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User Blox 4
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Barack Obama
"Lincoln Sells Out Slaves"
by: Rob Kailey - Sep 13
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If You Haven't Seen This
by: Rob Kailey - Apr 28
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Impeach the President?
by: Rob Kailey - Mar 16
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It's the system, stupid!
by: Jay Stevens - Oct 25
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Rob Kailey is a working schmuck with no ties or affiliations to any governmental or political organizations, save those of sympathy.

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

by: Jay Stevens

Mon May 05, 2008 at 21:01:37 PM MST


Whoo, boy! You've probably already read how John Sinrud's planning on keeping busy when he's not busy cramming for architecture licensing exams: he's going to start a group to battle "radical environmentalists"!

Here's the kicker:

Although the group seeks to provide good-paying mining, logging and other natural resource jobs for blue-collar workers, it also has a tie to Montana's right-to-work movement. Right-to-work laws ban the so-called "closed shop," which makes union membership a condition of employment. Unions have successfully fought efforts to pass these laws in Montana for decades.

Got that? Sinrud's fighting for industries to pay folks rock-bottom wages (probably with long hours and scant health care coverage) to despoil their own environment! What a sweet deal for the people of Montana...

Pogie:

Of course, despite their pro-worker, pro-job rhetoric, Marlenee and Sinrud are creating yet another fringe, anti-labor Republican front group who will desperately dig for as much money as they can from businesses, who would be much better off spending their money on benefits and training for their workers.

Lamnidae:

I'd expect this group to become another mouth for the foundering Roy Brown/Steve Daines ticket. I'd also expect that their 990's will be filed well after the election is over to avoid any embarrassment for donors. When that 990 is filed, I also imagine it will show that Sinrud and Marlenee will probably take a hefty cut of those donations in the form of direction fees. It's so predictable, I'm surprised Chuck Johnson gave them over 1000 words.

Wouldn't it be nice if someone formed a group to battle radical ex-legislators?  

Jay Stevens :: Radical ex-legislators for rock-bottom wages and a despoiled environment
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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.


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.



Ha! (0.00 / 0)
Check this out. It looks like MEA got to the website before the wingers.

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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