Linda and I worked a two-hour shift in the Carbon County Labor Chapter booth at the Miners’ Festival at the Number Nine Mine in Lansford today. The weather was perfect, the crowd was pleasant, and the pierogies and halushka were delicious.
What we soon noticed was that most of the union members to whom we spoke were retirees. To a person, they had high praise for their unions. They mentioned pensions, health care, and wages. Some told of struggles to form unions, and how working conditions improved after the union came in.
At the end of our shift, as we were walking to our truck, we talked about how the average 20-something has probably never experienced a union. He or she may not even understand the concept of collective bargaining. He or she probably works for a company that calls the workers “associates” and fires anyone who even discusses the possibility of a union.
That’s why we were out there. Look for us again at the Carbon County Fair and the Redneck Festival in Weissport. Along with organizing, we need to educate.
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