Friday, November 30, 2012

UAW/IndustriALL program for Mississippi's Christians in the auto industry

Apparently, the automobile manufacturing of Nissan, at its branch plant in Canton, Missippi, is trying to block the unionization of 3,000 of its workers in Canton, Missippi USA. According to IndustriALL, a militant international labour organization, the Canton workers "are campaigning for a fair union election." Christian Labour Advocate is all for that. But there's good reason, no matter what the intentions of the workers, to suspect what IndustriALL and the United Autoworkers (UAW) mean by "fair elections." Jeffrey Moore, a Nissan worker in Missippi, says, “Nissan workers are seeking union representation because they want fairness and a chance to be heard. They are seeking a voice on the job just like their colleagues in Japan and elsewhere.” But if we look, not to Japan, but truly "elsewhere," we see in many countries the ongoing election system for workers representation whereby each union in a representation election (by secret ballot) gets to use freely the union that best represents their work-values, their workview, if you will. That means that a plurality of unions can represent workers on a proportional basis, and that those chosen by true freedom of association, have to dialogue among themselves and together with the employer to negotiate outstanding issues. This kind of representation of workers is the furthest thing from the mind of the UAW, IndustriAll, and perhaps Jeffrey Moore.

What UAW has proven is that it wants one union only in any workplace, or company at large, or in a trade nationwide. It doesn't want sharing and dialoguing with other unions based on the ultimate values for the workplace that alternative unions may have to offer. In the USA, the Christian Labor Association has represented an alternative philosophy of labor relations to that of Big Unionism. It has represented the freedom of association option, but it must work withing a system that awards representation only to the winner of 51% of the workers to voting, 50% + 1 of the workers in a winner-takes-all system of voting for labour representation. There is no freedom of association in this system, and perhaps Nissan knows that. However, I doubt that Nissan knows anything about workers' freedom of association, because in Japan I don't see any evidence of it. Japan's industrial relations system was set up after World War II, while the USA occupation forces were still in control. Many phoney ideas from the USA were sponsored in many countries, often financed by the CIA with money funneled to the AFL and CIO to spread anti-freedom-of-association philosophies of unionization to previously totaliarian countries where workers were used to being herded about by one overlord or another. In labour relations, it' all to easy to become beguiled away from real freedom of association and the pluralization of workers representation. Even the CLA seems to lack the vision of its principles. Consider the location of Nissan's manufacturing facility in Mississippi, an area where the density of Christians in the population is very high. Why can't CLAC venture forth to teach the Christians in the workplaces of companies like Nissan that our faith gives us a better way to pursue positive industrial relations, involving freedom of association and pluralization of workers representation, that woud lead to better results from the Nissan company, whereby the management too coud learn to relate better to workers in all aspects of work and production of automobiles. You have not because you ask not.

Here's what CLA-USA says: "The CLA works to promote harmony between Employer and Employee. This makes us a unique organization. The CLA is a labor union, certified by the National Labor Relations Board and similar state and local agencies. Our right to act as bargaining agents for employees is protected by law. The CLA is not affiliated with a large international union, but democratically governed by its membership. The CLA promotes harmony among all workers. Our method of operation allows for the crossing of trade lines, eliminating craft disputes. The CLA realizes that the livelihood of the employer and employee is derived from the same source."

Michigan Office – National Headquarters

PO Box 65
405 Centerstone Court
Zeeland, Michigan 49464

Contacts:
Clarence Merrill
National Representative
National President

Jennifer Keegstra – Office Administrator

Phone: (616) 772-9164
Toll Free: 877-CLA-1018
FAX: (616) 772-9830

Email: michigan@cla-usa.com

-- Albert Gedraitis

IndustriALL (Dec1,2k12)

US Nissan workers seek fair union election

26.11.2012

Launched at the LabourStart conference in Sydney on 26 November, 3,000 workers at Nissan’s assembly plant in Canton, Mississippi, USA are campaigning for a fair union election and an end to Nissan’s fear and intimidation tactics.

Management at Nissan’s plant in Mississippi is running an aggressive and sophisticated anti-union campaign against its employees who are forming a union to achieve a voice in the workplace. Nissan is denying these workers a fair, democratic election, and management has sent a clear message to the workforce that considering a union could cost them their job.

Supported by workers, students, community leaders and human rights activists around the world, the UAW’s LabourStart campaign (http://www.labourstart.org/nissan) calls on Nissan’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Toshiyuki Shiga, intervene to make things right in Mississippi.

