Open Thread - Thurs 28 Sep 2023 - Strikes and Bikes

Strikes and Bikes:

Strikes!
So, Biden visited the picket line for the UAW. A first, or something. Wonder if he knew he did it? *sarcasm* The Guardian thinks the visit may resonate with blue-collar workers. It might, I guess. Or maybe the railway workers might have some thoughts.

I have to admit, if I were a UAW member I'd be kind of insulted. I mean, Biden spoke for like, 87 seconds. I'd be insulted because Biden's Democrats have been almost always 'all-talk no-action' about labor and unions for so long, but now, with an upcoming election, we're supposed to believe they/he care(s)? Beyond votes? Beyond election day? bullmumblemumblesh#t!

As Eric London for WSWS said in an article entitled: Biden’s visit to UAW picket line: A warning to autoworkers a couple days ago:

Judging by the response of the UAW bureaucracy and corporate media to Joe Biden’s brief visit to a UAW picket line in Michigan Tuesday, the president and ex-Delaware senator has transformed himself overnight from a longtime representative of the corporations into the greatest champion of the working class since Karl Marx himself.

Cornel West went to the picket line as well, and had a bit to say about that in this interview on status coup news:

Have other presidential candidates been to the UAW picket lines? I haven't been paying close attention in the last few weeks, so I probably missed it. Let me know in the comments! Woo, I just read (at 1 am on Thursday) that Trump went to the picket lines instead of participating in the second Republican Debate. This strike is definitely going to be political fodder for the election!

Bikes (or, Not Cars)!
The other day I was researching cities and towns with bike paths, good walking areas, areas with no cars allowed, etc. I ended up finding a youtube channel (Not Just Bikes) which talks about bikes, planning, city and town design and more.

The channel has a lot of really good videos. Most are somewhat long (10-30 minutes) but worth the time if only for the views of so many great places, like this one, which explains a bit about what makes some urban places great, and what makes other urban places suck. And check out all nice those cities!

Thanks for reading and here's the open thread - and remember, everything is interesting if you dive deep enough, so tell us about where you're diving!

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Sima's picture

And that's close to the weekend! Hope everyone is doing well. We've been rained on a lot recently, so the goats are often inside, and the grass is turning green again! Got an area ready to have garlic planted in it. Still have to harvest the leeks. They seem to enjoy being left, and are a good 1/2 to inch wider in diameter now. The beans are done, the rain and cold did them in. Slowly the toms and peppers in the greenhouse are finishing. But we probably have about a month left!

So what's up with you? Whatcha thinking about, learning about, doing? Dancing to? (Go Mavericks!)

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7 users have voted.

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

QMS's picture

On the strikes portion, I read this morning the auto companies are bringing in scabs
to keep the parts distribution business working. The unions are angry.

On the bikes front, I'm embarrassed to say I have not ridden my bike at all this
summer. The physical failures are preventing me from enjoying one of my favorite
activities. Have seen many municipalities proactively establishing biking right-of-ways
which is encouraging. Fort Collins is one example.

Fort Collins is a Platinum-rated Bicycle Friendly Community and maintains more than 200 miles of dedicated bike lanes and 50 miles of marked or signed bike routes.

https://www.fcgov.com/bicycling/fort-collins-bike-network

Thanks for keeping your goats dry!

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Sima's picture

@QMS
It figures. The strike needs to get bigger, angrier, and longer. Probably not gonna happen, at least yet.

I too have not been biking like I want this year. I'm sorry we are basically in the same boat, although my problems are probably more emotional than physical at this time. Gads, I hope your physical failures can be repaired enough to bike again. I really miss my Dad when biking. We used to ride bikes together so much. I'm trying to inspire myself by watching the videos about biking and travel and such. Hubby likes them too, so maybe... maybe we can start up again with biking.

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4 users have voted.

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

soryang's picture

In his presentation to CSIS "experts" on the Korea's a couple of days ago, Blinken talked about Kim Jong-un's recent visit to "Moscow."

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語必忠信 行必正直

Sima's picture

@soryang
That hurt to watch. My mouth is hanging open, stunned. National Embarrassment indeed!

Ok, it made me laugh too, in disbelief! Thanks for posting it Smile

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4 users have voted.

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

I hope to score tickets to ring in the New Year with the Mavericks at Gruene Hall, Texas' oldest dance hall. Will know if we get tickets by noon tomorrow.
I switched from bicycle to motorbike when I was 9, haven't spent 5 minutes on a bike since then.
Busy day ahead, secretary is home ill, with a child that is also ill. Strep throat. It seems to be a constant presence in the local schools.
Stay well, all, have some fun today!
Thanks for the OT, Sima!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Sima's picture

@on the cusp @on the cusp
That will rock! The closest they are coming to where I am at is hours and hours away. They are opening for Dwight Yoakam. I want to go, I love Dwight almost as much as I love the Mavericks! But hubby really dislikes Dwight (I dunno why!?!?!?! Smile Smile ) and we've not got someone who can take care of Jaska if we were to go if I could convince hubby. So, maybe next year. I can hope!

