Schmoo Accuses US Labor Movement of Collusion, While Dairy History Links Raised to Slavery
The discussion orbits the structural failure of US labor, using the Vermont dairy sector as a modern flashpoint. There are clear calls for alternatives, like employee ownership, as expressed by Madzielle regarding large entities such as Cabot.
The commentary is deeply divided on union integrity. Schmoo argues the movement has been systematically suppressed, creating 'business unions' that actively collude with employers. This cynicism is mirrored by anon6789, who questioned the tangible benefits of unions when observing local practices. Despite this, some voices, like riskable, backed the workers' fight fiercely. Separately, zout derailed the labor talk by questioning the Cabot name’s origins, suggesting links to the slave trade.
The weight of opinion points to a deep-seated structural crisis in American labor. The consensus critique targets the perceived corruption and employer-alignment of established unions. The primary fault lines exist between those who see deep, systemic suppression and those who are skeptical of the supposed 'benefits' on the ground.
Key Points
Current unions are compromised, acting as 'business unions' aligned with employers.
Schmoo provided the core argument regarding systematic suppression and corporate collaboration.
Practical union benefits conflict with lived experience.
anon6789 stated explicit doubts about actual job security benefits seen in practice.
Employee ownership is a viable model for large local businesses.
Madzielle showed clear interest in this alternative structure, specifically citing the dairy sector.
The IWW offers a resource for building genuinely independent unions.
Schmoo recommended the Industrial Workers of the World as a starting point.
The history of the Cabot name has questionable racial credentials.
zout introduced a specific, unrelated critique questioning the name's origins, linking it potentially to the slave trade.
Source Discussions (3)
This report was synthesized from the following Lemmy discussions, ranked by community score.