Tom Becker hosts today's Christmas Eve episode. We hear about the Chinese labor movement, the hypocrisy of Obama's mourning at Newtown, the Portland Solidarity Network, and the limits of consumer culture.
Joe Clement interviews Brandon and Alex, organizers with the Portland Solidarity Network. PDXSol, as it's sometimes referred to, is an all volunteer organization that helps workers and tenants and other people resist abuse, demand what people are owed, and bridge the gap between workplace and community organizing. They discuss what solidarity networks are, what they can do and why they work. They consider a case of success with the new Portland Solidarity Network. They also talk a little about other solidarity networks, like SeaSol.
Bill Resnick talks with Eli Friedman about the Chinese labor movement. He challenges the idea that they are "stealing our jobs" and in conscious comeptition with American workers. They talk about the strike-waves that the Chinese State refer to as "mass incidents". There is no legal right to strike in China, so every strike is a wild-cat. Eli talks about how the State tries to control workers, through the All China Federation of Trade Unions and other measures. Eli argues that the Chinese labor movement is at the epicenter of global worker unrest and marvelously successful without legal or formal union support.