Did the busy day go smoothly? Hope so, hope so. I wanted to get a motorbike when I was a teenager. My father refused. He'd had one when younger, and just didn't want me to get road rash. Mind you, falling off pedal bikes also gives road rash, as I well know!

Have a great weekend!

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4 users have voted.

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Originally from Michigan. Dad, now 89 years old worked at G.M. He was a journeyman mechanic. After all the big layoffs in the 1980's, the factory started letting workers move into middle management positions. He became a parts buyer. Got to wear real slacks and a button up shirt. Retired after 33 years, at age 63 because union benefits paid for health insurance for two years after retirement.

Older brother also worked at G.M. factory in Warren, MI. After layoffs, had to take job at Toledo. OH. Told me that 6 of them would take turns driving for several months until they got places down there to live. While moving, rented a U-Haul which had defective brakes. Ended up crashing on I-75. Had to have hip replaced. Lived on Union benefits for the next year, before going back to work for another 10-12 years when screws in hip replacement came loose. Retired with full benefits, due to medical reasons.

Younger brother also worked at same G.M. factory in Warren. When he got called back to work, he got to go back to same factory. Always worked overtime. Had close to 40 years in when Covid happened. He finally retired. Had both knees replaced since.

Younger sister also worked at same G.M. plant. Had to retire due to hip and knee problems after close to 20 years.

This type of work tears up your joints.

If you think that any of these people are going to vote for Biden, you are nuts. No matter how much he panders by walking the picket line.

If you're looking for a place to ride your bike, consider Makinaw Island, no cars are allowed there.

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QMS's picture

@Enchantress

Grew-up there, watched the lay-offs happening after the oil embargo.
Tried a few factory jobs, but punching steel on the midnight shift got
old swiftly. The work is very impounding on the joints. Glad your relatives
had some union benefits.

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Sima's picture

@QMS
On the midnight shift. Yea, that is hard, hard work. I'd rather do the agricultural stuff. Hard work, but outside in the fresh air! Or, maybe a job on a ship in the fresh air! Smile

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3 users have voted.

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Sima's picture

@Enchantress
Jobs that are hard on the body and the joints, but at least there's health care and pensions and such. My grandfathers, one a truck driver and one an electrician, had the same.

Yea, I can't see the union workers voting for Biden. No matter what the union leaders do/say. BTW thanks for telling a bit of your family history with the UAW. It's cool!

If I'm ever out near Makinaw Island again, I'm doing it! Riding my bike!

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5 users have voted.

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

snoopydawg's picture

.
Is there any union that hasn’t sold out its workers? Seems like since Obama if not Clinton the leaders make deals with the corporations to keep the workers from striking. Or if they do then they force them to take much less than what they need. How is this effective?

The efforts by the United Auto Workers bureaucracy to keep 128,000 of its 146,000 members working during its so-called “stand up strike” against the Big Three automakers is generating growing resistance. Inside the non-striking factories, anger is mounting over the increase in line speeds, unjust suspensions and firings of workers who have no protections under expired contracts, and the reduction of hours, particularly for temporary workers already living on the edge of poverty.

Letting’ only 20,000 workers strike while the rest continue to work and bringing no grief to the companies doesn’t seem very effective. Plus the owners are making harsh demands on the workers who aren’t out on strike and FAIN looks like he’s going to sell every worker out just like leaders have been doing for decades.

My idea of a strike that will get the parasite’s attention is for everyone in every industry to strike at the same time.

Maybe someone heard me

On Tuesday September 27, thousands of workers in Culinary Local 226, which covers 60,000 hospitality workers in Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada voted by 95 percent to authorize a strike against the casino industry. The vote took place at the Thomas & Mack Center on the University of Las Vegas Nevada college campus, in what was billed as one of the largest union mass meetings in recent memory.

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5 users have voted.

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

@snoopydawg

Strike tactics. I think that Fain keeps the companies guessing what the next move will be. The next step will be announced tomorrow morning.

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snoopydawg's picture

@humphrey

so maybe I’m wrong about this leader. I hope that he truly is looking out for his members. I have just seen so many other leaders take deals with companies that don’t really help their members and give them the things that they went on strike for.

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3 users have voted.

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Sima's picture

@snoopydawg @snoopydawg
Fain doesn't sell the workers out. Sad

I like your idea of everyone striking, all unions striking, at the same time. The country would be at a standstill in hours, if not minutes.

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4 users have voted.

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so