6/14/2022

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            I see that you are headed to Philly today to speak at the AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention. I was excited to see that they have their first women president & am intrigued that Liz Shuler (LS) rose through the ranks as an organizer. I wonder how that sits with the folks in the various unions who labor with their bodies more than with their mouths. Her platform included a commitment to “embrace experimentation in how we organize and get to the bargaining table.” Please chat with LS about her efforts to connect with “members on the ground” & to use new media to reach out to the under 35 crowd.  

            Do you think the success of the grassroots efforts of the workers at Starbucks’ shops & Amazon warehouses signals a resurgence of the union movement? Wouldn’t that be exciting?

            Soon, I’ll be learning all about the new union contract the UC Regents made with the University Council, American Federation of Teachers at the University of California, when I start my 1-year stint as interim department chair of the UCD School of Education. We employ a crew of lecturers under that contract & several are union activists. Their interpretation of the contract is questionable at times. They appeal to the contract when it behooves them & ignore it when it doesn’t. It will be a steep learning curve. You know all about that.

            As we contemplate unions, let’s not forget that the young, women garment workers in Burma were some of the 1st folks to strike after the Feb, 2021 coup & “deeply inspired the general public, broke down some of the fear, and catalyzed the massive protests and the general strike.” According to Labornote, the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar called on Brands such as Gap & North Face not to fire workers for participating in strikes. Please check in to see what those brands are doing vis a vis Burma these days.

            BYBS,