Re: Cynical Thoughts on a Pleasant Rainy Morning in Idaho (Organizing stuff)

From Hunter at an RBB discussion.  See Sam Friedman's quite good protest suggestions immediately attached and following this post of mine:

I'm not quite as pessimistic about the current state of Labor.  There are some significant organizing efforts underway.  One example is at Nissan in Canton, Mississippi -- just north of Jackson -- where UAW is making a long-term major effort in that still problematic turf.  And there are other campaigns going on.  Rank-and-file initiatives are picking up momentum.

That said, however, it's true that not nearly enough organizing at the points of production is being attempted.  I agree that Trumka, and some others, for all of their oratory, are stodgy and unwilling to invest the time and money necessary to pursue effective campaigns over relatively long pulls.  They're still heavily in the "political action" mode which, so far these past many years, has netted little of a tangible nature.  We don't hear much about Labor Law Reform anymore.

Traditionally, in this country, it's been the radicals who moved to organize the unemployed -- especially in the urban/industrial settings.  And, at this point, the radicals are not doing that.  Occupy seemed to offer some promise but its lack of systematic organization, absence of linkups, and often hazy vision, did it in.  I am convinced that something New and hopefully more committed and vital will emerge before long.  The Crisis demands it. (And there is always a "new crop" of college and university students coming up.)

As for Labor, the Crisis also demands fast constructive action -- and the resurgence of "the old revival spirit."  I think we will see that renaissance occur also.  My faith in Labor -- especially over the long pull -- remains undaunted.  I've just renewed my union dues for yet another year.  Been a union member, sometimes of more than just one simultaneously, since the beginning of 1955.  I have a hell of a lot more faith in unions than I do in politicians.

As an added note:  Looks like the mainline media remain hooked on the Boston tragedy.  Fortunately, TCM came up with the 1976 film, Bound for Glory (Woody Guthrie.)  That's a great flick for sure -- a good antidote for anyone's personal "political" depression.

Your protest suggestions are quite good, Sam.

Solidarity,

Hunter Bear
From Sam Friedman on protest suggestions:


In our area, there is a degree of a movement in New Brunswick against police shootings--as in many areas--and this would probably extent to such a situation.

We need to start thinking more about how to respond in more Boston-like situations.  At the very least, we need to think about putting signs in windows, or on our lawns, opposing such closing down of cities or towns.  And then making demands on employers to make up the lost pay. Where unions can lead this, that will be useful, but where they can't or won't workers' centers and other community and political groups might be able to do this to an extent.

Where we are organized enough, we could try defiant "occupations" of public space by hundreds or thousands of demonstrators in the teeth of the demands for lock-down.  This would be in the traditions of (hopefully mass) nonviolent action.  If they jail people for that, then further actions would be required.  But this requires a lot of support and organization if it is not to be a futile defeat.

And perhaps we should start floating demands to cut the police in half (or more), and to de-militarize them.  

(Sam Friedman)

HUNTER GRAY [HUNTER BEAR/JOHN R SALTER JR] Mi'kmaq /St. Francis 
Abenaki/St. Regis Mohawk 
Member, National Writers Union AFL-CIO
www.hunterbear.org  (social justice)

See the new expanded/updated edition of my "ORGANIZER'S
BOOK." It's the inside story of the rise of the massive Jackson
Movement -- careful grassroots organizing, bloody repression, sell-out 
and more.  It also covers other organizing campaigns of mine through
 the decades since Mississippi. It's replete with grass-roots organizing
examples and "lessons."  And it has my new 10,000 word 
introduction.  Among a myriad of positive comments and reviews:
 ". . .a local activist's important account of the deleterious effects
the involvement  of national organizations can have on indigenous
protest movements."  (Historian David Garrow.)
http://hunterbear.org/jackson.htm

See the related:  http://crmvet.org/comm/hunter1.htm

Stormy Adoption of an Indian Child [My Father]:
http://hunterbear.org/James%20and%20Salter%20and%20Dad.htm