Gibber-gabber
Show for children about migratory farmworkers inspires reflection on labor unions
beingzoe 2008-09-26 16:55:20 UTC

I work with a union, IATSE. The interesting thing about being a stagehand doing live shows, is that you get to experience many different themes, concepts, and topics through shows, presentations, and conferences that you would otherwise not likely be exposed to. Working in technical theater is kind of like traveling for me. It helps broaden your horizons and learn how other people see the world, whether you agree or disagree, bringing great insight into the human condition.

In a recent show/presentation designed for children entitled Living Voices: La Causa I had opportunity to reflect on labor unions and the ongoing struggle of the individual against corruption, greed, and hate.

Living Voices ‘brings history to life’ through one person shows written as history lessons. The person telling the story interacts with a video that is part documentary, part narrative, and even many characters the actor communicates with to tell the story. It is a fabulous learning tool that brings you right into the story and makes you personally vested in the protagonist’s struggle.

In La Causa we meet Marta Hernandez, the daughter of a Mexican American migratory farmworker. At the start of the half hour story she is a young girl and by the end she is a young adult now fully involved in the farm workers labor union, Ceaser Chavez, and has become a journalist. The Living Voices page for the show describes it:

In the late 1960’s a man named Cesar Chavez changed the lives of Latin American farm workers, fought for civil rights, battled racism and indecent working conditions. Experience this chapter of American history as one young woman balances the demands of her family and culture and fights to see her people free of poverty.

Both the lighting board op and myself were nearly moved to tears by this story. Though it was not merely a sentimental story with a feel good ending. La Causa was a deep exploration, in simple language that children could follow, fully exploring the ugliness that humanity can become and bringing attention to the victorious struggle certain individuals have attained to bring health, welfare, and dignity to other people’s lives.

For me, as a union member, I am particularly sensitive to the concept and role of the labor union. But as I have mentioned in previous posts I have not actually had to struggle to maintain dignity or safety or fair wages in the work place. Not really. I have no concept of what it is like to be treated as a second class citizen in the workplace or to be so poor that I would endure any hardship to see that my family and future generations could have food on their table.

I have reaped the rewards of those who did fight those battles before me. I do not worry about whether I am going to be paid a reasonable wage. I do not have to wonder if I have access to water or time to take a break to use the restroom or get food. I do not worry about crop dusters dropping pesticide on a field I am working in. I do not worry about being hurt on the job through safe or unsafe work conditions and not being able to get medical treatment.

Watching the fictionalized account of Ceaser Chavez and one girl’s struggle to help meliorate the suffering of the migratory farm worker through the formation and non-violent efforts of the Farm Workers Union I had my belief in the purpose of the labor union renewed. Though I do not feel as though the labor union has historically been a selfless or entirely upright concept, it has offered more good than harm, protecting the workers, the majority, from those individuals in power, with vast wealth, who sometimes do not have any interest but their own wealth and success in mind, and who, sadly, will sometimes lie, cheat, and steal to get what they want.

Though I do not have to worry or fight like those stories portrayed in La Causa I am reminded, especially in light of countless abuses of power by corporations and within the financial sector in recent years (e.g. Enron, Mortgage collapse) that those greedy and sometimes malicious individuals of influence still exist. As an individual, the worker has no chance of ensuring a fair wage or safe work environment in the face of corruption, but united the worker has a strong voice. And while I may not be required to worry from day to day, or forced to take action to protect my rights every day, the need for the labor union has not gone away, if only to hold the line and serve as a reminder, that the people, the citizens of a country are who really keep the world running, and while leadership may change ever so many years, often the same people quiety play their part in maintaining the infrastructure of civilization regardless of who is ‘managing’ everything. These people should never be forgotten or forsaken.

This is why I don’t worry if I get every little break exactly on time. This is why I have ‘given’ a little bit ‘extra’ here and there on the job to make sure everything is running smoothly. The environment I work in, and the management that guides it, treats me fairly, listens to my concerns, and certainly gives extra when it can. The union is about ensuring this balance, this give and take. I am grateful for the work hour minimums and guarantees of overtime and meal penalty. It is a blessing to know that if I am injured on the job that my medical expenses will be covered. And even when I think safety measures go to the extreme, I am ultimately comforted knowing that there are people, including management, who are expressing and acting on concern for my welfare.

Though I may not have to worry, I can’t be so sure about the workplace somewhere else. I can’t be sure that when management changes, when the economy changes, that my safety, rights, and protections will still be looked out for. That to me is the real reason to maintain the labor unions; to hold the line against future corruption and provide hope for other industries and countries where humans are still being abused by other humans and to demonstrate through example that there is a better way to live and continue to make that a reality.

In an ideal world the labor union would simply be a redundant and whiny voice. In an ideal world no human being would tolerate or initiate the abuse of another human being for any reason.

In our real world, where executives can ‘fudge the numbers’ by billions of dollars and manipulate the entire economic structure ostensibly at whim, the labor union is a voice to those people who have no access to those closed door meetings of power and influence. Even as a firm supporter of the labor union, I understand that it is not always a perfect system, but I firmly believe that the world is better because of them, and we should not let them go until that ideal world appears.

I would encourage everyone to take some time, whether you work in a union or not, and learn a little more about the history of business and labor unions. I think you will find the history eye opening. A simple place to start would be reading about Caesar Chavez and the farm workers unions, Trade Unions at the wiki, or the outstanding Organized Labour portal at the Wiki.

I would love to hear your thoughts on labor unions. Especially those people who have never worked for a labor union and business owners/executives who have to work with labor unions. What are your thoughts and experiences? If you work in a labor union, please share your honest experiences, successes and failures, and the role you think labor unions play in the 21st century.

You might also be interested in another post of mine, Ever wonder what it really means to be a union stagehand? where I share more reflections on labor unions in reaction to a fantastic piece, We will do whatever it takes for as long as it takes. I read at One NYC Stagehand

And feel free to post your own stagehand or labor union stories here in the stagehands community blog here at CoTradeCo. For other trade and trade union discussion you might also be interested in the Business Interests or Hardworking Folk communities also at CoTradeCo.