Sometimes you have to laugh at the stretch used to make political hay. This piece from the Cato Institute makes the argument that Samuel Gompers, the iconic labor leader, who opposed government intervention on behalf of workers in the early years, would today also oppose government intervention. This often used tactic effectively persuades some readers because the source of the alleged assertions is not challengeable by the target audience. The problem is Gompers lived in a different time. He died in 1924, prior to the Great Depression and prior to the passage of the National Labor Relations Act. He lived in an era where many actions of state and federal police powers actively discouraged labor's economic self help agenda. More after the jump
Gompers faith in government help was founded on the belief that what the government giveth, the government could taketh away. This belief arose from Gomper's experience with legislative reform. From this piece on the AFL-CIO blog: "Gompers's faith in legislative reform was dashed in the 1880s after the New York Supreme Court overturned two laws regulating tenement production of cigars that he had helped pass." Gompers believed when workers achieved something with their economic clout, it was lasting. But this view was forged in an era before run away shops and globalization. Now, many more opportunities exist for employers to circumvent the advantages attainable by employee collective economic action.
Gompers also believed in a non-partisan approach to political action. Again from the AFL-CIO blog: "He argued that the best way of enhancing the political leverage of labor was to articulate an independent political agenda, seek the endorsement of existing political parties for the agenda and mobilize members to vote for those supporting labor's agenda." This belief is not possible in today's hyper-partisan environment. Labor of course is reaping the reward of one-sided support. It gets legislative assistance from Democrats, and scorn from Republicans. Its not a pretty place to be, and its over reaching lergislative efforts like the Employee Free Choice Act played out negatively for Democrats in the 2010 elections. Gompers may be saying "I told you so'" from his grave on this latter point, but it is unlikely he would be out right rejecting a government solution to either domestic or global problems.
