Labor Day, finally

By pure chance my wife and I stumbled onto the Northwest Airlines mechanics union Labor Day celebration at Harriet Island in St. Paul. The crowd was friendly, though not as large as I would have hoped - maybe 300 people or so. It's been a long time since I've been around union people, and it was ... refreshing. There was entertainment, booths, food, beer, pamphlets, union buttons, bumper stickers, tee shirts (NWA UNFAIR TO LABOR, NWA WANTS TO BUST THE UNIONS). But above all, this was a Republican Free Zone.

Garrison Keillor was the featured speaker. Nothing earth-shattering, but he spoke of the indifference and ineptitude of the Bush administration in planning for and dealing with hurricane Katrina. And he spoke of the need for the United States to ensure that when we are 'spreading democracy' we do more than merely spread the freedom to be poor and exploited.

I wish that I could do something to support the mechanics union, but I really don't know what that would be. I'm afraid they're screwed, and another big chunk of labor rights along with them. NWA has done a pretty good job of keeping its unions divided from one another. People are frightened that their jobs will go away permanently, and don't want to hasten that day. I understand the feeling.

What is the answer? I really don't know.