Speaking at the LabourStart conference, Jeffrey Moore, one of the Mississippi autoworkers said, “Nissan workers are seeking union representation because they want fairness and a chance to be heard. They are seeking a voice on the job just like their colleagues in Japan and elsewhere.”

For years, Nissan workers in Mississippi have strived for fairness and believe that creating a union is the best, most effective way to work with management to solve problems in the plant. The workers are seeking membership and representation by UAW in discussions with management on:

safety problems and work-related injuries
the use of labor agencies to recruit, and hire on lower wages and with no path to direct employment.
respect from managers in the workplace
fairness in the disciplinary process
decisions about work process and product improvement
equality of wages, policies and benefits between Nissan workers at a sister plant in Tennessee and those in Mississippi

Canton workers also want to help improve the overall rights and working condition of workers in the state of Mississippi.

“At Canton Mississippi, Nissan management is making propaganda against the UAW and intimidating workers depriving them from a free choice. This is an unacceptable and against freedom of association,” said Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union in support of the workers’ campaign.

“UAW has offered Nissan a positive, collaborative approach, but the US management is refusing partnership despite the fact that most of Nissans operations in countries such as Mexico, Spain, UK, Russia, Japan, Australia, South Africa and Thailand are unionized and enjoy constructive labour and management relations,” said Raina.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Unions disagree on legislation in Ontario — International Union of Operating Engineers wants Bill C-377 scuttled, CLAC wants the bill redrafted for privacy and constitutional concerns

Earlier we posted a discourse by an Ontario Canada union official, Mike Gallagher, business director of Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers. Gallagher oversees the finances of one of the largest construction unions in Ontario. He wrote of his concern about Bill C-377, "An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act (Labour Organizations)" which raised the question of legislation that cut into union independence and the privacy of union employees. At least that's how Mr Gallagher saw the situation, and it made him damn mad. Today we notice that the Christian Labour Association of Canada has also called the Federal government into account on the proposed legislation, seeking a drastic redraft. CLAC wants to retain "disclosure of financial information by unions to members." That's vitally important.

— Albert Gedraitis

Hat Tip to The reformational Daily, Steve Bishop editor

CLAC (Nov26,2k12)

CLAC Calls on Ottawa to Take Control of Bill C-377

DATE: November 19, 2012

Mississauga, ON—CLAC today called on the federal government to take control of Bill C-377 by asking the sponsoring Member of Parliament to withdraw the bill and having it redrafted after review by privacy and constitutional law experts.

CLAC laid out its position in a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

“We support disclosure of financial information by unions to members,” says Dick Heinen, CLAC’s executive director, “but C-377 is too flawed to become law without substantial amendments. The government needs to have its legal experts review and redraft the bill and bring it back as a government initiative.

“Testimony at the Finance Committee hearings on C-377 from witnesses such as the Canadian Bar Association and the Privacy Commissioner for Canada raised considerable doubt about the constitutionality of the bill. Whatever legislation is brought back should take these parties’ concerns and suggestions into account.

“C-377 clearly requires public disclosure of private information. CLAC believes only union members and the government should have access to sensitive financial information.”

The con of Foxconn in the Taiwanese press, and the suppression of info about the 1,000 workers "riot" in Shenzhen, mainland China

Foxconn, the Apple manufacturing contractor, is up to the same tricks in Taiwan that it has practiced in mainland China. As a matter of fact, the Foxconn Technology Group [Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.] is a "Taiwanese made-to-order electronics giant," and it was this Taiwan-based corporation which provoked "a riot [that] broke out at its plant in southern China last Friday" [Nov9,2k12]. Now, the news release by Chung Jung-feng and Hanna Liu claims there was no involvement by... by whatever name Foxconn hides itself in Taiwan, nor did the incident take place in a Foxconn manufacturing facility but somewhere else — according to Foxconn — citing "a police report" which reduced the number of workers involved from 1,000 to a mere 200 (the typical numbers game of Foxconn and the Chinese govt/s) and in any case "police authorities quickly talked the situation over with the Foxconn employees" — who were not at their place of work, so no employment reference is necessary or relevant, they were just party-goers and voyeurs at the apartment complex. Notice the contradiction between "quickly" and "eventually" in the article. Reporters Chung Jung-feng and Hanna Liu shoud have been more adept in using terms that don't indicate opposites, I'd say.

