I'm not surprised, their leadership has always been a bunch of reactionaries. When I worked at an AFSCME shop, it was literally no different than nonunion shops, except they took money out of my check every week.

I suppose a part of me had hoped that all the hustle and bustle of leftism might influence working class institutions. It's certainly had an effect on this election cycle. I mean, at least wait until the primaries are over if you plan on doing it. . . but, no, they hope to get something out of an early endorsement. [but, these days, what that "get something" amounts to is crumbs -- some barely better appointees in the NLRB and 8 year waits until the dem is a lame duck to "start conversations on labor" -- which is surely better than nothing, but certainly no legislative pushes]

Though I suppose, in the end, this has more to do with membership activity than not. A militant movement makes for militant leadership.

Still... made me disappointed, at least.

I would have been very very surprised if AFSCME had endorsed Bernie Sanders. Perhaps some locals have been a dash of red sauce, but most of them are rancid deep-fat-fried.

Was it too much to hope that they'd at least wait until the primaries were over, though?

I mean -- the left-ish talk of Clinton only came about because of radical leftists making a scene, ya'know?

9 beers and 3 shots of JD later. . .

Goddamnit, I am so disappointed in American politics -- and especially American labor politics. . .


So much effort, so little effect.... even a return to FDR-style politics would have satiated me. But what we get is so sad.

Where should I move to?

FDR-style politics, as in there's a militant communist movement about to overthrow the government, and also Bush's grandfather leading a fascist charge at an attempt at a coup? Looking around, the fascists are rising, but not the commies...

So, the answer is you should move to another galaxy.

Hahah.

I know that's where it came from. But, no, that's not what I mean. I just mean that perspective -- a push for, for instance, the WAGE act would have been great. Changing the "middle class" lingo to "working class" lingo ,and an end to the neoliberal assumptions which Carter began.

Something that's not more of the same. But I hear you. It's true that the right-wing is well organized and is increasing across the globe. Another galaxy might be nice. ;)