Progressive/Liberals Are Scabbing: It's NEVER OK To Cross A
Picket Line

By Jonathan Tasini

Working Life

May 10, 2011

http://workinglife.org/blogs/view_post.php?content_id=15173

Scott Walker, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Paul Ryan...make your
own list of the people who are viciously anti-union. We know
the threat they pose: attacking the labor movement, and
undermining the right to strike, is a death blow to the
middle class and justice in America. The problem is that we
are also undermined by another dangerous threat: liberals and
progressives who cross picket lines - and do so with full
knowledge that they are breaking a union strike. It's
shameful.

Here is the story. There is a strike, boycott and electronic
picket line targeting the Huffington Post. That strike has
been called by two legitimate unions: the Newspaper Guild (an
affiliate of the Communications Workers of America) and the
National Writers Union, Local 1981 of the United Auto
Workers. The two unions, and hundreds of bloggers throughout
the country, are trying to get a share of the riches pocketed
by the owners of the Huffington Post via its sale to AOL,
and, as important, set a standard for fair treatment in the
future. Full disclosure: I am a proud member of the NWU/UAW.

This strike can be won. But, the many bloggers who call
themselves "liberals" or "progressives"--people who collect
money from unions and/or ask for labor's political
endorsements--have to stop crossing the Huffington Post
electronic picket line. But, they continue to work for--
scab-- at a workplace that is being struck and boycotted.

I have decided, for now, not to publicly "out" those people
who are scabs--though it doesn't take a lot to figure that
out. I want them to come to their own conclusion that their
actions are undermining the fight against the right-wing--
that if we are not united in support of labor, then, we
cannot expect the rest of the country to show solidarity with
workers.

This campaign--to publicly identify and praise people who
support the strike and publicly identify the scabs--is about
to commence in earnest. Many leaders have taken the right
position regarding the strike, with the declared support
from, among others, Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-
CIO, and Leo Gerard, president of the Steelworkers and a
long-time progressive labor leader.

No one has even asked that those scabs be publicly critical
of Huffington. In fact, I have simply asked people to say, "I
look forward to the day when I can return to this site and
contribute. I make no judgment about who is right or wrong.
But, as a matter of absolute principle, I will not cross a
picket line".

Here are three of the justifications from a few of the scabs
I have spoken to or emailed with directly--all of whom have
received labor money and/or labor political endorsements.

    [snarling]I've determined that she [Huffington] is too
    important to me and I don't care whether I'm scabbing or
    you call me a scab.

Ok, you are a scab.

    I get five times as many people to read what I write
    about [X topic - I am not identifying the topic because
    it perhaps would identify the person-JT note] so I'm not
    going to do this.

"This" being honoring the picket line.

    I'm an independent contractor who writes where I choose
    whether the place is organized or not.

Perhaps the lamest of the excuses I've heard.

Look, if you want to support a hypocrite, someone who has
been crowned a progressive voice because she talks about
greedy CEOs and the disappearing of the middle-class while
she mimics that very Robber Baron behavior; who, as reported
by NYTimes [now-former] reporter Frank Rich, is part of a
cult labeled "dangerous" by cult experts; who sends her staff
members to be indoctrinated by the cult; and who dismisses
the workers who created value for a company with a "let them
strike", Marie Antoinette-like wave of the hand, that is your
business.

But, crossing a picket line is not acceptable. Whatever the
reason.

Up front, an important point: honoring a picket line does not
mean you have to agree with the reason for the strike. And I
believe that people have the right, and often the duty, to
speak up and be critical of labor in a positive, constructive
way. God knows, I've done plenty of that and pissed off a
fair number of labor people - including some very good
friends. I would suggest only that that criticism be done
judiciously so that it does not undermine public support for
a strike. But, by all means, express your view about whether
the strike is wise or not.

But being critical does not equal having the license to cross
a picket line.

One colleague made a legitimate point: the two unions have
not done a very good job at spreading the word about the
strike and boycott and picket line. That's a valid criticism
- and is fair to any person who posted at the site out of
ignorance. This person, by the way, has committed to honor
the picket line - as others have - but says that s/he will do
so quietly (I'm going to urge this person to take a public
stand).

But, now you know.

There are two additional key points to point out here. The
people who choose to scab because, to one extent or another,
they see the boycotted site as a lifeline for their ideas,
which they view as monumentally crucial to the future of the
country, are hugely full of themselves. They have to get over
their own self-inflated importance, particularly if that
self-importance is justifying, in their own minds, some
cockamamie reason to be a scab and break a strike. The
problem in the country is not the lack of ideas or proposals
or policy papers--which these Very Serious People are
delivering via the Huffington Post (along with kitten
videos).

No, it's the lack of a movement in the streets--and, in
particular, the disintegration of the labor movement to power
that movement.

A disintegration that these scabs are aiding and abetting.

And because many of these liberals/progressives are at the
forefront of correctly excoriating the anti-union forces in
the country, let them answer this. How do you demand from
Scott Walker or anyone else that they honor union rights if
you aren't willing to do the same? Everyone of the scabs at
the Huffington Post will be, and should be, the poster
children for progressive hypocrisy trotted out by the right.

So, I make one personal commitment. To those people who
refuse to honor a picket line, I promise to write as many
letters or pick up the phone as many times as I need to for
as long as it takes - and urge others to do the same - to
deny those scabs labor money for their organizations or
magazines, and/or labor political endorsements.

Let me close with Jack London's words (for a longer version
of a speech he gave called "The Scab", read this):

    After God had finished the rattlesnake, the toad, and the
    vampire, he had some awful substance left with which he
    made a scab.

    A scab is a two-legged animal with a corkscrew soul, a
    water brain, a combination backbone of jelly and glue.

    Where others have hearts, he carries a tumor of rotten
    principles.

    When a scab comes down the street, men turn their backs
    and angels weep in heaven, and the devil shuts the gates
    of hell to keep him out.

    No man (or woman) has a right to scab so long as there is
    a pool of water to drown his carcass in, or a rope long
    enough to hang his body with.

    Judas was a gentleman compared with a scab. For betraying
    his master, he had character enough to hang himself. A
    scab has not.

    Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage.

    Judas sold his Savior for thirty pieces of silver.

    Benedict Arnold sold his country for a promise of a
    commission in the British army.

    The scab sells his birthright, country, his wife, his
    children and his fellowmen for an unfulfilled promise
    from his employer.

    Esau was a traitor to himself; Judas was a traitor to his
    God; Benedict Arnold was a traitor to his country.

    A scab is a traitor to his God, his country, his family
    and his class.

[Jonathan Tasini is Executive Director of the Labor Research
Association (LRA).In addition to blogging at WorkingLife, he
also write columns for other publications.

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