About the Blog--PUBLISHING ALERT

PUBLISHING ALERT

Folks: slowly, but surely, I am moving this blog over to www.workinglife.org

So, bookmark that URL--it will be the same stuff...and even better. YOU CAN START YOUR OWN BLOG THERE!!! And, then, post about subjects you want to see debated.

Do it today.

Jim Jontz Remembered

    I don't know how many people out there worked with or knew Jim Jontz. He was a long-time activist who worked in the trenches of labor and politics for a long, long time...Jim died today of cancer. Here is what Americans For Democratic Action sent out:

It is with profound sorrow that I announce the death today of Jim Jontz.  As many but not all of you know,  Jim has been battling cancer for more than two years now.  Today he lost that fight and we are all diminished.  For me personally, this is the loss of a friend of more than 20 years.  I have known him as a young state legislator, a Member of Congress, an activist, ADA president, mentor, advisor, leader of Working Families Win and so much more.  Each of you will have similar memories. 

The past two weeks have, in many ways, been harder on us than on Jim.  He was in no pain and was surrounded by family.  You will not be surprised to know that he worked until he literally could not.  We have committed to him that his work will continue and we will live up to that commitment.

His sister tells me that he has designated the ADA Education Fund for contributions.  These contributions are tax deductible and will be dedicated to Working Families Win's educational activities.

    For a short period of time, Jim was active in the National Writers Union, trying to bring his expertise to the work of organizing independent writers. I got to know him back then and, most recently, I've been serving with him on the advisory board of United Professionals. He will really be missed.

    Here's another story from The Indianapolis Star.

A Short Break

    I'm taking a short blogging break until Jan 2nd. Though I reserve the right to be so inspired, compelled or enraged by something that I'll break my vow. Feel free to "chat" about anything you want. See you in a week.

SHORT BLOG BREAK

    Friends, I'm going to take a short break--just a few days--to catch up on some sleep and just turn the brain off. So, going to be off-line until Wednesday morning. See you then...But, keep discussing any issue you want right here as an open thread:

   What's on your mind?:

THE ECONOMY?

WAGES?

UNION STUFF?

THE WAR?

A Short Announcement

    I hope readers will be patient with a slightly more erratic schedule the last week or so. A bit snowed under with this and that so hang in there.

Break

    A day of rest.

Wal-Mart, NEA and China

    Let me check in on a few things to clean the plate here.

    On the deal made to allow chapters of the National Education Association (NEA) to affiliate directly with local AFL-CIO bodies even though the NEA as a whole remains outside of the AFL-CIO, sure, this is a harmless and potentially good thing. I applaud the AFL-CIO for allowing this. If it means more effective coordination, particularly in politics, that would benefit everyone.

    And you can call me a Change To Win shill if you like, but does anyone believe this would have happened without the debate over the future of the labor movement and the creation of two federations? The fact is that the debate has forced everyone to think about how to do things differently. At the same time, I've maintained from the very beginning of the debate that the issue of where the chairs are arranged--whether we have one or more federations and who belongs to which one--is secondary to the question of how to actually make progress in reversing the downward slide of organized labor.

    And my friends in both federations, when they talk to me honestly, agree that no one has the magic bullet to that question.

    On China. Check out the front-page story today in The New York Times about China's auto industry:

China is pursuing a novel way to catapult its automaking into a global force: buy one of the world's most sophisticated engine plants, take it apart, piece by piece, transport it halfway around the globe and put it back together again at home.

    The key piece of information that is buried at the end of the story is the most revealing in terms of the challenge that China poses to workers here and in other countries:

Wages of less than $100 a month have helped control the cost. The assembly plant is better organized than many Chinese factories, although it still maintains large inventories of parts and materials awaiting assembly, incurring interest charges to finance these supplies. Mr. Yin has no doubts that China can also compete with the United States. "Americans work 5 days a week, we in China work 7 days," he said. "Americans work 8 hours a day, and we work 16 hours."

    I point this out to just clear the air about the issue of "China-bashing." I have consistently said that hundreds of millions of Chinese workers deserve better pay and benefits, and they must rise out of the poverty they live in today. They have to have the right to organize unions. That is in the interest of American workers and workers in other countries. My criticism of China, if there is one, is entirely aimed at the government which, though still calling itself communist, is perhaps the most important ally of global business in providing a workforce whose wages are controlled by the government (interesting how you never hear Wal-Mart et al call for the free market to reign in China when it comes to wages). Not to mention a countrywide system of repression of free speech and union rights.

    Speaking of Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart's CEO Lee Scott is competing with yours truly: darn, he has his own blog. And it turns out he can get a bit mean and nasty in his postings--welcome to the blog world! Check out the story in today's New York Times. I'm going to get the full blog excerpts and post them here today or perhaps tomorrow.

Snow, Snow, Snow

    Everyone's seen the pictures but why should I be different--let me tell you, the snow was a lot less dangerous than standing twenty feet from Dick Cheney.

A Holiday Break

    Friends, I'll be off the posting biz for the holiday--not that I'm just lounging around but have to clean out the mind and desk for a few days. So, barring any labor or economic calamity, look for me to be back here on Tuesday.

    HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL WORKING LIFE's READERS AND POSTERS. This year, this blog community has expanded dramatically. And the debate has been good. So, here's to building on that for 2006.