Labor dominates in California

Good posts over at California Majority

Chris Lehane gives a run-down of Labor victories from the past year and how they’ve proven their dominance of California politics.

In 2005, by adroitly using firefighters, cops, teachers and nurses, and focusing on the right messages (e.g. taking away death benefits from widows), Labor spanked Arnold up and down the state. After Labor was done with Arnold, he was a mere spectral figure of his past with his approval ratings dropping from the mid-60s to the high 30s. The Arnold of 2006, tail between his legs, wisely decided to roll over and put all four paws up in the air when it came to fighting with Labor.

As a result, Labor, working with Democratic leaders Perata and Nunez and other progressive organizations, has accomplished more in 2006 than most people would hope to get from a Democratic governor in an entire term: a significant minimum raise increase; a prescription drug benefit; workers comp concessions; the largest contract ever for state employees; funding restored for public education; an infrastructure plan (even the LAUSD bill that passed the Senate had significant labor protections included). All this from a governor who less than a year ago was trying to take away the right of workers to eat lunch!

snip

To stay on top long-term, Labor will need to couple its ability to use its organizational muscle to move the electoral dial in terms of turnout and contributions with identifying a progressive agenda that will mean something to people throughout the state. By progressive agenda – I don’t mean small bore ten point programs but truly big ideas like a statewide 401(k) plan to supplement Social Security; expanding compulsory public education from K-12 to pre-K-college to meet the challenges of a future where brains will be more important than brawn; a statewide livable wage indexed to inflation so that incomes will continue to grow; strengthened shareholder rights to protect against corporate irresponsibility. And such a progressive agenda is exactly what Labor needs to be thinking about as it stretches its political muscles in the parades and rallies this weekend.

This is all very outstanding in many ways, but it has its pitfalls, IMO. As Lehane says, “Labor wins when it is perceived as fighting for issues and values that benefit everyone – not just their organizations” – very true, and so does the general public, but that’s not always the case. A teacher friend of mine who had voted for Arnold but became disillusioned with him and was vehemently against the Special Election still wondered aloud about the teacher “merit pay” initiatives and while she disagreed with Arnold’s proposal wondered why the unions didn’t offer a viable alternative beyond “NO” to what she perceives in her experience to be a real problem with bad teachers and lack of incentive to improve. When unions dominate, they have no incentive to re-examine their own strategies. One hopes that they can take the opportunity, even so, to innovate for the benefit of all Californians. (if any readers who happen by this post know something I don’t about recent union strategies along these lines, please let me know. I will admit that I’ve been away from Cali for a year – so apologies if I’ve missed something.)

On the local level, grassroots activists often complain about “establishment Dems” in California making it difficult for local Democrats to have an influence on who gets to run for state seats, but the true “establishment” influence often can be tracked right back to labor king/queenmakers. I don’t know how many activists really understand this.

---

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• Viewpoint: What the California Gay Ruling Won’t Do
• First-Time Jobless Filings Decline
• California Dreamin’?