A Tradition Forged in Snow
Standing in the Alaska snow, a northern wind blowing, picket signs in hand, and a will of righteous determination that cannot be broken; this is where I come from. The history of American labor unions is filled with heart-breaking failures, gut-wrenching victories, and the blood and sweat of many a good man and woman. It is a cause that many have given their lives for and was a source of great pride for my grandfather, a pride that has been passed on to my mother and father and has seeped into my own roots, saturating me with a deep respect for the great tradition of American labor unions.
In these current days of political strife and economic uncertainty labor unions are no less important than in the days of my grandfather. Acting as the champion of the working man, unions continue to assert the rights of America’s forgotten silent majority. Without these safety nets, the needs of the working class would go unnoticed and overlooked as they once did in the days of the oil tycoons and railroad monopolies, days in which one man could quash the hopes of many and the president himself sent in the military to stop an attempted strike. Today, unions continue to function as their original purpose intended; they ensure that each member receives the treatment each human being deserves as well as just payment for their dedication and hard-work. To eliminate unions now would not only remove the voice of millions of Americans from public policy but initiate a widespread neglect of the average American’s claim to decency as literature, history, current conditions, and my own past have demonstrated.
Strong in American literature is the theme of the battle of the underrepresented majority versus the powerful forces of the elite. A prime example of such books can be found in the writings of John Steinbeck. Throughout the novel Of Mice and Men Steinbeck subtly shows the conditions of men who were forced to cope in a world where unions were not available. Opening with a scene of two “working stiffs” looking for a decent job, Steinbeck demonstrates the circumstances of many Americans who were left jobless and defenseless in the wake of the Great Depression. These two men come to embody one of the greatest tragedies that can and has touched American soil, the man that has the desire and capabilities to work but is left without a job and without hope of a champion. Lenny and George are left to fend for themselves in a world that refuses to give them a chance. This novel is a call for men to come together in their times of need and support those, like Lenny, who can no longer speak for themselves, a philosophy that embodies the spirit of labor unions. In another Steinbeck work, The Grapes of Wrath, an American family during the dust bowl moves to California in search of a better life and finds only tragedy and heartache. More blatant than Of Mice and Men, in its petition for labor unions, this novel demands that the working man receive his just dues after years of mistreatment and hardship. Directly resulting from lack of organized labor the Joads are forced to except ever decreasing wages at a fruit farm or be thrown out of the job. Taking advantage of the job shortage the owners hire men at next to nothing wages so that a man must choose between starvation and near slavery. As the book vividly demonstrates, men will do anything, including accepting these insulting conditions, when their children’s bellies have begun to swell as a result of hunger. During the coarse of this novel the Joads begin to lose family members as their plight worsens and their conditions reach a new height of deplorability. Casey, the preacher, is killed as a result of trying to organize people to fight these injustices and Tom is forced to flee after defending himself against the bosses’ gangs who threaten to eradicate those that dare defy the rich and powerful. Calling for a social change, Steinbeck wishes to install in the American tradition a safeguard for the majority of working Americans who have been abused and tossed around without any means for protection. Steinbeck is calling for a champion of the masses, a champion that can now be found in labor unions.
Historically, America has been recognized as the land of opportunity and the protector of equality. Although these names are justly given there have been dark moments in America’s past that have threatened the validity of such names. Such has been the case when the American labor movement was rejected and violently suppressed. As Americans began to demand fair treatment and a guarantee of some semblance of stability bouts of battle and bloodshed resulted as men were forced to fight for this right. Gangs, corrupt politicians, and sometimes even police were sent to stop these men who threatened to put a dent in the bosses’ profits. Handing out next to slave wages and offering hazardous conditions, the owners stood to make more money but the workers refused to submit to this treatment any longer. At first in secrete, since unions were illegal, than in more brazen acts of defiance men began to call for change and protection. Soon, the whole country was in an uproar over the conditions of the people in which this country was founded, the men who were willing to give their heart and soul for a decent, honest days work. Fortunately, reason and justice was on their side and unions became legal and change began to happen. Steinbeck’s call had been answered, not by the powerful, but by those who had suffered silently for too many years. The time for a revolution had come and resulting from these men’s brave defiance is the sanctuary that unions offer.
Moving to current day, I find the product of unions at work in the stories that my mother and father bring home. My mother is a parole officer for the Sate of California and a member of the California Correctional Peace Officer Association (CCPOA). Keeping her rights intact the CCPOA advocates for public policies that will further the goals of its members. The CCPOA also ensures that the State of California does not violate the rights of its members; if only the men of old could see this day when a union could force the government to adhere to its demands, their pride and amazement would be an honor to receive. The gratitude my mother feels at knowing she has an ally in the CCPOA is enough to leave an impression and an answering appreciation that will remain with me for the rest of my life. Although my father is no longer in a union, as he is a civil litigation attorney, he also brings home stories that make me recognize the importance of unions. A great percentage of his client base is employees that are victims of unjust termination, dangerous work conditions, work place harassment, and unfair treatment. The common denominator among such clients is that they are not members of a union. This factor makes me realize that labor unions still play an essential role in the American work place and are the prime defense against employee mistreatment. Leaving no room for doubt, the stories told around my dinner table exemplify the work that unions still do in America’s present day. Without unions my family and a majority of Americans would be lost.
More important and prevalent than even the stories my parents bring home from work is the stories of my grandfather who was an Alaskan truck-driver and a proud member of the teamster union. Although he passed away a few years ago his legacy lives on in his respect for a union that he was willing to sacrifice everything for. My mother can vividly recall the days that, as a family, they stood on the picket lines, striking against a company that refused to honor a contract they had previously promised. Whether it was the dead of an Alaskan winter or in the eternal sunlight of an Alaskan summer, my grandfather, mother, and father (who was my mother’s high-school sweetheart) stood outside these companies proclaiming the injuries that had been brought upon them. The union, strong in its support of my grandfather’s rights, was a guiding light in these times of darkness and was a fitting match to my grandfathers determined will and unyielding work ethic. Through-out his entire life my grandfather never doubted the union or any of the decisions they made. A deep appreciation for labor unions did not die with my grandfather and is carried on in my family’s spirit and body. During the entire strike of California’s grocery workers my mother never stepped foot across a picket line, the memories of her past too important to forget. To think of a world without unions would be a dishonor to my grandfather’s name and all those who came before him.
Labor unions are as necessary and useful as they were in the days they were established. If unions were eliminated disaster would befall the current working man and the world would recess to days reminiscent of Steinbeck’s novels. My grandfather always said that any organization that took such good care of him and his family deserved his respect, and that is exactly what he gave. This respect has remained a tradition in my family, a tradition that was forged in the Alaskan snow.
