So, I want to take a few minutes to bitch about my union, specifically this bullshit email I got today.
First, they start off in congratulating themselves on endorsing Obama again. Well I guess they congratulated all 2.1 million of us SEIU members, that being said, none of the rank and file members were asked so thanks for making that decision for us! Now while I believe if they had asked the rank and file members to you know actually vote on this it would have come out the same way it’s still totally ridiculous to claim that “President Obama is the only candidate for president who shares our vision of America as a land of opportunity for everyone. We need a leader willing to fight for the needs of the 99 percent, and stand with hard working families to say that the world’s wealthiest corporations must pay their fair share.” Obama doesn’t stand for those things, in fact, he doesn’t even pretend to stand for those things. He’s been saying since the first time he ran for president that average Americans were going to have to “tighten their belts” to get through this recession. He doesn’t talk about taxing the rich, he gave us a watered down corporate sponsored healthcare bill, he flat out lied to us about ending wars and closing Guantanamo Bay. Obama does not represent our interests and it’s about time we stop lying to ourselves and start realizing that the Democratic Party is just as much in the hands of the corporate elite as the Republicans. Just one of them lies about it more.
Second, they go on to talk about, “Thursday, thousands of Americans stood together on our failing bridges and roads.” This event, by most accounts, was a great success and it was union sponsored; all great things. But here is the thing… they didn’t mobilize their membership. Some SEIU locals in town were there but there was not a single word said about it to our local. Most of us work at the University of Washington… they marched and subsequently closed the University Bridge… this seems like a no brainer. If you aren’t going to mobilize your membership you don’t get to congratulate yourselves on a successful action.
Third, fuck telling people they don’t need to come to the rally. Fucking encourage people to come out to the rally on Saturday. It IS important. Put a stupid sign in your window if you want but come out to the rally, march to the Federal Building with us. Tell Patty Murray that the cuts her and her buddies on the super committee are trying to make to the federal budget are totally unacceptable. Refuse to make any cuts. Insist that we tax the rich, insist that we close tax loopholes for giant corporations, insist on huge cuts to military spending and end the wars in Iraq and Afganistan! Let’s not let her hide behind the cover that automatic cuts are imminent and going to be worse. Those cuts were imposed by congress and can be stopped by congress.
I support unions and I’m happy to be in one but they need to get their shit together.
