The WHAT??????
When I heard this on NPR this afternoon on the way home, I almost flipped right the hell out of my seat. I probably should have, because how many folks on my commuter bus were listening to NPR at the moment DeMint said these scandalous words? How many would recognize the impact and intent here? In this interview, DeMint clearly stated that his goal was to force the automakers into Chapter 11 bankruptcy so that the union contracts could be broken and restructured; that decades of union contracts and threatened strikes and "union bosses" are the reason that the auto companies are in trouble now; that unions are "...an antiquated concept in today's economy..."....what I want to do is make sure we have jobs for these workers and we have first-class American automobile companies... and we're not going to do it with the barnacles of unionism wrapped around their necks.
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Let these words burn into your mind for a moment.. Then take a moment to read up on the history of the union movement in this country, which led workers out of poor working conditions and protected them from cuts in wages that led beyond mere poverty to starvation for entire families. Workers gave their lives in many cases during the strikes of old, not just so they could make working conditions, pay and benefits better for themselves but so that the next generations of workers would not have to fight these same battles. It's the reason we have a minimum wage in this country. It's the reason breathing masks are required when working in mines or with dangerous chemicals. It's the reason children are not allowed to work.
Now take a few moments to read this diary, which is far more eloquent than I am. There's a bunch of action items in there to follow. Spread this whole thing far and wide. It's time to show this country who the real barnacles are, who they intend to choke, and that they need to get scrubbed off the hull of our ship.
Do not take your working standards and conditions for . Fight for them as if they don't exist.