eterno said...

Anon 2323,

My source for fact checking is Media Bias/Fact Check. They are fair to both sides as I see it. I still have your post awaiting moderation (I didn't delete it). Just give a legitimate source. I asked you to email me as Bronx ATR does but you chose not to have the trust to do so.

Election fraud is mostly bullshit and we can go back and forth on that. I have not said that much about Dr Fauci here. I have not been a Cuomo supporter. In fact in 2014, I raised the anti-Cuomo resolution at the DA that got Mulgrew all pissed off. I haven't written anything I can recall on the origin of COVID-19. I am no scientist.

I have very little explaining to do if you would just read what I write in the first place.

waitingforsupport said...

@Anon2323

James is retired, maintaining a blog, raising a family while trying to uproot the rot that has taken hold of OUR union. The union isn't the problem--the leadership is the problem. Educators are not voting. Most people want change without a fight. Why can't you see that he is trying? You sound like he MUST print/believe everything you write. Where is your blog? You should start one because as you said about yourself earlier--you're always right(something like that). Maybe you can try deep breathing exercises or take a course on blogging. You can write a book about all the things you've said that came true. That'll be a best seller for sure.

Anonymous said...

Or James could just print Anon2323’s comments and the adult readers can decide if it’s legitimate. Then James doesn’t have to distract himself and waste time. There were no reliable sources for the Wuhab lab leak because the sources were censored. PolitiFact had to retract its fact check of Dr. Li Meng Yang’s lab leak theory. How many MediaBias fact check retractions? How many still to come? How many people denied access to the truth because of so called fact checkers? Grown ass adults don’t need daddy to censor what they read.

James Eterno said...

Start your own blog then and you can print whatever you want. The Wuhan lab has absolutely nothing to do with this posting.

Anonymous said...

You claimed you fact check. I claimed msm approved fact checks are unreliable. I supported my claim with evidence. It’s not an unrelated comment.

James Eterno said...

I told you the site I use is Media Bias/Fact Check. I find they call out both sides. Direct me somewhere better by all means, please.

I do not want this comment board to be the home for every wild right wing conspiracy theory. I can't spend hours each day either having to read the back and forth between the right wingers and those willing to take the time to refute them (thank you) or if nobody else will do it, having to do the research myself. This is an unpaid gig. I have better things to do.

I am still trying to get directed to the post where I stated the COVID leaking from the Wuhan lab theory was wrong. Sager and Krystal have been debunking the MSM on this topic for months. The fact checkers were wrong. They admit it. Now to take this one story where the fact checkers trusted the wrong scientists to show that they are wrong on everything is quite a stretch.

Please stay on topic which is Sara Nelson and Labor militancy. Comment on that or move on.