CineMontage

Q2 2020

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23 S U M M E R Q 2 I S S U E L A B O R V I E W S have underscored just how important card check is to building a strong union, and in turn, how important a strong union is to ensuring the livelihoods—and lives—of millions of workers in the U.S. and abroad. The upcoming 2020 presidential elec- tion will be a critical inflection point for labor rights and specifically card check. Battle lines have already been drawn between the presumptive Democratic nominee, former Vice P resident Joe Biden, and the Republican incumbent, Donald Trump. Despite his hollow pro- fessed support for American workers, the last three years of Trump's regime have been shockingly bad for labor. Ushering in another four years of his quasi-fascist, white nationalist populism will deal yet another heavy body blow to the cause of organized labor, at a time when workers everywhere will still be coping with the aftereffects (or continuing impact) of the coronavirus pandemic. T r u m p 's l a b o r t r a c k r e c o r d isn't just spotty; it's positively drenched in blood. He's done so much damage that it's difficult to pick out just a few examples: slashing en- vironmental regulations meant to protect workers from pesticides and other hazardous chemicals, excluding LGBTQ workers from anti-discimination laws, sentencing thousands to struggle as independent contractors, enabling wage theft, and even pulling back on child labor laws. His petulant government shutdown in 2018 harmed thousands upon thousands of workers, while his arch-conservative Supreme Court pick, Neil Gorsuch, cast the deciding vote in the landmark Janus v. AFSCME decision. No matter how many awkward photo opps he stages at dying coal mines and auto plants, Trump and his policies are pure poison to the working class. E v e n t h e N a t i o n a l L a b o r R e l a - tions Board has had a rough go of it under Trump, who has stocked it with a n t i - u n i o n R e p u b l i c a n s a n d m a n - agement-side lawyers. Its very name now embodies the kind of dystopian doublespeak more suited to an Orwell novel than to what's become of la- bor's primary decision-making body, which is certainly no friend to workers anymore. Over the past three years, this zombified incarnation of the NLRB has systemat- ically rolled back worker's rights to unionize and en- gage in collective bargaining, c h i p p e d a w a y a t e x i s t i n g labor laws and worker pro- tections, continually ruled in favor of corporate interests, a n d a d v a n c e d a n t i - w o r k e r policies that leave fewer people protected under this country's already flimsy labor statutes. It's utterly surreal, especially given the important advances made during the Obama era. It also has a huge impact on the way workers organize—and not in a good way. See, the board doesn't only decide cases and investigate charges; it also oversees the secret ballot elec- tions that are ruled legally necessary in order to recognize a union if card check is not an option. I L L U S T R A T I O N B Y G A R Y L O C K E

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