New Mexico Labor Needs a General Strike Against Poverty
Submitted on Mon, 10/03/2005 - 3:28pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 28, 2005
SUBJECT: Advance copy of op-ed piece to local NM press
TITLE: NM Labor Needs a General Strike Against Poverty.
Dear Editor,
Recently a statewide labor leader said that "New Mexico should increase its state minimum wage to $7.15 an hour to help reduce poverty and benefit working families struggling in low-wage jobs." But while New Mexico's mis-organized labor unions insult the working class with a fantasy campaign to legislate a $2/hr increase to the minimum wage, real-life economics dictate that today's minimum wage should be at least $12.
While the "Left" in New Mexico whip up another superficial political fix to deep seated socio-economic, cultural, and racial issues of poverty (re: the new minimum wage campaign), there is little evidence that much will be done to address and overcome the structural reasons for New Mexico's embarrassing poverty rate.
In a state and nation of great wealth, the existence of poverty is a crime against humanity. It reflects our material and moral priorities, not to mention the inability of our so-called "progressive" social institutions to wage a real "war on poverty."
As long as capitalism and its supporting religion of material greed go unchallenged by our schools, churches, charities, environmental groups, and especially our labor unions, our moral and material response to poverty will remain insufficient.
New Mexico's organized labor leaders are a joke if they can't even acknowledge the hard economic realities in which we live. But what else can we expect from the neo-liberal, pro-corporate labor unions who would rather keep the labor peace and make common cause with the corporate class and politicians than defend workers from class exploitation?
Labor would rather entertain their dues-paying members and political benefactors with fantasies of progressive change than do the hard work of educating and organizing all workers for a real working class revolution. Why would any worker trust the union bosses to lead them anywhere but into the hands of the capitalist classes?
As a former labor organizer with AFT-NM, I can tell you that it is time for New Mexico union members and other workers to demand that their so-called progressive labor unions forget the political groveling for minimum wages and start fighting the wealthy corporate bosses on the job for living wages. Instead of wasting time on union "lobby days" and petitions, NM Labor needs a general strike against poverty.
Sincerely, Kevin Farkas, Chair,
Pittsburgh Education Workers Organizing Committee
Industrial Workers of the World.