Labor Must Lead Fight Against Recession

On November 22nd, our Union hosted a presentation on the economic crisis and its impact on our jobs and retirement pensions. Over 115 members attended, listened intently and asked pointed questions to the representatives of our retirement funds who attended. This interest must be translated into activism, here in Southern California and nationally. The forces who got us into this mess will fight tooth and nail against any significant reform which will benefit workers. We as public sector workers must take the lead.
What do we fight for? Clearly, a massive economic stimulus is needed. But who benefits? The most immediate need is for comprehensive aid to state and local governments, along with infrastructure. Aid for state and local governments, money for health care, unemployment insurance, child care, schools, food stamps, public works — a federal stimulus plan would provide an immediate boost to public services and public jobs.
I would like to briefly quote from author Mike Davis’ post on tomdispatch.com:
“Yet saving (and expanding) core public employment is, hands down, the best Keynesian stimulus around. Federal investment in education and healthcare gets imcomparably more bang for the buck, if jobs are the principle criterion, than expenditures on transportation equipment or road repair.
For example, $50 million in federal aid during the Clinton Administration allowed Michigan schools to hire nearly 1,300 new teachers. It is also the current operating budget of a Tennessee school district made up of eight elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools.
On the other hand, $50 million on the order book of a niche public transit manufacturer generates only 200 jobs (plus, of course, capital costs and profits). Road construction and bridge repair, also very capital intensive, produce about the same modest, direct employment effect.”
The point here is not to say “either – or”, because clearly huge infrastructure investment is needed. But good paying jobs, money directly for services and purchasing power in the hands of workers — that’s what will provide the best stimulus and meet the needs of workers and the public. Let’s get ready for the most important campaign of our lives, and the lives of the public we serve! How about a national day of action in January? During the year?