CALIFORNIA A PROMISED LAND FOR POLITICALLY SAVVY UNIONS.Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer Through its influence on politics coupled with the rise in government jobs, the labor movement in California is reversing a national trend and becoming more influential than in other parts of the country. ``California is not alone, but it may be the best example of the influence of unions through politics,'' said Ruth Milkman Ruth Milkman is a professor of sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she is also director of the UCLA Institute of Industrial Relations. Education and career Milkman obtained a bachelor's degree in 1975 from Brown University. , director of the University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). Institute of Labor and Employment. ``If you look at one aspect - the home health care workers - the unions were able to get state legislation enacted that, in turn, led to unionizing tens of thousands of workers.'' Milkman's report is the first effort in five years to try to track union growth in the state compared to the rest of the nation. In 1997, when the most recent study was completed, figures for both California and the nation as a whole showed unions represented 16 percent of the work force. Since then, California's work force now is 18 percent unionized while the national figure has dropped to 13 percent. Also, the percentage of unionized workers in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, has grown dramatically, with both Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. and San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden nearly even in the number of union workers. Los Angeles County union leaders estimate there are 800,000 workers represented by various labor organizations - a 100,000 increase over the past two years. In addition to their political influence, California unions - particularly the Service Employees International Union - have been aggressive in organizing efforts amid the growth of government and health care jobs, even while there has been a decline of industrial unions in the rest of the country, Milkman said. ``If you took a stereotype of a union member, most people would think of a white male in a hard hat,'' Milkman said. ``That's no longer true. Most likely, it will be a woman who is college-educated and teaching. Or an African-American man in a government job.'' Milkman said she believes the strength of the union movement is beneficial. ``What is the saying about a rising tide Noun 1. rising tide - the occurrence of incoming water (between a low tide and the following high tide); "a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune" -Shakespeare flood tide, flood lifting all boats? That's what happens with a strong union movement,'' Milkman said. ``All workers benefit from their successes.'' However, others such as Joel Kotkin, senior fellow with the Davenport Institute at Pepperdine University Pepperdine University is a private institution of higher learning affiliated with the Church of Christ in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States. The university's location overlooks the Pacific Ocean and is adjacent to the city limits of Malibu. , worries that there is no counterbalancing force. ``So far, it's a one-sided argument A one-sided argument is a variant of the logical fallacy known as special pleading. In this variant, only the reasons supporting a proposition are supplied, while all reasons opposing it are omitted. and the unions are that side,'' Kotkin said. ``They are the dominant force in California politics.'' Whether it is in Sacramento or Los Angeles City Hall, unions are playing a significant role in day-to-day policy matters as well as major battles such as the recall election of Gov. Gray Davis. Davis has called on the unions in his battle to beat back the recall, while Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante is also asking for their help to support him in the event Davis is removed from office. Milkman, however, disputes Kotkin. ``Business is organized and is fighting the unions every step of the way,'' Milkman said. ``They fight tooth and nail and they've certainly had some success at the national level.'' As for the future, Milkman said she sees continued growth by unions as they focus on other sectors of the economy, including that area occupied by illegal immigrants illegal immigrant n. an alien (non-citizen) who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa. (See: alien) . ``It's like the janitorial sector was years ago,'' Milkman said. ``That was not organized and a lot of it was an informal economy. Now, with Justice for Janitors Justice for Janitors is a janitor organization movement and part of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Justice for Janitors started in Denver, Colorado in 1985. , it is organized and I think you'll see more of that in the future.'' Rick Orlov, (213) 978-0390 rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com |
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