But instead of taking the traditional next organizing step, a certification election, Teamsters are first mounting a public pressure campaign against BFI, distributing postcards asking Seattle and King County officials not to grant BFI any government contracts until it shapes up its labor and environmental record. Williamson explains that many large companies are too good at countering your average union election. They'll fire the active workers, and be forced to hire them back a year later, but by then the campaign is lost. People in Spokane, Yakima, and Olympia have already seen these ads, put out by the Foundation for Working Families. Still, labor is suffering from a large gap in thinking between labor leaders and actual workers.
Labor leaders shop for the union label, but most workers shop for a good price.
Labor leaders at Boeing called for an early end to strikes, but workers voted to keep on striking, and won better contracts. These differences show that workers feel the economic pinch, and are ready to fight. But they have no good political focus to help channel their fight. Although they outnumber Christian Coalition members by about 10 to 1, union members perhaps pack less of an electoral punch. Although they are undeniably steps in the right direction, Union Summer and other labor campaigns this year don't add much electoral oomph to the movement.