Web Letters: One Hat for Labor?

I have been a Teamster and a member of the Service Employees Union. Most of my civilian working life, I was a union member. While unions should continue to organize in their various work places, it is time to think in terms of a movement that organizes ordinary citizens into its ranks. You do not need the government to do everything! An umbrella union organization could offer a single-payer health plan through nonprofit organizations similar to Kaiser. Everybody would want to join the union for healthcare. There are any number of social programs, you could offer to encourage union membership.

Since both the Democratic and Republican parties do not support tariffs to protect American industries and jobs, I would be a good idea to have union-owned businesses, where the profits go directly to the worker. Most people think of the Israeli kibbutz in terms of agriculture, but I was reading in the Israeli paper Ha'aretz about a kibbutz that produced plastic items. The kibbutz concept could be used for agriculture and industrial purposes on a worldwide basis. You do not need the government to form these organizations.

American workers can build and do anything. They just need a little organization!

Pervis James Casey

Riverside, CA