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Hey, folks. Welcome to Work in Progress.
This is the first day of Firedoglake’s new blog about work, jobs, unions, and the politics involved. In the midst of a floundering economy, it’s the issues that face people who work for a living that deserve the most attention. We’ll look at the goings-on of unions, labor legislation, and organizing drives, and discuss their impact on working people.
Why “Work in Progress?” Well, there’s a couple meanings. One, we’ll cover work issues in the context of the progressive movement. Two, the labor movement itself is a work in progress. Faced with all-time low membership, there’s much to be done for working people to take back the reins of the economy. And three, it’s just damn clever. Big tip of the hat to shirah at Unbossed for the “Work in Progress” name.
And myself? My name is Michael Whitney. I’ve been writing at FDL for several years, starting with the Writers Guild strike of 2007. I’ve been involved with labor since 2004, working with the labor rights nonprofit American Rights at Work. For the last year I was an online campaign manager with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). For almost the entirety of my involvement in the labor movement I’ve worked on the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill waiting in Congress that would help working people by correcting one of the most obvious imbalances in America: corporate power run amok.
In the tradition of one-time FDL labor blogger Jordan Barab – now President Obama’s Interim Director of OSHA – and continuing with the AFL-CIO’s Tula Connell’s ongoing weekly coverage of labor issues, I’m proud to have a home at Firedoglake for working people. Welcome to Work in Progress.
Got a tip, comment, or anything else? Drop me a line at michaelwhitney.fdl at gmail.com.
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About Work in Progress
Welcome, Michael. It will be great to see more of you at the Lake.
Welcome – glad to have you here!
Hi Michael, Looking forward to your posts. I will plan to visit regularly
Welcome Michael –
was horrified to read 16 americans die on the job everyday which officially makes it Killing Fields, USA and saw a facebook post saying less than 50% of working americans get paid sick leave – I know it’s been a long time since I worked in the corporate/cube world, but what in bloody hell ?!?!
otoh, I never expected to see a resurgent Labor in my lifetime – seriously, thank dog !
Welcome. So delighted to have this blog!
Glad to see you here, Michael. Look forward to your posts.
As a manufacturing hand of some 30+ years, I long a resurection of U.S. production of manufactured goods and the strong economy that would result. I will be checking in daily.
Thanks everyone! I’m so happy to be here.
And glad to have you.
Welcome, Michael.
Congratulations Michael! You’ll have plenty to keep you busy.
Yay Michael!
Welcome. Excellent concept for a regular blog.
Yeah, I’ve felt pretty bored and lazy recently, so I decided to take up this too. …….
thanks eve
With your marching orders, it seems you’d have the FDL lede instead of being far right ;-] There is a long row to hoe in any attempt to move our Government to the left and wean Congress from the teat of Corporations and other special interests. God knows you’ll get carpel tunnel before writers block with your beat.
As a campaign strategist who is among the long term unemployed I have become extremely motivated and proactive about helping people going through this particular experience with perhaps fewer resources and skills — ie web savvy, policy knowledge — understand how to treat this like your job and to take names. And as it relates to DC, take no prisoners: obstructionists just hate that. Ain’t that ashamed.
bienvenu!
unions are not the entire answer as unions can refect the capitalist beliefs as much as corp america and reagan economics.
get beyond unions and look deep into the mentality of the american mind.
we have become a self righteous and very greedy nation we even have wars for profits and make mega dollars off the sick and needy.
reagan hated unions and to his credit he was able to just about destroy them.
the interesting part the middle class lined up to vote for reagan. the white collar folks were not laid off in those days but today their jobs have no security.
yet many still line up to vote for politicans with a corp lobbyists influence
we are learning in america what does not work but not until we have created a society of haves and have nots mostly have nots.
almost there now the only thing keeping us afloat is chinese money and printed money.
I smile when I think the evil communists are keeping the christian capitalists afloat. whoops what happened there americans.
wake up americans you are being had. look at the system that had created this decline of a nation.
media is not going to tell you these things as they rely on corp america for their money and profits thru ads.
Good to see you’re quoting Jordan. Hopefully more people on this site mobilize behind the Workplace Safety movement- Remember, all workplaces have hazards! It’s your employees legal duty to fix them and your legal right to report them!
Welcome Michael,
and congratulations on your new blog.
Welcome Michael.
As the crisis of capitalism continues to unfold I will look forward to your columns. I hope some of these topics will be touched upon, aside from the important labor battles taking place at the legislative and worksite levels: Corporate unionism and how it has played into the hands of the plutocracy; the anti-human effects and contradictory results of globalism; the urgent need for strong and respectful connections between labor and environmentalism; and, what seems to be, the inevitability of a general strike in ‘failing’ states such as California.
