A recent Labor Notes article reflecting on the recent UAW convention reiterates the key premise mentioned in the above article, that unions are in the main political organizations, from the way they are run to the prime objectives they espouse. The opening paragraph from this UAW member says, “As the United Auto Workers’ 35th Convention unfolds in Detroit, it is painfully obvious that—despite facing the worst crisis in UAW history—keeping a death grip on power is more important to current leaders than fostering democratic debate on the future of our union.” Al Benchich, the article’s author, goes on to describe UAW then-president Gettlelfinger’s efforts to squelch democratic process from the floor of the convention in favor of the typical caucus-controlled agenda, and lamented incoming UAW president Bob King as being cut from the same cloth. Alluding to the political focus of the union (rather than the member-representation focus all unions purport to have), Benchich states,
“As president, King will undoubtedly do more to recreate the UAW as part of broader social movements than Gettelfinger ever thought of doing. He’s told me he wants to incite the membership to be more actively involved. “
Seems both labor historians and union members both recognize what union organizers fail to represent to prospective members – that unions only want member dues to sustain union-leader lifestyles, and to support political agendas, whether or not those agendas match those of their alleged constituency.
