Andy Stern’s A Country That Works Essay

The president of the largest, Andy Stern, fast-growing and dynamic union in North America named SEIU or Service Employees International Union has just recently launched his new book and even conducted a nationwide tour just to promote it. The SEIU president’s new book which is entitled â€Å"Getting America Back on Track: A Country that Works passes judgment on the union of laborers or workers which are present or established nowadays because they have not adjusted or conformed to the current political landscape. Furthermore, he disapproves on the labor unions failure to bring the workers together and unite them on a common goal. Andy Stern in his books lays out a plan that he believed would refurbish or repair the current tax system. Furthermore, the plans that he proposed aimed the transformation of the health care system and fix the retirement system. His new book also includes certain strategies or arrangements to improve the current existing education. Andy Stern’s book is basically concern with the decline of the United States trade union movement. Andy Stern is aware that economy is changing and that there is a great mass of working class that requires equality. The economy is changing by shifting the power more towards those in the authorities and less to the working class. Furthermore, there is a decline or decrease in the rate of private sector unionization and reached the lowest level even before the year 1900. In addition to this, as economy changes and the power shifts to an inequality, the role of the labor in the economy is also changing. As the occurrence of mass protests, especially those that come from the immigrant workers in the United States, and the worker or labor strikes and protests conducted in France continues to increase, the losses which the companies or corporations incur also increases. As the labor tends to slow down, the process and company’s working time decreases and productivity is affected. Andy Stern’s new book is actually not directly aimed at the workers. Furthermore, it does not also include the advancement of any serious strategy in combating the present or occurring corporate assaults on the jobs of individuals and most especially to the living standards. On the other hand, the book is able to inform or give a certain warning to the administrators in the corporate world and the ruling elite. It warns them that if the unions who have worked hard and served the corporate world, more especially in America for already a long period of time, is allowed to collapse, there would be serious and dangerous social upheavals. Furthermore, it gives a forewarning that these social upheavals, if it goes outside the control of those in power or of the labor bureaucracy, would greatly increase. The labors which are organized should be in an innovative position as to create new leadership and perspectives. In the old days, manifestations from the labor unions are mainly expressed through strikes and workers tend to stop from working. This is not a good habit for it does not only incur losses to the corporations but also to the workers as well. Being laid-off from work could also be a problem in the old ways, especially if a union continues to ask its members to do strikes or constant protests. The new organized labor should innovate or reinvent itself to create more ideas in creating solutions to the root of the problem. There would be no serious struggle against the present social inequality if the organized labor’s old ways continue to be of practice. It is therefore necessary or required that the labor union would create or establish an independent political and socialists movement that is composed mainly, if not solely, of the working class. On a different perspective, it can be noted that it is impossible not to understand and be familiar with the effect no matter the degree or even if it was immense, of the increasing productions made by the transnational corporations. It is also impossible to recognize what globalized productions could do with regards to the old labor organizations. On the other hand, acknowledging this fact and be able to create ways of moving forward through a progressive answer are poles apart. According to Andy Stern, the country or the United States labor bureaucracy could outsource the strikes conducted by the labor unions or workers. He stated that the country could give the workers who are in strike a certain â€Å"pay strike† especially in low wage countries. Furthermore, he believed that this could be an alternative in calling out its own members on strike, would eventually reduce the number of strikes conducted by the labor unions. If the workers or labor unions are ready in conducting strikes in the United States and the companies or corporations would also be ready in paying them to strike, then there would be an increase in the losses incurred. It would be very much costly as to when a pay was not given to those who would go on strikes. But, paying the laborers in India, Indonesia or other places to conduct strikes and protests against the same global employer would incur less loss and is basically not that expensive. These assumptions are however blunt and has a mark of certain arrogance to it. It should be noted that an international working class movement should have its grounds on a plan or an agenda that ensures mutual solidarity in achieving liberation for all. It is not good to use workers from other countries to serve as pawns in achieving a narrow and constricted national interest. The final chapter of Andy Stern’s book includes his proposals for the reordering of the society. From his proposals, it could be analyzed that here is none that goes beyond the milk toast reforms which are pressed forward by the sections in the Democratic Party. In addition to this, it can also be noted that his proposals have no chance of being adopted or accepted because the big businesses or corporations do not want any infringement on its profits. These measures which Andy Stern stated were supported by another proposal that he made. He proposed to the capitalists and even to their political representatives that these are under their best interest. Though on the other hand, it may somehow state a conscious duplicity or self-deception and cynicism vaguely. In some cases, cynicism somehow dominates. Andy Stern has some dulled statements which support these points of view and somehow admit that the labor bureaucracy’s alliance together with the Democratic party is worthless or hollow. The statement is somehow correct, in the point of view of an individual who understands through politics or capitalist politics. But in the point of view of a political struggle in general, that statement is basically incorrect. Andy Stern, in some parts of his book, is able to write or create reactionary conclusions which are basically based from the right or proper observations. He puts forward or suggests addressing the incapability, generally the failure, of the labor unions’ alliance with the Democratic Party. On a different point of view, it can be said that this only puts the labor unions in forming closer ties with the Republicans. Generally, Andy Stern’s book, from one chapter or part to the other, is really thought-provoking as to what methods or proposals should be really followed.