The Revolution is in the Labor Movement

Perhaps I'm biased in that I come to revolutionary politics through Marxist theory, but I've believed for a while now that what hope there is for our society is to be found in the labor movement. MLK realized this (and some conspiracy theorists claim this is the reason for his assassination) - he was killed while in Memphis working in support of a sanitation workers' strike, part of a developing Poor People's Campaign.

For various and sundry reasons, I've largely been disconnected from the labor movement since my move to Boston from Los Angeles in 2004. Today, I dipped my toe back in the waters and it proved to be a cool and refreshing experience.

According to the Hotel Workers Rising website, "On August 31, 2009, Hyatt fired its longtime housekeeping staff at its three Boston-area hotels. Many of the fired housekeepers worked for their hotels for over 20 years. Many were required to train their replacements before being fired. Their replacements are being paid minimum wage." UNITE-HERE has been trying to establish itself as the hotel workers' union and to get the jobs back for the "Hyatt 100" and for over a year, the Hyatt has refused. It's downright shameful.

Today, UNITE-HERE and allies targeted 15 cities for demonstrations, Boston was one of those cities and I was one of the marchers. It was an hour of carrying signs, marching a picket line, and shouting slogans (No Justice, No Peace; Bring back - the Hyatt 100; Shame on the Hyatt - Boycott the Hyatt; etc.). One of the things that struck me, was that here, on the picket line, was the real America - a diverse group of some 200 people, young and old, of many ethnicities, of various political persuasions, united behind one cause: justice for hardworking, poorly paid workers who got the shaft by rich people because the bottom line was more important than the livelihoods of their fellow human beings.

The experience for me was also somewhat transformative, in the sense that I began to feel connected to the whole. I've been thinking a lot about the individual and the group, and it is this sort of experience in which one's individuality becomes swirled together into the collective, and one has the experience of being part of the collective - united together in common, righteous purpose. It is a heady experience - though one that can be difficult to achieve if the individual is not ready to surrender a bit of his/her individuality to become part of the whole.

Anyway, it gave me a little bit of hope - if we can grow that movement, without getting divisive, perhaps we'll get back on the path. In the meantime - boycott Hyatt, and get involved!

I took some pictures: