Worker Centers

Stephen Greenhouse has an outstanding article on worker centers, particularly the Texas-based Workers Defense Project, that provide union-like groups to some of the poorest workers in the United States, especially undocumented immigrants. Worker centers have provided a lot of inspiration in the last few years to labor activists since they can do a lot of good without the difficulties of negotiating U.S. labor law and extremely difficult unionization campaigns. The long-term viability of this type of organizing is unknown. As Greenhouse points out, the worker centers are heavily reliant upon grants and providers can be fickle. The AFL-CIO and the large internationals should increase their funding of these centers, but in the end, they need to see some kind of return on their dollar in order to make this viable. In any case, these are people creating real victories and empowerment for working people in an impossible anti-union climate and in our most difficult to organize states. They deserve our attention and support.

It’s also worth noting that Texas does not require workers’ compensation for construction workers. When Rick Perry talks about Texas’ “business-friendly climate,” the dictionary definition of that term is a dead worker.

…..Also, these worker centers are starting to freak out Republicans.