Now, altho I have my hermeneutic of suspicion well in hand regarding this case, I suggest that there was a rowdy assemblage of about 200 at the apartment complex, 200 who were "eventually" talked out of their anger toward the two disputatious policeman (probasbly bullies). [There are reports from all over China that people quickly gather into a crowd when an incident takes place between a civilian or a small group of civilians and the police; the police are not trusted in many places in China and riots, marches, and other spontaneous actions occur often and in many places. Many of the incidents are labour related.] My guess is that the incident on which the report fixates did take place, but that it is used as a cover to absolve Foxconn of any involvement in an action which, I suggest, actually did took place inside one its facilities in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on the mainland. Both Foxconn and the local authorities, as well as the national Communist government of China, woud have every reason to suppress information about a riot in a Foxconn plant involving anywhere near the scale of 1,000 workers. I think the event, maybe the two events, did happen. I simply don't believe the excuses and verbal trickery offered that apparently Foxconn has insinuated into a Taiwanese news report that we are better advised to distrust, while we shoud for now trust the original report: about a 1,000 workers disrupted a Foxconn manufacturing faciity in Shenzhen, Guangdong, Peoples Republic of China.

Remember also how Foxconn gained its notoreity in recent years: the spate of suicides in its massive plants and its cage-like dormitories for young internal immigrants coming from the countryside to industrial areas in China for hard work and a meagre paycheck. This is not Henry Ford industrialization.

— Albert Gedraitis

Focus Taiwan (Nov26,2k12)

Foxconn denies online report of 'riot' at Shenzhen plant
2012/11/12 19:39:59

Taipei, Nov. 12 (CNA) The Foxconn Technology Group, the Taiwanese made-to-order electronics giant that assembles Apple Inc.'s products, has denied reports that a riot broke out at its plant in southern China last Friday.

A China-based online media reported earlier Monday that over 1,000 workers at Foxconn's factory in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, staged a protest after a dispute occurred between a Foxconn employee and public security officers.

The electronics maker issued a statement Monday in which it cited a police report as saying that two policemen got into a dispute with some Foxconn employees at an apartment outside the factory area after receiving information that people were gambling in the apartment complex.

A crowd of more than 200 Foxconn workers gathered to watch the disturbance, but police authorities quickly talked the situation over with the Foxconn employees and the two sides eventually resolved the matter peacefully, the statement said.

The company, known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. in Taiwan, stressed in the statement that there were no incidents at the company's production facility, as was alleged by the online media report.

Shares of Hon Hai Precision Industry closed down 1.53 percent at NT$90.0 (US$3.11) on the Taiwan Stock Exchange Monday.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Anti-Union: Strategy of "the Triangular Trap: Agency employment is "precarious work," obstacle to unionization of all kinds

IndustriALL is a worldwide labour union movement with which Christian Labour Advocate strongly disagrees as a matter of principle. Nevertheless, on the specific issue of agency labour, IndustriALL is largely on the correct path. It's only justification may be in certain cases where a worker refuses to submit to monopoly unionism (as against pluralism of workers representation), monopoly unionism such as IndustriALL seems to advocate, even tho it is rarely the winner in winner-takes-all-union elections when its up against Big Brother unionism. Against the Big Brothers of today's unionism, IndustriALL seems like simply the upstart (nothing wrong with that), and against today's International Trade Union Confederation, World Federation of Trade Unions ("made up primarily of unions affiliated with or sympathetic to Communist parties"), World Organization of Workers (which includes the Christian national union organizations of Protestant inspiration). This latter is the international labour-union body with which Christian Labour Advocate most identifies. I know that IndustriALL is at odds, strongly so, with the Communist-Party union affiliate in France, and that IndustriALL is strongly represented and highly active in the states of the former Soviet Union, not least of all Russia. So, I'm guessing that IndustriALL has siphoned off many members from the old Communist-affiliated unions in Russia and around the world. More research to do!

But aside from affiliations and elaboorate ideologies, IndustriAll wisely discourages labour agencies like Manpower because they, while they offer temporary relief from the monopoly unionism to which IndustriALL aspires, the agencies offer only precarious employment and low pay, no benefits for the workers cawt in "the Triangular Trap."

