Twitter Solidarity

I am a long-term, dues-paying member of a labor union. And, I might add, proud of it!

As usual I expected to be contacted by the union regarding what was planned to celebrate this year’s Labor Day and, sure enough, on September 4th I received an e-mail with advice on how to participate in the celebration and show solidarity within the union movement. Sounds really righteous and cool, doesn’t it?

As I’ve stated before, I’ve never been one to march or carry placards for causes good or causes misguided; it’s just not my nature. I pay my dues; I vote in my union elections and sometimes buy stuff from the company store. For the purposes of this rant it is not necessary for you to know which union it is.

Here’s my union’s e-mail, verbatim:

“This Labor Day, we can all do our part to help send a positive message about the value of unions – and we’re encouraging you to join other union members in doing so through Twitter. We’re joining with…(here they list a bunch of the usual suspects, including the Major League Baseball Players Association…which was interesting and different this year)…about the advantages of being a union member. Labor Day is not just a day to commemorate the protections, rights, and opportunities that labor unions and workers’ rights advocates have achieved in years past. It’s a day to broadcast the critical role unions’ play today for all workers in every industry.

Simply send one or more Tweets over Labor Day weekend – Sept. 3 through Sept. 6 -- with the unions’ hash tag number to showcase the strength, solidarity and diversity of our unions. To see just how many union members are Tweeting, check out (the) union hash (number) in Twitter. Happy Labor Day.”

Say what? What is an old, flatulent union member supposed to do? What the hell is a hash number? Who the hell cares? Whatever happened to shouting obscenities on street corners and waving misspelled placards on sticks? Solidarity; Solidarity; Solidarity!

Update September 21, 2010: I spoke too soon. On Friday, 9/24, there’s a massive gathering at the Great Hall of Cooper Union in NYC for “a conversation on the issues and viewpoints of working men and women at the tipping point and what can be done to shift the balance.” And (how could I forget?) there’s a “One Nation Working Together” March on Washington scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 2. Buses will depart NYC at 6 a.m. and depart D.C. at 4 p.m. The buses are scheduled to go to RFK stadium and participants will then take the D.C. Metro to the mall. So, thank goodness, the Labor Movement is not all about Twitter and solidarity through Tweets!