July 21, 2016
By Steven Weiner
As a long-time supporter of unions, who was a member of Local 2627’s Executive Board, part of District Council 37 in NYC, I want to say how proud I am of my union brothers and sisters who went out on strike recently. Nearly 40,000 women and men, represented by the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, withstood an onslaught by one of the largest US corporations, Verizon.
Yet after nearly six weeks on the picket lines, they emerged victorious! A big reason for their success was expressed by Verizon worker Pamela Galpernin the midst of the strike: “What we’ve seen has really been tremendous resolve on the part of the strikers…to show that working people are prepared to stand up and to fight to protect our jobs and our families’ future.”
I believe that the powerful and hopeful meaning of this victory is explained in the issue of The Right of Aesthetic Realism to Be Known titled “The Fight in Each of Us–& in Economics.” In it, Ellen Reiss, Aesthetic Realism Chairman of Education, explains the relation among three things: 1) the failure of our profit-driven economy; 2) the ethical battle that goes on in every person; and 3) what motivated these unionized workers that resulted in such a clear and resounding victory over Verizon. For the good of America’s working men and women, I can’t think of anything more useful and needed at this time than what is said here. For example, Ms. Reiss writes, with passion and clarity:
“Decade after decade men and women in unions fought hard for and got better wages and working conditions—lives of greater dignity and ease—for millions of working people. Because of the courage of unions, bosses were forced to lessen their robbery of those who worked for them. And that is why, as I have described in this journal, there has been such a fierce effort to kill unions, including through hideous propaganda and legislation: if unions are able to continue their beautiful work, having those who truly earn the wealth get more and more of it, the profit way will be finished.”
I urge union officials across the nation to read this issue and have others know about it. http://www.aestheticrealism.net/tro/the-fight-in-each-of-us-and-in-economics.html
