I feel this 100%. You know this is a topic that is near and dear to me, so I'm stoked that you wrote about it so well. I think "working class" is a term that's been pretty soundly abused at this point. It's a pie that's been poked too many times by too many people to mean a whole lot. But I know what you mean! Hell, I'm still the proverbial TV installer, but because I'm in a trade union I make a pretty decent living. But I will share an anecdote, to your point. I was doing punch list, end of job detail on a big hotel/condo. Super fancy. I was on my knees caulking and filling holes in baseboard I had installed, surrounded by blue tape everywhere (the blue tape being applied by the hotel team to signify items that need attention/repair). A woman in a fancy suit with an entourage of big wigs walked down the hall and said, with some relish, "All the blue tape is mistakes THEY have to fix." I was like, "Lady, I am right here!" I mean, I kept my mouth shut, but the disdain for the working man was so obvious and condescending I wanted to throw my caulk gun at her! Some people.
It seems to me the farthest vision comes from a life that straddles that white/blue collar line. As long as a person has the humility to keep both eyes open, one for each side
"I may have a “professional” job now, but I didn’t come to it by the traditional path. I didn’t go to college, something that sets me apart from most of my peers. I wasn’t really a “computer kid”, either who was always naturally interested in and gifted with technology. As a result, I’m usually older than my peers at my skill and experience level or behind peers closer to my age. Instead of formal education, I learned through experience and studying on my own time."
The labor struggle in this country has been an uphill battle from day 1. I’ve learned a lot, from the much-maligned Darryl Cooper. From Pinkerton to WV Coal Wars, Corpos were always going to win. There’s stages of evolution for labor movement. Albeit, it was privateers (ie. budding Corpos) ceding a little control, from a state of total domination, but I think it’s always moved in the right direction.
I mean, let’s face it, Corpos would pay $5/hr if they could get away with it.
A great read and thoroughly enjoyed contemplating the points you raised. Disclosing that you’re in a trade made a lot of sense bc your writing is compelling (to me). Catherine Shannon said to be a good writer you have to live a little and there is too many “writers writing about being writers”. Shitty (blue collar) jobs are ancillary to good writing especially if you took a non linear trajectory in them. Congrats on taking the step to facefagging I think you actually have what it takes. I am looking forward to being your audience.
Sidenote: If sex work is work, are sex workers the twerking class?
Very well done, and I enjoy reading about your experiences. Glad to see you make good. I get how it still “feels different.” I can’t relate, being solidly upper-middle-class my whole life, but one thing I always wish I had was the ambition to do better. I didn’t get that until much later in life. Too late.
I quibble only with your point that the working class achieves change via bottom-up activism. Has that ever happened without someone at the top with interests aligned with the working class who uses the working class to further their own political goals? I know that’s cynical, but seems to me that’s how politics has always been.
It’s convenient for people to forget, but globalization was a project of the economic right. NAFTA was Clinton triangulating with the republicans. Now that the democrats are once again the party of big E Establishment, now that they’ve dropped all pretense, of course they’re down for the program.
Maybe Vance will pan out, maybe he’ll say the right words and nothing will change.
There are two different concepts being incorrectly lumped together under the labels "Globalization" and "Globalism". If dialogue were better, we'd assign one of the concepts to each of the terms and use them consistently and distinctly.
Concept 1 involves being able to buy and sell products from all over the world.
Concept 2 involves acting like there's one world government and no national or cultural distinctions that matter anywhere.
Concept 2 is causing no end of problems, but we'll set ourselves back quite a lot if we attack Concept 1.
That’s a fair point, and an important distinction.
Do you think globalization is necessary for globalism?
Either way, the economic dislocation of globalization has had manifestly negative economic and social repercussions for the American industrial working class. It remains to be seen if our potential presidents will actually address that.
Unions help protect workers and their families. My dad was part of the teachers' union, and I have straight teeth because of that.
However, like all institutions, unions can become corrupt. As a teenager, I knew two older men who were part of the autoworkers union.
One would sometimes go to work drunk and the other sold dope at the factory. Both knew they couldn't be fired. They had comfy work setups where they just pushed a broom and napped.
I don't think a person in his 50s or 60s should have to work his guts out right up to retirement.
But, it's poor form to soak up every perk you can get from your union and leave little for the rest of the younger union members. Also, that kind of behavior gives regular folk a poor opinion of autoworkers.
