Rather than retreat in the face of critics' claims, progressives must fight to strengthen and extend current affirmative action programs. Blakely Labor's often shameful history with respect to the issue of racism places a special obligation on unions today to promote affirmative action in the workplace, in the political arena, and in the house of labor itself. Union participants in EI, and the activist sector that is the heart and soul of trade unionism's identity, must work more closely to evaluate those programs and articulate a clear set of union-oriented objectives and strategies. The most effective way to change corporate behavior is for labor to regain its ability to impose serious costs on capital. Then, and only then, will employers come back to the table and treat our concerns with the respect they deserve.
Continous bargaining can be a powerful tool to help unions get that power.
This detailed view of industrial restructuring has much to recommend it, even as it fails to take into account the political dimension of new technology.