In a Daily Item (May 18) column, Thor Jourgensen questioned whether elected representatives in Lynn could effectively serve their entire constituency while promoting a pro-labor agenda.
Councilor at large Brian LaPierre voted no on a proposal to extend tax benefits to a research and development project because he wanted assurances the proponents would involve labor unions in this endeavor.
Jourgensen questioned how an at-large councilor can represent the entire city while unions are declining and are a smaller, less significant slice of the electorate.
I believe the picture is actually different and that having people with ties to organized labor is good for the community and that many share that view.
For the record, I have no ties to a union, haven’t been a union member in years, and know Brian LaPierre in passing.
However, most political campaigns I’ve worked with have attracted support from labor organizations and I have a long history of working with labor. The most recent campaign I assisted was the Lynn mayor’s race in 2021 where Jared Nicholson garnered the endorsements of every union and organization he sought. This support came with a surge of volunteers and energy that belies the picture of labor painted in Jourgensen’s piece.
There is data that shows an increasingly favorable climate for unions nationally. Gallup has been tracking public attitudes about unions since the 1920s. Their August 2021 poll showed that 68 percent of those polled approved of unions. That’s the highest rating since 1965 and confirms a trend. There is other publicly available survey research from organizations such as Pew that shows most Americans negatively view the decline of unions.
The Gallup summary also noted, “at 9 percent, U.S. adults’ self-reported membership in a labor union falls within the 7 percent to 12 percent range it has occupied over the past 20 years.
Another 8 percent of Americans live in a household with a union member, meaning 17 percent of Americans reside in a union household.”
I don’t have the figures for Lynn but it’s a good bet those figures are higher for city residents.
Organized Labor has taken note of these advantageous circumstances and implemented a strategy to encourage union officials and members to run for elective office.
Marty Walsh headed the Building Trades and Steve Lynch ran the Iron Workers before each ran for state representative. Both have touted their labor credentials as primary factors for voters to consider as Walsh became mayor of Boston and Lynch a member of congress.
Their working-class backgrounds have informed rather than hindered their ability to serve all of the people as their constituencies have increased. But the emphasis since 2017 has been on lower offices.
At the AFL-CIO convention that year, the resolution that initiated this program noted, “Local governments have a tremendous influence over the lives of working people. They directly oversee the delivery of public services, the education of our children, and the first responders who diligently work to keep us safe.
Local governments also enact policies fostering the procurement of American and union-made goods and services, which drive our local economies and produce quality manufacturing jobs.
Local officials also must ensure we properly invest in such vital infrastructure as water and sewer systems, and mass transit and highway projects. These officials have the ability to enact responsible contractor policies and project labor agreements to ensure they hire the most highly skilled workers.”
On the Lynn City Council, Councilor LaPierre is joined at-large by former Lynn Fire Department Union President Buzzy Barton and other staunch labor advocates. The idea of discussing labor conditions at such a significant and hopefully, precedent setting project as Farrar Street seems obvious. This is happening because labor tranquility is in the interest of the proponents and potential workers. It’s not some exercise in padding union rolls as it was portrayed in the Item.
Moving forward, I expect a few things to occur. Mayor Nicholson ran on a clear message of inclusion and respect for all. As Council president, Jay Walsh pointed out on the council floor, the Farrar Street company made a commitment to sit down with organized labor to give them a fair opportunity at the construction work.
This administration and many on the Council are going to want labor to have a seat at the table and that makes it more likely that working families in Lynn will get more opportunities.
So from my perspective, the resolve and savvy that experienced union people bring to elected positions strengthens their communities immensely. These benefits far outweigh any perceived parochial nitpicking.
Victor L’Esperance is a political activist with local, state, national, and international campaign experience.