ORGANIZE!
Doing a drive by but will Obama try and pass a green stimulus plan? And will the stimulus green or not be big enough this time?
The packaging store guy in Seattle said UPS, Fed Ex, and the post office in Seattle are not hiring extra help for the holidays this year thats how bad the economy is.
I have never heard of or lived in a town where UPS did not hire extra help for the holidays. Will Black Friday the first day retail stores go in the black ever come this year?
Food prices also seem to be dropping in Seattle.
Right On!The theory behind Unions was to level the playing field for the worker when it had to go up against corporations,and contractors.What happened along the way was Union Heads got cozy with those same entities,and forgot about their members.I am currently an active member of the IBEW and find myself very resentful every time I check on calls.I totally agree with your comments.
I am very lucky to be in a democratic union. I have been in other unions where there is little or no democracy and the only real benefits of unionism were pure bread-and-butter issues like health care.
When labor was strong, before the Palmer Raids, American labor unions took on the plutocrats and were winning!
Don’t all Empires fade when they stop making stuff and become financial empires rather than manufacturing empires? Spain dependent on the yearly Silver Fleet from America stops making stuff, England is still a major finance center even though it’s overseas empire is gone, the Romans I think speculated on the grain fleets from Egypt being late meant those who still had grain could charge rip off prices.
I think when countries get dependents on imports from other places even if they are part of the empire if something happens to disrupt delivery the more dependent the more damage done.
Why is it that the AFL_CIO raises my dues twice during this depression the Union Trades are in?Where is the compassion for the current situation we all face?This in itself causes me to believe theyre out of touch with their members.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iguOZbu89UVH1BZGG9YOuNq1c6kwD9C241K00
My bold has the Empire already been in decline?
Welcome in your new official capacity Michael, and thanks for all you’ve penned in the past.
I may have disagreed with a point or two but your breadth and depth of all things labor issues is greatly appreciated by myself.
I hope you will include in your sphere of topics and issues the incredible need we have to CREATE jobs aka WPA, immediately.
The recession/depression work wise in CA, at least in Sacto, began back in ’04 as housing and construction started to shut down almost overnight, after such a HUGE boom of development.
So I, and many others, have been dealing with lack of jobs issues now for 6 years or so.
Office jobs, admin jobs, marketing, PR, advertising . . . supplies, equipment, tools and more also, all went in the toilet beginning in ’04, due to the housing boom collapse.
All those people who lost or are losing their jobs, here in Sac, and across the nation, need jobs, and can’t find any!
You put organized labor behind the engine to DEVELOP jobs, and you’ll have many, many new union favorable folks to recruit to!!!
Best of luck with the new gig here, and bring it on!!!
*G*
Welcome, Michael and congrats on your new digs.
You can now brag to your friends that you’ve got a real, live, card carryin’, dues payin’ Wobbly as a regular reader. *g*
An injury to one is an injury to all.
wonderful news michael. so glad to see you have an fdl home — work in progress is a great name for this blog.
Utah Phillips is smiling down on ya hoss . . *G*
As are Woody and many, many more.
Joe Hill, too.
*G*
agreed through and through, Larue.
No kidding…my list of potential posts is already a mile long, it seems. There will be no shortage of content here!
a real live Wobbly! woohoo! Thanks for coming by.
From my perspective there is no way you can adequately discuss labor, working people, Main Street etc. unless you delve into:
* crony capitalism
* the Bilderberg Group
* so-called *Reagan Democrats*
* racism and immigration
* the psuedo liberal Congress and Obama administration [respecting economic policy]
Michael, From a I.B.E.W. Member welcome.
Glad you are doing this.
Whose watching trade policy? It seems like Rich Trumka is pretty on the ball about this stuff and there is some fairly promising stuff forthcoming from the EPI and AFL-CIO’s policy shop, but where was anybody when Ron Kirk was nominated for USTR? More importantly, would anyone listen to what the labor movement had to say?
Welcome, Michael. Thanks for this new contribution to The Lake.
FunnyWheelieDiva
Welcome Michael. I just blogged about the start of your blog. Nothing special, but can be seen Here
We’ve got a lot of work to do to rebuild our manufacturing base. Finance/disaster capitalism ain’t cuttin’ it.
Naomi Klein’s No Logo is being reissued with a new intro next week. A must read.
I’m happy to see a new labor interest blog, and I am looking forward to your posts. It would be a great thing if working people could get back a little piece of our society. Thanks for your efforts Michael.
Welcome, Michael, this is a very exciting development.
Love the name!
Good luck with your new blog, Michael. I’ll be reading.
Absolutely thrilled not only with your presence here Michael, but also with Jane’s prescience in seeing where the battle needs to be fought.
Love this idea.