It's Time to Renew Our Vows
By Shelley Kessler

Some of us have been married to the labor movement for a long time. We have forsaken our family and friends for lofty goals. Some of us are in-laws, some of us are out-laws, some estranged; some moved back home where we are comfortable, some peer into the windows to see if it is safe to knock. But no matter what, family is family and we struggle through the tough times together.

It is a new year and we all hope for a better world to unfold. Opportunities will present themselves for taking action and building more power for working people. But opportunities are not guarantees!

We must be vigilant and not complacent about the victories we had last year. On the legislative front, we will work nationally and statewide for important issues such as the right to organize, healthcare, and fair trade. We will educate and encourage our elected officials (as well as ourselves!) to be responsive to these and other important issues.
However, George W. Bush is still in the White House and Arnold Schwarzenegger is still in the Governor’s mansion; both have the ability to veto our legislative efforts, both have the ability and inclination to pursue an anti-worker, anti-union agenda. And both have waged war on our standard of living, our pensions, our health and safety on the job, and our social safety nets.

That is why we must organize ourselves to collectively, with community partners, take on the forces that would undermine our quality of life for the betterment of their own. That is why we will stand shoulder to shoulder, with like-minded groups and individuals; to promote a sharing of the wealth we create, fairness in tax policies so that the rich pay their fair share, an end to environmental degradation, and a definite end to the war efforts that the Bush administration is pursuing around the world which result in the death and maiming of thousands at a cost of billions of our tax dollars. We could instead fund healthcare, housing, education, and a myriad of other worthwhile causes.

In this Labor paper, you will see examples of the strategies being developed to programmatically address these concerns. You will also see why our history is a proud one that accomplished major goals for working families. Look at the chart on page four that shows the difference that union membership makes in our lives, check out the challenges to organizing that we still face, and help us develop the concrete way to make change happen.

The only way we can create the national and statewide will to find solutions to important social issues is through our united efforts; at the worksite, in our communities, through public forums and personal commitment. One step at a time, one struggle at a time, but multiplied by the thousands across this great land. We face many challenges; we don’t all agree on which way forward. However, together we will find the way forward. We will fight the cynicism and help make an optimistic difference in the lives of our families and all working people. Every year I ask for your support. This year is no different. Let us join together, contribute in small ways and large, but be united in our common goals for a better life for all of us.