Union Made

Canadian and American conservative policy makers fear the title "Danger Educated Union Member" more than almost anything else. What do they really fear? Perhaps the realization that if the workforce was educated, protected and surrounded by protections that ensure respect and dignity that basic conservative dogma would be seen for what it is; the politics and policies of fear and deception.

Conservatives often tie disagreeing with conservative dogma and policy as being unpatriotic or for some strange reason a risk to public and national security. Can't you just imagine the conservative think tank that comes up with this? It must go something like this; "let’s make sure we scare everyone so that no matter what perversion of the truth we perpetuate there will be that single moment of hesitation that will give us just enough time and opportunity to prevent any opportunity for concentrated resistance". That concentrated resistance, if it gained traction, would in short order collapse the conservative dogma to what it really is, a sham perpetuated on people to gain control over people and the economy.

For the years after the Second World War, up until about the year the first free trade agreement was signed in 1988, Union Made was like a modern day designer label and when it said Union Made in Canada, America etc. people were proud to wear it. That pride was indeed attached to the fact that people could touch a product that they may have actually made or at least the factory was in their town. Further it not only had a bit of a personal piece to it, but this label also had attached to it the title of prosperity and sustainability as people worked in their community and were compensated sufficiently to purchase the products they made and to support a middle class life. This represents nothing complex, but what could be called the dream of a middle class existence or to be entirely colloquial; "the American Dream".

Union Made is not only a part of our shared history when we look at product, but in fact represents such things as the 40 hour work week, health and safety law, violence in the workplace law and pay equity to name but a few.

Conservative dogma is hard at work in Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio and has been hard at work in Ontario and Alberta and they use it to talk to the issue of budget deficits and that to deal with the deficits they have to attack workers and of course particularly unionized workers. The simple reality is it is these same conservatives that closed down our factories and destroyed the tax base while recklessly handing out corporate tax cuts that want to punish the workers.

Union Made is not only a necessity for a fair and compassionate society, but in light of the extremes of current conservatism as set out by American republicans, British conservatives, Canadian conservatives, etc. it is the life breath of all workers as these workers who walk the line do so not only for their immediate sisters and brothers, but for their sisters and brothers in all walks of life.

Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce
Labour Council