Thread by @nathansnewman

There is an insanity but also base revelation of ignorance by those attacking the Culinary leadership as "corrupt" or "business unionists" or whatever lefty cliche they want to pull out - given the historic importance of that local in modern labor movement. A thread /1

This is a local in the middle of the desert, in a right-to-work state that has organized one of the most diverse workforces in the country - and fought militant strikes to defeat mega-rich corporations, including the longest strike in US history. /2

lasvegassun.com/news/1998/feb/…

But as a former organizer in Culinary back in 1988, I know role of HERE as one of the few unions then actually invested in organizing when many unions gave up. A whole cadre of organizers were trained by HERE's organizing director Vinnie Sirabella

nhregister.com/news/article/L…

When I got to Vegas, memory of raucuous 1984 strike was fresh in workers' memories with anger at the concessions and fear the whole union could go down in the next negotiations. /4

nytimes.com/1984/04/22/us/…

This was union whose former leader turned up dead with bullet in his head, corruption ran rife, but new militant, multi-racial leadership emerged/was recruited by radical organizers (including current international President D Taylor) and remade Vegas. /5

blackpast.org/african-americ…

The national hotel union HERE was itself pretty corrupt but had hired people like Sirabella and his protege John Wilhelm who built new militant locals in Vegas, LA and other places which, after govt forced out corrupt leadership, took over union. /6
labornotes.org/1998/07/hotel-…

No one is above criticism, but anyone dismissing the Culinary Union leadership with lazy lefty cliches about "union bosses" or "business unionism" just betray complete ignorance of actual modern labor history and the central role Culinary has played in its survival. /7

Even when pro-M4A union leader like @FlyingWithSara tells folks to cool it with attacks on Culinary, folks in comments in denial that this is bad tactics. Point is not to stop advocating for M4A, but treat allies who oppose it respectfully AS ALLIES.

https://twitter.com/FlyingWithSara/status/1228014489167114243

@FlyingWithSara Most Bernie supporters are terrific, dedicated people - and they should be first ones lining up to condemn every tweet and every public attack like the ones that targeted Culinary leadership. This is bad for Bernie and bad for the left more generally.

thenevadaindependent.com/article/culina…