10/8/13

Why do I study work, labor, unions, workers?

My father's manufacturing plant was closed because of a union drive.  Though the union drive failed miserably, the plant was closed and production was moved to another place (Mexico, I believe) for the simple fact that a union had been there at all.  I took this to mean that management was interested in cooperation with workers, but only to a point.  Once a union threat was seen, workers were immediately either disposable or possible enemies of "the business."

Workers are people, people trying to make a living.  Businesses do not employ people, they employ "employees."

I believe people should be represented by within their political system (government).

People have a right to be treated as human beings at work, meaning their interests shoul dbe considered alongside business interests.

Current business logic (neoliberal market logic) does not allow workers to have any influence at work, nor does it take workers interests to heart.  Everything in neoliberal logic demands a sacrifice of a section of the people.  Neoliberalism is tyranny of the market.

Politics can be used to fight back against tyranny, even in the workplace.

I want to study workers, see how they advance their workplace interests in the political sphere.  Workers/people use the political sphere to advance workers' rights because business can be coerced by national institutions.  But what happens when business are multinational?