Trump Opens New Attack on Workers

[Noman2024]

Donald Trump’s war against displays at the Smithsonian museums and National Park Service because he thinks they promote ideologies that do not align with his image of America has now reached Labor History. Trump has ordered the removal of exhibits regarding slavery, including a famous photo of a former slave who had been severely whipped, displaying his multiple scars. Exhibits informing the public of the FACT that most workers who were Black in the colonial era arrived in the country as slaves is not a matter of anti-American IDEOLOGY. They are a vital part of what before Trump was the government’s mission to educate Americans about the story of Black Americans and American Labor, both sorely ignored by corporate sponsored displays. The fact slaves weren’t paid doesn’t change the reality that they were WORKERS, the people who built much of Washington, D.C. and created the wealth that the Founding Fathers relied upon to support their political activities. WORKERS whose lives should be remembered, honored and celebrated for their vital contributions. Trump is attempting to erase the history of slavery and eliminate exhibits that explain the history of the Black workers because they inconveniently disrupt his concept of an America built by a fictitious White ruling class. What will he try to erase next? Pictures of the soot covered breaker boys? The Triangle Shirtwaist fire? The young girls who were forced to work in the cotton mills instead of attending school? The early efforts to organize the Black railroad porters? The historic exploitation of workers in this country is not a myth; it is a factual (not ideological) part of our history. But that reality is inconsistent with Trump’s make-believe view of history. Given the pattern being established by his administration, the elimination of publicly supported exhibits highlighting the travails of Black workers is likely to be only the start; followed by attacks minimizing the contributions of immigrant workers, the indigenous workers who built America’s skyscrapers, and anyone outside his circle of wealthy entrepreneurs who Trump believes personally created the American economy and built America’s infrastructure. The common thread here is Trump’s attempt to erase WORKERS role in the country’s history. Yet not a peep of protest from the IBT or organized labor.

[AlJackson1962!]

Norman2024: Your last sentence reads: "Yet not a peep of protest from the IBT or organized labor."

I agree with your post 100%, except I'm not sure there's been "... no peep from organized labor." Certainly, there's been no opposition voiced by our GP O'Brien; if anything, O'Brien has made it clear to all that he is supportive of the Trump/MAGA movement. Other Unions and certainly lots and lots of organized workers have loudly voiced opposition to Trump's erasure of history campaign. And, after all, the members of the Union are the Union.

The IBT website routinely posts notices about both Black and "Hispanic" history months - but these IBT website posts are barren of any recognition of the attacks taking place today, and no recognition that Trump ("One tough SOB" according to O'Brien's RNC speech) and his racist minions are out to set back the gains made in the civil rights movement and erase the liberation history and decades of struggles.

It's interesting that the TDU website has recently posted a couple of articles and statements concerning immigrant rights and immigrant leadership in recent Teamster struggles - Mauser and University of Minnesota strike actions. Is the TDU leadership softening their reluctance or failure to confront Sean O'Brien's right wing racist ideology? Time is running out to take a stand TDU members and veterans of the Teamster democracy movement. The time is now to confront the elected IBT leadership: Dump O'Brien and any elected leaders who feel no compulsion to call the Trump/MAGA movement what it is: a ruling class fascist movement. After all, how will we answer the age old labor movement question: WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?