Rail workers are fighting today to push back their bosses and the government, both of which are responsible for working conditions that are dangerous, exhausting and tear at workers’ ability to have a family and union life. The fight they are waging deserves the support and solidarity of all workers and our unions.
The rail workers face another obstacle as well — the anti-labor World Socialist Web Site, which claims to support workers’ fights, but in fact joins with the bosses in attacking rail unions.
Run by the Socialist Equality Party, the website has a long record of trying to sow demoralization, rather than raise workers’ self-confidence, fighting capacities and trust in our own forces. It has nothing to do with workers joining together to defend ourselves, building unions, winning solidarity and strengthening the labor movement.
An anonymous “rail engineer” quoted on the World Socialist Web Site Nov. 11 says, “The members that I’ve talked with have all lost hope in the union. Unfortunately, I’ve never had any anyways.”
A letter by the Socialist Equality Party’s Railroad Workers Rank-And-File Committee Sept. 20 urges rail workers to hold meetings ”excluding union officials.” An Oct. 27 letter by the same “committee,” alleges “the BMWED leadership are prepared to act as strikebreakers.” Consistent with this, William Lehman, SEP-backed candidate for United Auto Workers president, told the Village Voice, “The UAW bureacracy is part of management.“
His stance repeats bosses’ claims that unions are all corrupt and workers are better off without them.
Being prepared to answer the lies and disruption efforts of the Socialist Equality Party is necessary for winning support for today’s labor struggles and strengthening our unions.