I feel this 100%. You know this is a topic that is near and dear to me, so I'm stoked that you wrote about it so well. I think "working class" is a term that's been pretty soundly abused at this point. It's a pie that's been poked too many times by too many people to mean a whole lot. But I know what you mean! Hell, I'm still the proverbial TV installer, but because I'm in a trade union I make a pretty decent living. But I will share an anecdote, to your point. I was doing punch list, end of job detail on a big hotel/condo. Super fancy. I was on my knees caulking and filling holes in baseboard I had installed, surrounded by blue tape everywhere (the blue tape being applied by the hotel team to signify items that need attention/repair). A woman in a fancy suit with an entourage of big wigs walked down the hall and said, with some relish, "All the blue tape is mistakes THEY have to fix." I was like, "Lady, I am right here!" I mean, I kept my mouth shut, but the disdain for the working man was so obvious and condescending I wanted to throw my caulk gun at her! Some people.
Yeah there are a handful of times I’ve felt utterly condescended to because of my occupation, that was one of them
“THEY have to fix” , my God.
The degree of which some people feel that certain workers are invisible, is utterly astonishing.
It seems to me the farthest vision comes from a life that straddles that white/blue collar line. As long as a person has the humility to keep both eyes open, one for each side
"I may have a “professional” job now, but I didn’t come to it by the traditional path. I didn’t go to college, something that sets me apart from most of my peers. I wasn’t really a “computer kid”, either who was always naturally interested in and gifted with technology. As a result, I’m usually older than my peers at my skill and experience level or behind peers closer to my age. Instead of formal education, I learned through experience and studying on my own time."
That's awesome.
The labor struggle in this country has been an uphill battle from day 1. I’ve learned a lot, from the much-maligned Darryl Cooper. From Pinkerton to WV Coal Wars, Corpos were always going to win. There’s stages of evolution for labor movement. Albeit, it was privateers (ie. budding Corpos) ceding a little control, from a state of total domination, but I think it’s always moved in the right direction.
I mean, let’s face it, Corpos would pay $5/hr if they could get away with it.
A great read and thoroughly enjoyed contemplating the points you raised. Disclosing that you’re in a trade made a lot of sense bc your writing is compelling (to me). Catherine Shannon said to be a good writer you have to live a little and there is too many “writers writing about being writers”. Shitty (blue collar) jobs are ancillary to good writing especially if you took a non linear trajectory in them. Congrats on taking the step to facefagging I think you actually have what it takes. I am looking forward to being your audience.
Sidenote: If sex work is work, are sex workers the twerking class?
Very well done, and I enjoy reading about your experiences. Glad to see you make good. I get how it still “feels different.” I can’t relate, being solidly upper-middle-class my whole life, but one thing I always wish I had was the ambition to do better. I didn’t get that until much later in life. Too late.
I quibble only with your point that the working class achieves change via bottom-up activism. Has that ever happened without someone at the top with interests aligned with the working class who uses the working class to further their own political goals? I know that’s cynical, but seems to me that’s how politics has always been.
It’s convenient for people to forget, but globalization was a project of the economic right. NAFTA was Clinton triangulating with the republicans. Now that the democrats are once again the party of big E Establishment, now that they’ve dropped all pretense, of course they’re down for the program.
Maybe Vance will pan out, maybe he’ll say the right words and nothing will change.
Either way, I’m not going to hold my breath.
There are two different concepts being incorrectly lumped together under the labels "Globalization" and "Globalism". If dialogue were better, we'd assign one of the concepts to each of the terms and use them consistently and distinctly.
Concept 1 involves being able to buy and sell products from all over the world.
Concept 2 involves acting like there's one world government and no national or cultural distinctions that matter anywhere.
Concept 2 is causing no end of problems, but we'll set ourselves back quite a lot if we attack Concept 1.
That’s a fair point, and an important distinction.
Do you think globalization is necessary for globalism?
Either way, the economic dislocation of globalization has had manifestly negative economic and social repercussions for the American industrial working class. It remains to be seen if our potential presidents will actually address that.
Your image of the "tightening noose" is poignant. For me, it was one missed paycheck that rendered me homeless.
Unions help protect workers and their families. My dad was part of the teachers' union, and I have straight teeth because of that.
However, like all institutions, unions can become corrupt. As a teenager, I knew two older men who were part of the autoworkers union.
One would sometimes go to work drunk and the other sold dope at the factory. Both knew they couldn't be fired. They had comfy work setups where they just pushed a broom and napped.
I don't think a person in his 50s or 60s should have to work his guts out right up to retirement.
But, it's poor form to soak up every perk you can get from your union and leave little for the rest of the younger union members. Also, that kind of behavior gives regular folk a poor opinion of autoworkers.