File spoon-archives/aut-op-sy.archive/aut-op-sy_1997/aut-op-sy.9709, message 26


Date: Thu, 04 Sep 1997 19:44:14 -0600
From: Neil Fettes <fettesn-AT-cadvision.com>
Subject: AUT: The Canadian Bourgeoisie on Monthly Review



This article appeared in the September 3 1997 edition of the Toronto "Globe
& Mail." Many of those on this list will not be familiar with  Terence
Corcoran, but I'm sure many "Globe" readers will be buying "Monthly Review"
now. Ellen Wood, co-editor of "MR" said it made her day!

CGs

Neil

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Workers of the World, Forget It" by Terence Corcoran.

Emma Goldman has left Toronto, and not a moment too soon. The turn-of-the-
century leftist radical and anarchist, who once contemplated assassinating a
U.S. capitalist to make a political statement, marched off the stage - fist
raised- for the last time at the final Toronto performance of "Ragtime" last
Sunday night, the eve of Labour Day. Workers of the world unite because soon
you too, could be characters in another pop-culture depiction of organized
labour as a beneficial force against the evils of capitalism.

In "Ragtime", the Goldman character emerges now and then to deliver what is
supposed to be a rousing speech. She never did get around to killing anyone
in real life, so in the play the revenge killings are all carried out by
blacks or against blacks. Through it all, Ms. Goldman is there in the
background, providing ideological support and generally acting as a symbol
of political solidarity between the worker-victims of capitalism and the
victims of racism. It all gets a standing ovation.

The sentimentalism and violence of "Ragtime" should go over well in New
York, where there's a major effort under way to rehabilitate the union
movement. The major focus is the apparent Teamsters' victory over United
Parcel Service after a two-week strike. The president of the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters, Ron Carey, calimed that the UPS settlement marks
the begining of a new era in US labour relations that could see unions
regaining some of the power and influence they once enjoyed.

That, of course, assumes labour's rebirth can survive charges that his
election to the Teamsters' presidency - shortly before the UPS strike - was
corrupt. A government investigation recently found his previous campaign
practices were improper and involved misuse of Teamsters' funds. Miuse of
Teamsters' funds? Horrors! Say it ain't so!

US Vice-President Al Gore, angling for labour support, has also portrayed
the UPS strike as the foundation for a resurgence of union power. "It's time
for a new unionism...a new determination" that wages and productivity must
rise. 

Many in the media are going along with the union victory spin. "The Sunday
New York Times" carried a major report on how union members' wages and
benefits are 20 per cent higher than those of non-union workers, and
wondered why more workers don't sign union cards to cash in on the apparent
benefits. The report
only touched on the fact that such union wages have the effect of reducing
employment and slowing economic activity.

Hopes that the union movement is poised for recovery in the United Stated
and Canada is the main theme of the latest issue of "Monthly Review" the New
York-based socialist magazine that counts Canadians among its contributors.
"Rising from the Ashes? Labour in the Age of Global Capitalism" proclaims
the cover. Inside, a  collection of union and socialist writers try to stir
up enthusiasm and lend credibility to the cause and the theory that labour
is set to stage a comeback. It's a grim read, coming as it does from a group
of activists and theorists who seem to feel that workers have made almost no
progress without the unions over the past 40 years. Indeed, they see the
world thorugh Emma Goldman's eyes.

This being a radical writers' gig, even the unions are trashed for their
failure to fight for minorities. "Despite rhetorical stances in favour of
civil rights, most unions, including the UAW, the Teamsters and the
Steelworkers, were the object both of struggles by black worker caucuses and
massive anti- discrimination suits," recalled one academic. He saw few signs
of real change in current union leadership.

Writing about Canada, Sam Gindin tries to portray the union battles against
the Ontario governments - both the Rae and Harris versions - as valiant
attempts to keep the flame of socialis, alive at a time when capitalism
seems to be winning all the battles. Mr. Gindin, a labour economist and
assistant to Canadian Auto Workers' president Buzz Hargrove, ultimately
fails to convince even himself that labour has a chance of imposing its
socialist ideal on Canada, let alone the rest of the world.

The unions are now claiming that they are targeting their organization
campaigns toward the young, staging coups that are replacing the old labour
leaders and styles, and aiming for new members in the service sectors. Mixed
in with the organization reforms are old socialist ideas. "Monthly Review"
includes a call from York University Professor Leo Panich fro job
development boards. "If we have school boards to guarantee the right to an
education, wht not job boards to guarantee the right to a job?"

Another idea from Mr. Gindin: "Suppose, for example, that every financial
institution in the country had to place a percentage of its assets (maybe 5
per cent rising tp 10 percent over time) in a National Investment
Fund...Individuals wanting to invest in this fund out of solidarity could
buy Canadian Investment Bonds and, since this would be optional, the return
might be higher (perhaps 2 -3 per cent - enough for a future decent pension
income)."

Big labour, however much it's dolled up for Broadway, in the media and by
presidential hopefuls, is still selling the same old socialist cant.





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