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Thu, Feb 21 2013 13:02:04

Can Labor Be Saved? #U1Nation Twitter Chat

In this month's The Nation labor advocates and scholars discuss varying ways in which labor and unions can be saved in the United States. We brought this forum to Twitter for a lively discussion with authors of the pieces.

  1. TCFdotorg
    Century Foundation@TCFdotorg
    We are delighted to host a discussion asking How to Save Labor, based on a series from @TheNation. bit.ly/137hPjC #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:02:43
  2. UCBLaborCenter
    UCB Labor Center@UCBLaborCenter
    Can Labor Be Saved? w/ @KBronfenbrenner @josheidelson @CWAUnion & more. bit.ly/15v1m8F Follow #U1Nation today at 2pm
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 09:14:24
  3. AFLCIO
    AFL-CIO@AFLCIO
    At 2PM EST, tune into twitter chat: Can Labor Be Saved with @CWAUnion @JoshEidelson @KBronfenbrenner @GregAnrig & others using #u1Nation #1u
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 10:31:39
  4. TCFdotorg
    Century Foundation@TCFdotorg
    Transitioning from the Israeli-Palestine talk to a Twitter Chat on saving unions. Follow #u1nation to join in! bit.ly/15v1m8F #u1
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 10:56:05
  5. GregAnrig
    Greg Anrig@GregAnrig
    We're joined by series editor @josheidelson (@thenation) Larry Cohen, president of @CWAUnion, @KBronfenbrenner of Cornell (1/2) #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:02:38
  6. GregAnrig
    Greg Anrig@GregAnrig
    And by @tcfdotorg Fellows @RickKahlenberg and @MosheMarvit (2/2) #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:03:05
  7. GregAnrig
    Greg Anrig@GregAnrig
    .@josheidelson Our fastest growing industries are virtually union-free. Which industries are those, and how can unions help? #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:04:08
  8. josheidelson
    Josh Eidelson@josheidelson
    Take fast food. Rapidly growing, increasingly characteristic of US economy: low wages, poor benefits, unpredictable hrs. Non-union #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:04:42
  9. josheidelson
    Josh Eidelson@josheidelson
    Organizing there is rife w/ challenges, including small numbers on each shift, high turnover, and the “Who’s the Boss?” problem. #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:04:53
  10. josheidelson
    Josh Eidelson@josheidelson
    Big franchised chains don’t have legal accountability that goes w/ being employer, but can punish franchisees that accede 2workers #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:05:05
  11. josheidelson
    Josh Eidelson@josheidelson
    In Nov, we saw a historic challenge to fast food industry: For 1 day, 200 workers in NYC went on strike, demanding $15/ hr + union #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:05:17
  12. josheidelson
    Josh Eidelson@josheidelson
    Can they win anything? Many reasons for pessimism; depends in part on whether they can do the same repeatedly, + in several cities #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:05:35
  13. josheidelson
    Josh Eidelson@josheidelson
    But campaign illustrates several trends. 1st, while significantly funded by SEIU, organizing is spearheaded by an alt-labor group #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:05:45
  14. josheidelson
    Josh Eidelson@josheidelson
    2nd, franchisee structure of industry means it’s impossible (rather than near-impossible), 2win through going 2 govt 4 an election #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:05:54
  15. josheidelson
    Josh Eidelson@josheidelson
    To win requires a comprehensive campaign – media, politics, consumers, and workers in action. #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:06:03
  16. josheidelson
    Josh Eidelson@josheidelson
    3rd, strikes aren’t dead. Harder +riskier now, but done right, can squeeze companies+galvanize support in way other tactics don’t #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:06:12
  17. josheidelson
    Josh Eidelson@josheidelson
    As Kate's noted, strikes in fast food + Walmart are arguably a form of “minority unionism.” #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:06:24
  18. josheidelson
    Josh Eidelson@josheidelson
    ...Workers taking aggressive action as a step towards organizing a majority of their co-workers, rather than the other way around. #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:06:39
  19. josheidelson
    Josh Eidelson@josheidelson
    2often we see comprehensive campaigns by unions that aren’t really comprehensive, b/c they don’t give the workers very much to do. #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:06:48
  20. josheidelson
    Josh Eidelson@josheidelson
    Smart comprehensive campaigns anchored by rigorous organizing + militant industrial activism like strikes can still sometimes win. #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:07:02
  21. josheidelson
    Josh Eidelson@josheidelson
    (Related: salon.com/2012/11/29/in_… thenation.com/article/171868… prospect.org/article/alt-la… thenation.com/article/164182… inthesetimes.com/article/13181/… #u1nation #1u)
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:07:37
  22. AmybDean
    Amy B. Dean@AmybDean
    .@josheidelson Think it's significant that WMT workers globally are part of organizing now, too. #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:08:08
  23. josheidelson
    Josh Eidelson@josheidelson
    @AmybDean Agreed. thenation.com/blog/171770/gl… #u1Nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:14:12
  24. GregAnrig
    Greg Anrig@GregAnrig
    .@KBronfenbrenner Since 2008 unions have focused on politics & labor law reform & not organizing. Is that self-defeating? #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:08:21
  25. KBronfenbrenner
    Kate Bronfenbrenner@KBronfenbrenner
    Union political power intrinsically depends on union vitality in the workplace and community, a result of organizing power #u1nation
    Thu, Feb 21 2013 11:10:13

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The Century Foundation is a progressive nonprofit public policy research institution, with offices in New York and Washington, DC.

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