Recently, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristol wrote about his "change of heart" concerning organized labor.
"This isn't something you often hear a columnist say, but I was wrong. Like many Americans, I've long disdained unions as bringing corruption, nepotism and rigid work rules to the labor market"........
"But my outrage has been misplaced. It's increasingly clear that organized labor was doing a lot of good in sustaining middle-class life, pushing for higher wages, greater workplace protections and other programs that create broad-based prosperity. We're now only beginning to realize the costs of unions' decline; as much as a third of the increase in economic inequality among American men in recent decades can be attributed to the dramatic fall in union membership. And, while we've fixated on organized labor's flaws - and it does have its flaws - we've overlooked the fact that in recent years, the worst abuses by far haven't been in the union shop but in the corporate suite.".......
"If we hope to build an economy with strong foundations, we should strengthen unions, not try to eviscerate them".
**This was taken from part of an article that appeared in The Week Magazine**
WOW - Someone actually admitting they had the wrong impression of what labor stands for. I guess a leopard can really change his spots. Congratulations Mr. Kristof.
Terry Grant, Presidetn OPWU AFL-CIO
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