— Albert Gedraitis

IndustriALL (Nov23,2k12)

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Agency work is a trap

Monday, November 12, 2012

Labour Unions, Ontario, Canada: Govt: Will Canadian govt cut into union's independence?

iPolitics (Nov12.2k12)

Strangling in red tape: a letter from a union official

By Mike Gallagher | Nov 12, 2012 5:30 am | Comments

Mike Gallagher is business manager of Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, one of the largest construction unions in Ontario. He is also a vice-president on the executive of the International Union of Operating Engineers. Local 793 represents thousands of highly-skilled crane and heavy equipment operators across Ontario.

As business manager of Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, one of the largest construction unions in Ontario, I am writing to express my concerns over Bill C-377, now being studied by a House of Commons finance committee.

The legislation, known as An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act (Labour Organizations), will result in excessive paperwork for our union, a rise in administrative costs for our pension and benefit plans of up to 20 per cent, and will intrude on the privacy of our employees.

Bill C-377 will undermine our union and create red tape that will significantly add to our operating costs. It will also increase costs for government, as a huge and unnecessary bureaucracy will be needed to administer Bill C-377′s reporting requirements.

Foxconn is the company that does Apple's manufacturing work in China, where suicides and mass disorders are common among workers

InformationWeek Global CIO (Chief Information Officer) Nov8,2k12

Apple, Foxconn Labor Promises Questioned

Report on Foxconn working conditions at Apple facilities is criticized for being overly rosy.

By Thomas Claburn

InformationWeek
November 08, 2012 03:37 PM

Apple iPhone 5 Teardown: Visual Tour

(click image for larger view and for slideshow)

Claims that working conditions at Apple supplier Foxconn's manufacturing facilities in China have improved overstate the extent and effectiveness of reforms, a labor group says.

The Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a Washington, D.C.-based think tankfunded in part by labor organizations, on Thursday said that a Fair Labor Association (FLA) report issued in August exaggerates the impact of changes made to improve working conditions at Foxconn facilities.

More Global CIO Insights

Following a series of labor problems at electronics makers in China over the past few years, Apple in February asked the FLA to investigate its supplier, Foxconn. In March, Apple and Foxconn committed to workplace changes recommended by the FLA.

[ For more background, read Apple Invites Labor Inspectors To Foxconn, Other Suppliers. ]

Five months later, the FLA said it was satisfied that Apple had taken the necessary steps to hold Foxconn accountable and that Foxconn was making progress toward fulfilling its promises.

The EPI however asserts that "the FLA's rosy view of developments in Apple's supply chain is unfounded." The organization says that "the FLA gives Foxconn credit for reforms that are either incomplete or purely symbolic." It says that progress made over the summer in curbing excessive overtime and coerced labor has not been sustained into the busier fall manufacturing season. And it says that commitments made to award back pay to underpaid workers have not been met.

Apple, Foxconn and the FLA did not respond to requests for comment.

Isaac Shapiro, research associate at the EPI, in a phone interview gave credit to the FLA for wanting to promote serious and comprehensive reforms, but acknowledged concerns that FLA isn't sufficiently independent from the companies it assesses. Reports about working conditions at Foxconn facilities from other organizations like China Labor Watch and Students & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM), he observed, have been more critical.

"The most fundamental reforms really have to do with hours and pay," said Shapiro, insisting that Apple and Foxconn have not lived up to their commitments to pay workers retroactively for the years they were underpaid.

In March, the FLA said it had "secured agreement from Foxconn and Apple to retroactively pay any worker due unpaid overtime." FLA also said the two companies have agreed to develop a pay package for workers that protects them from losing income despite a reduction in overtime.

"Wherever Apple products are made, workers should be paid appropriately," said Shapiro.

With Foxconn reportedly looking at opening manufacturing facilities in the U.S., the electronics maker may have to embrace workplace reforms sooner rather than later. Shapiro observed that Foxconn now operates a manufacturing facility in Brazil, which has stronger labor protections than China. As a consequence, he said, the workers in Brazil are treated better. If Foxconn does open a manufacturing facility in the U.S., he expects the situation will be similar.

"It's harder to sweep gross violations of workers rights under the rug in the U.S.," he said.

Ontario Canada: Labour monopolies: Cities featherbed uncompetitive workers & companies on the inside track

Cardus (Nov7,2k12)

Labour monopolies cost Ontario cities millions

Hamilton, October 25, 2012 — Labour monopolies increase costs for several Ontario municipalities by up to 10 percent on nearly a billion dollars worth of Ontario construction projects, says a paper released October 25 by Hamilton-based think tank Cardus.

