True North

While many divide the world along the lines of “union and management,” the reality is the enemies of organized labor are working class people hungry for work. Not only are they closed out of the market by union shop and wage rules, but often they are victims of big labor and management collusion. Case in point is being reported by City Pages.

Teamsters Local 638, which represents delivery truck drivers, negotiated a contract that eliminated some 14 non-union jobs in the Star Tribune's circulation department -- entry-level jobs including things like fixing broken paper dispensers, collecting the coins, and managing accounts with stores who keep a rack by the register.The STrib turned the work over to union drivers.

When an “embarrassed” rank and file union member ("I don't think organized labor ought to be in the business of eliminating other people's jobs") raised this issue with a member of the negotiating committee, the response was “"Fuck 'em, they're non-union."

Perhaps its just coincidence -- a year ago the Teamsters tried to organize the circulation workers -- the workers rejected unionization. Bet they're sorry now.