Sick Out Against the Shut Down!
The only
force that can stop this anti-labor and illegal shutdown and lock-out is the
labor movement itself – especially the workers who do the work of government. TSA and Air Traffic controllers have the air
transport system in their hands. IRS and
Social Security workers have a good chunk of the financial system in their
hands. Reported this week is that 10% of
TSA workers were not reporting to work due to ‘financial’ issues. Wednesday there were reports that many IRS
workers are following suit, but also in organized protest.
 |
| In the Palm of their Hands... |
Tuesday on NPR a typically vapid interviewer talked to the head of the Georgia local of the American Federation of Government Employees. The union ‘leader’ said nothing about the possibility of a sick-out, nor was he asked. His only mention was that the shutdown might weaken security issues. He mentioned that the union was pointing federal workers to various charity programs. Other airline unions yesterday questioned the issue of air safety. The head of the Flight Attendants Union called for a general strike by the rest of labor, which was not publicized. No doubt Trumka yawned when hearing this.
Hanging
over the AFGE interview was the approach of the wretched Super Bowl in Atlanta in early February, which will result in Atlanta’s Hartsfield
Airport being packed with
wealthy fans transiting through. Some
TSA lines have already been shut down at Hartsfield because of absences, and hopefully
this is a harbinger of things to come.
Vice News yesterday asked a union rep for the
Virginia AFGE if they would go ‘on strike.’
The rep said it was illegal for federal workers to go on strike. What was not asked was anything about sick
outs, absences or employees working other jobs or quitting. In other words, the interviewer and the rep ignored a tactic already
being used.
 |
| A Shutdown that Ignores Labor Laws |
IRS
employees (30,000 of whom are still not counted in the 800,000 figure repeated
by the corporate press – along with those from Social Security) are not showing
up for work in Ogden, Utah and other processing centers, according
to the National Treasury Employees Union.
If Social Security workers and Air Traffic Controllers also begin to
‘get sick’ or take absences, then you will see the howls seriously begin.
It is hard
for workers to leave their jobs when others are working and leave the work-load
behind. So it is incumbent that
every government worker who is unpaid and working who can do it - calls in
sick or takes personal time. That is, if
the decision can’t be made all at once by groups of workers.
For the AFGE, the best time would be in the days up to the Super Bowl
and after. But will the unions even suggest it
under the table? It isn’t likely given the passive record of the labor tops, who are leaders who don't lead. Sick outs and absences take the legal onus off
of the union locals, and what you end up with is a ‘wildcat strike’ if it
happens in quantity.
Toothless and
impotent photogenic protests in front of Congress or pointless Congressional votes,
as happened yesterday, don’t work. This
shutdown is actually the living dream of Republican and libertarian political
advocates who want to ‘drown the administrative state.’ If the working class stands up to Trump now
in action, it will show that it is back on the stage of politics and history
once again. Shut Down Trump! Workers Power!
P.S. - Friday afternoon, worker-hater Trump folded. Absences of Air Traffic controllers at La Guardia led to a temporary closure of the airport. Delays continue in Philly and Newark airports. Trump knew absences were going to snowball across the country. To avoid having hundreds of thousands of workers ignoring him, he 're-opened the government' for 3 weeks. This is more power than evidenced by Nancy Pelosi and the whole Democratic Party. Next time this asshole uses a 'shutdown' as a bargaining chip, ( in 3 weeks?) NO ONE should show up from day One. And in the very unlikely event that the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win federations stir themselves to call for a one-day protest strike nationwide ... that would be even better. Workers Power!
P.S. - Friday afternoon, worker-hater Trump folded. Absences of Air Traffic controllers at La Guardia led to a temporary closure of the airport. Delays continue in Philly and Newark airports. Trump knew absences were going to snowball across the country. To avoid having hundreds of thousands of workers ignoring him, he 're-opened the government' for 3 weeks. This is more power than evidenced by Nancy Pelosi and the whole Democratic Party. Next time this asshole uses a 'shutdown' as a bargaining chip, ( in 3 weeks?) NO ONE should show up from day One. And in the very unlikely event that the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win federations stir themselves to call for a one-day protest strike nationwide ... that would be even better. Workers Power!
The Cranky
Yankee
Athens, Georgia
January 25,
2019
No comments:
Post a Comment