Radical ex-legislators for rock-bottom wages and a despoiled environment

Time for dinosaurs to go extinct (0.00 / 0)

How dare those "radical environmentalists" support jobs in the woods doing bona-fide forest restoration and community fire protection and jobs in sustainable, local agriculture and jobs in clean and green energy. How dare those "radical environmentalists" try and jump start a multi-billion "restoration economy" here in Montana.

It should come as no surprise that the dinosaurs in the resource exploitation industries (and their political supporters) won't go down without a fight. Extinction cannot come too soon for that dominate paradigm, especially since it stands in the way of a clean, green and sustainable future for Montana, America and future generations.

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by: Matthew Koehler @ Tue May 06, 2008 at 16:31:29 PM UTC

Ron Marlenee rides again (0.00 / 0)

Yippee yi o kye ay

I might have to dust off a few t-shirts, 'specially for him.

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by: JC @ Tue May 06, 2008 at 16:39:45 PM UTC

Ha! (0.00 / 0)

Check this out. It looks like MEA got to the website before the wingers.

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by: gerik @ Wed May 07, 2008 at 00:10:26 AM UTC

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a labor movement? (0.00 / 0)

Jay, you asked: "Wouldn't it be nice if someone formed a group to battle radical ex-legislators?"

There is a group, or sadly, there was a group. It was called the Montana labor movement. Today, the labor movement is no more, because quite simply there are very few leaders who believe unions should stand together for the greater good. I invite you to look around for those leaders active today -- who would you name?

It used to be (and really not too long ago) that the labor movement stood together in solidarity. If the hotel and restaurant workers union put up a picket line, for example, the plumbers and pipefitters would be there, walking the line with their sisters and brothers. If a union offered a ballot initiative, members of other unions would have helped gather signatures and then supported it through the general election. If a right-to-work law were threatened by the right-wing conservatives, the labor movement would be holding workshops and rallies to bring together other progressives to help carry the fight forward.

Just a few short years ago, the labor movement stood together with family farmers, with conservationists, with poor people, with people of color - truly and magnificently the labor movement led a people's movement that saw the greatest enactment of progressive labor, consumer and environmental laws ever seen in this state.

To be sure, Congress and conservative Presidents have deliberately made the work of union officers tough. So-called labor laws at the federal level always favor the company instead of offering a level playing field for unions to represent workers. It's hard to motivate a business agent when they are part accountant, counselor, lawyer, administrator, organizer and benefits expert.

I wish I had an easy fix, but I don't. I'm worried that if the labor movement doesn't start moving, it won't just be union workers who will suffer. The rest of us will also pay the price for the inward turn of unions and their officers. I'm hoping and watching for leaders to step forward and put the movement back together again. So the answer to your question, "Wouldn't it be nice..." should be changed to "Wouldn't it be nice if there was a Montana labor movement to help battle radical ex-legislators?"  

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by: MinerWidow @ Wed May 07, 2008 at 04:47:12 AM UTC