The study shows restricted public tendering affects 25 percent of Ontario taxpayers — and puts significant pressure on already alarming municipal infrastructure deficits. A survey of 43 of the province's largest municipalities found Toronto, Hamilton, Sault Ste. Marie, and Kitchener are all subject to varying restrictions on the public tendering of construction projects.

That's a significant portion of Ontario's population but the real story is the amount of money affected," said Brian Dijkema, senior researcher in labour and economics at Cardus. "We're looking at a baseline of two percent in additional costs per year, and more likely in the 10 percent range. When you consider we're talking about at least $750 million in construction projects, that's a lot of potential savings for cash-strapped municipalities."

Dijkema said it's crucial to keep in mind that those costs accumulate year over year, adding to the burden of municipal infrastrcuture deficits. The study concludes a key solution is competitive bidding processes for construction projects in these municipalities.

"For a city like Toronto, which spends billions every year on construction while at the same time fighting over budget cuts of $19 million, competitive bidding could be a boon to the bottom line," Dijkema said. "Schools and other major crown corporations coud add similar savings; this is just the tip of the iceberg."

The paper is the first of a series of studies, dubbed the Cardus Construction Competitiveness Monitor, which will examine the impact of labour monopolies on public entities from municipalities to school boards and major public corporations. The next paper, studying the impact of restricted bidding on Ontario school boards, will be released latter this Fall.

The full version of "Cardus Construction Competitiveness Monitor: Ontario Municipal Construction Markets" can be downloaded at http://cardus.ca/go/ch.

Thursday, November 08, 2012

Two unions contend to represent auto-makers union in India, but why can't the unions share the role of labour representation?

Two unions contend to represent auto-makers union in India, but why can't the unions share the role of labour representation? The idea that two unions, or more, can't share the task of representation of workers in a given auto-making plant is more than questionable. It's done already in many places around the world. It requires a prior commitment to dialogue between the two or more unions which represent workers in a given plant, company, or industry in the same country. The case I know best is to be found in Europe, where in many countries like France, Netherlands, and others, an annual vote determines the proportional representation of freely chosen unions in each industrial sector and manufacturing plant. The prior commitment to inter-union dialogue in the work place of unions with widely divergent labourviews and philosophical-religious commitments is related to the desire for the workers' dialogue with management and owners. This is, therefore, a complex and demanding task. Multi-union representation in a single factory or mine is part of a system that values very highly the freedom of association, pluralization of labour representation, and general respect for differences while cooperating for the common good of workers, and from there an extension to the common good of the company and industry, and peace of the country. This arrangement does not rule out strikes, but it does not inherently foster them either. The brothers and sisters in India need a change of heart in regard to their own labourview.

— Albert Gedraitis

IndustriALL global union (Nov1,2k12)

Hyundai Motor India workers on strike

01.11.2012

Hyundai Motor India workers launched their 4th strike action on 30 October 2012 demanding the reinstatement of remaining 27 workers who were dismissed in 2008, recognition of Hyundai Motor India Employees’ Union (HMIEU) and renegotiation of wage agreement.

Hyundai workers on strike in India — foto IndustriALL

Hyundai Motor India management’s intransigent attitude and denial of genuine trade union rights has again force its workers to take strike action. On 30 October 2012 workers led by Hyundai Motor India Employees’ Union (HMIEU) launched strike action at Irungattukottai near Chennai. As [Indian state of] Tamilnadu police denied permission to conduct a peaceful protest action near the factory, workers are holding the protest demonstration at Assistant Labour Commissioner Office at SIPCOT Industrial Complex.

This strike action comes on the backdrop of a recently concluded wage agreement between the Hyundai India management and United Union of Hyundai Employees (UUHE) on 18 October 2012.

Key demands of the striking workers are:

Reinstatement of 27 workers, who were sacked by the management in the year 2008.
Recognition of the HMIEU by the management or to hold a secret ballot election to decide the majority union.
Renegotiation of the recently concluded wage agreement with the UUHE.

HMIEU was formed in 2007 and affiliated to Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU). During a strike action in 2008 the management dismissed 87 workers. Even after prolonged negotiations between the HMIEU and the management with the involvement of Government officials, still 27 workers remain dismissed, while others who were charged with similar offences were reinstated. It is significant to note that dismissed workers include office bearers of the HMIEU.

On the other hand, the management has swiftly recognized the United Union of Hyundai Employees (UUHE) soon after its formation in May 2011 and signed a wage agreement. HMIEU allege that it is unfair labour practice as the management neither informed nor consulted HMIEU, even though the union has submitted charter demands on various issues including wages in February 2012. R Sridher, General Secretary of HMIEU alleges that, the management has been forcing workers to accept its anti-worker wage agreement with UUHE.

