OPINION Modern Union Busting, and the Decline of the Middle Class
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BY LARRY J. SCHWEIGER - PITTSBURGH CURRENT COLUMNIST INFO@PITTSBURGH CURRENT.COM
orkers in slaughmasks, swabs, and test kits to be terhouses, frontline able to produce widespread and bus drivers, transit timely testing because he does operators, and essential grocery not want voters to know how store clerks did their jobs during bad things are. Economist Robthis past month. Many faithfulert Reich explained “Trump’s ly showed up to work despite actions regarding re-opening the not having proper protection national economy to a chilling measures, adequate healthfour-point plan: Remove incare coverage, or decent living come support, so people have wages. Far too many are now no choice but to return to work; paying the price. "Workers of hide the facts; pretend it’s about every stripe are supporting the “freedom”; and shield businesssick, the isolated, and the vules against lawsuits for spreading nerable. Even in the face of this the infection.” The coronaviemergency, working people are rus did not cause a myriad of showing no crisis is too great, workplace injustices; it merely and no task is too small." AFLbrought them into sharp focus. CIO President Richard Trumka Just after the first Earth Day recently spoke on a March 19 when millions of Americans Facebook telecast: "Our values protested and demanded corare needed more today and more porations stop polluting the air than ever before." Once the and waters, Milton Friedman in immediate pandemic crisis has apparent response to the public run its course, Trumka said, "We demands, published an article in can rebuild America. the New York Times on SepIn response to widespread tember 13, 1970, asserting the COVID-19 outbreaks at thirteen sole purpose of a firm is to make meat-producing operations, money for its shareholders. Full Trump invoked the Defense Pro- stop. Friedman's article claimed duction Act, and ordered slaugh- executives who pursued any terhouse workers, sick or not, goal other than making money back on the job while relieving (like caring for workers' health the meat-producing corporations and safety or addressing pollufrom liability. More concerned tion) were "unwitting puppets of with his re-election than the the intellectual forces that have health of workers, Trump has been undermining the basis of a also been encouraging goverfree society these past decades." nors who are ignoring CDC He said they were guilty of benchmarks to reopen prema"analytical looseness and lack of turely. Trump and many govrigor," turning themselves into ernors are forcing workers off "unelected government offiunemployment compensation cials" who were illegally taxing back to work with inadequate employers and customers. For safeguards, including masks, this economic drivel, Friedman gloves, testing, and contact tracwon a Nobel Prize in Economing. He has refused to use the ics in 1976. More importantly, same Defense Production Law his economic theory found a that gives government sweeping home on Wall Street. Corporate powers to dramatically ramp up culture has shifted to become lathe manufacturing capacity of ser-focused on quarterly returns 12 | MAY 5, 2020 | PITTSBURGH CURRENT
