Labor Unions’ Involvement in Politics

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External advocacy and political involvement is deeply engrained in the culture of labor unions. Bill Fletcher Jr. writes myth 8: “the union uses our money for political action and I have no say in the matter,” in his novel “They’re Bankrupting Us” And 20 Other Myths about Unions. In this myth, Bill Fletcher Jr. addresses unions and how they take political action. Labor unions often take political action in a controversial way, while not always getting full advantage of their work.
Fletcher says that when unions and politics come together, people especially interpret unions’ missions and their power critically. He does not expand on how he titles the myth, but skims the surface on union consensus regarding politics. The myth is about the belief that “unions should stay out of politics and focus on what’s happening in the workplace” (Fletcher 65).
This myth exists because people often criticize unions, saying that they should stay out of politics and focus only on labor related issues. However, the reality is that the workplace does not exist in isolation and there is a strong relationship between politics, law, and the workforce.
Political and legislative decisions directly impact the work environment in a variety of ways. A candidate for political office can affect the workforce significantly through zoning ordinances, taxes, trade legislation, existence or lack of health, safety, and illegal discrimination regulations. They may also affect public investment (or lack of) in infrastructure, worker’s right to organize unions, levels of unemployment, and existence of unemployment insurance.
Internal disagreements are prevalent among labor unions, and even within the union there remains to be debate about how unions engage. Early ...

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...is Vision For Reforming Education.(Washington View)(Barack Obama)." Phi Delta Kappan 1 (2012): 66. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. de Sousa, Monica Teixeira. "The State Of Our Unions: How President Obama's Education Reforms Threaten The Working Class." University Of Louisville Law Review 50.2 (2011):201-252. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.
Dunbar, John. "The ‘Citizens United’ decision and why it matters." Center for Public Integrity. 08 Oct 2012: n. page. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. .
Fletcher Jr, Bill. "The'yre Bankrupting Us!": And 20 Other Myths about Unions. Boston:
Wilstead & Taylor Publishing Services, 2012. 65-72. Print.
Lichtenstein, Nelson. "Can This Election Save The Unions?." Dissent (00123846) (2012): 29
33. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

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