On 1 November, A S Soundararajan, Member of Tamilnadu Legislative Assembly and Honorary President of HMIEU raised the issue in the legislative assembly and called for intervention of the state government to find a solution to the dispute at Hyundai Motor India. A meeting between the management and the HMIEU union in the presence of the State Labour Minister had been scheduled to be held in the late evening on 1 November.

Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Mining: British Columbia, Canada: Will Canada let Chinese companies import workers for BC's mines, or will Canadians have a priority for jobs in the mines?

CLAC (Nov7,2k12)

CLAC Calls for Safe, Constructive Solutions

to BC's Mining Labour Needs

DATE: October 23, 2012

Fort St. John, BC—As a participant in BC’s mining sector, CLAC is deeply concerned about the BC government’s recent statements about the lack of skilled mining workers and the need for Chinese workers to mine coal in the northeast part of the province.

In response, CLAC calls on the BC government to work with labour unions to find safe and constructive solutions to the province’s skilled labour needs. Every effort needs to be made to see that local hires, including under-represented groups such as youth, First Nations peoples, and women have every opportunity to access these new jobs. BC workers need this kind of employment opportunity, and they should be at the head of the line for such positions.

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CLAC has consistently called on governments and employers to implement hiring policies that put Canadian workers first. Creative and constructive solutions to skilled labour shortages do exist, and these solutions are also simply good economic policy.

For example, CLAC supports better relocation incentives and fly-in/fly-out policies that allow available skilled workers from one province to easily relocate or take available work in BC without unnecessary barriers or red tape. Such policies would give BC employers better access to any available Canadian workers who have the required mining experience and expertise.

Far more also needs to be done in the training of apprentices. If BC does not have sufficient skilled labour to meet the needs of its mining sector, the BC government should work in partnership with the province’s educational institutions and unions to create the required apprenticeship programs to meet these needs.

In short, every possible avenue to facilitate the hiring of BC and Canadian workers first should be pursued.

Worker safety is paramount. Since some of the companies involved in these new BC mining ventures do not adhere to Canadian standards of health and safety in their home country, CLAC is concerned about a possible lack of worker safety for workers employed by foreign companies. While some Canadian workers may learn from the mining expertise brought by skilled Chinese workers, some Chinese employers have much to learn about Canadian health and safety standards and how they are applied in the underground mining sector.

Given the remoteness of the new mines, regular safety inspections will be costly and time-consuming. CLAC calls on the BC government to adequately resource the inspection process so that all workers will have a safe workplace that meets or exceeds the current safety regulations.

As an independent Canadian union, CLAC is committed to working in partnership with all levels of government to find safe and constructive ways of addressing Canada’s need for skilled workers, both now and in the future.

Sunday, November 04, 2012

A few gestures toward a statement of principles for Christian labour advocacy

We who share reformational Christian philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd's contribution to labour theorizing for labour organizing and action, shoud remember that he analyzed the qualifying modal function of a labour union as an ethical one, whereas the leading function in some cases of workers' unionization may be a pisteutic one, a leading function of faith. The latter is the case with Christian Labour Advocae which also seeks to set the stage in theory for the practice especially of Christelijke Nationaal Vakverbond where the qualifying function is simply Christian moral principles for the limited sphere of workers in the workplace. CNV works for structural solidarity with all Dutch labour unions and movements, on the one hand; but the Dutch union also functions in Theo Vollenhoven's terms to generate the directional differentiation of the various labourviews based on fundamental different values of work in our advanced industrial societies, and in labour developments in developing countries. Thru the theory-strong distinction between structure and direction, Vollenhoven and Dooyeweerd together generate a scientific groundwork (for anyone who wants to think deeply) of the theoretical foundation for a pluralized labour representation of unions alongside one another, competing for members in a thoroly advanced labour representation based on full freedom of association and proportional representation on a secret ballot vote of all workers, say, annually — which does not exist in the unionization of most workers in the wide world today. Today is the anti-democratic moment in the pseudo-democratic unions that dominate the labour world everywhere around the globe. And this latter creates a kairos moment for workers of Christian faith and all other workers who want to be represented by a union of hi morals influenced by reformational Christian ethical thawt.

— Albert Gedraitis, Christian Labour Advocate publisher and writer

Christian Labour Advocate