Get Workers Voting Blue Again

Organized labor, if not rank and file workers, seems, generally supportive of the Harris-Walz ticket.

But an impending dockworkers strike and the failure to get an endorsement from Sean Fain, president of the Teamsters union, could undermine that support.

Democrats would do well to gin up enthusiasm among both union and non-union workers.  A TV special - or any kind of educational and celebratory event - on the American worker would go a long ways to remind the people who toil to make this country that Democrats should be their party of choice.

Most workers have little knowledge or understanding of the American labor movement.

An effective program should be educational and include footage on workers’ struggles for a living wage, safe working conditions, unemployment insurance, the right to organize, and health and other benefits - all of which is easily available.  It should mention vacations, sick leave, and Labor Day.

Of course, the focus should be on Democrats’ role in making these part of the fabric of American life.

The narrative should talk about progress through the present day, from Social Security through Medicare to the Affordable Care Act.  It should climax with the Democratic vision for the future: health care, protection for gig workers, revamping the NLRB to expand protections for white-collar and other workers who can be exploited by unscrupulous employers.

Gettting Sean Fain’s support at this time would be quite a coup.  So too would promising protection of American manufacturing - without onerous tariffs - as both a labor and national security issue.  That’s key - a strong labor force is good for business and good for business.