Labor News Network?

This week's Sunday New York Times magazine focuses on the activities of innovative labor leader Andrew Stern (head of the S.E.I.U., or the Service Employees International Union). Stern has what seems like some useful ideas for union reform and innovation in the United States. Yet interestingly, he is opposed to the idea - proposed by machinists' union leader Tom Buffenbarger - to set up a cable Labor News Network in the United States. Stern instead wants the union movement to think in global terms, and use the world's media accordingly. A good example of this strategy is found in the case of Sodexho, "a French company that provides all the services necessary to operate corporate buildings, from catering the food to guarding the lobby." As the NYT piece puts it:

In Europe, Sodexho is considered a responsible employer that works with unions and compensates its employees fairly. In the United States and Canada, where the company employs more than 100,000 workers, Sodexho's policy is to discourage its employees from joining unions. As a maneuver to get Sodexho to the bargaining table, last year the S.E.I.U. resorted to taking out ads in French newspapers, shaming the company's executives in their own country, where the idea of scorning unions is considerably less chic. Stern says Sodexho has started negotiating.

Personally I like Stern's approach to using the media better. It's not perfect, but it's much better than plunging hundreds of millions of union members' money into a labor cable network that would be doomed to failure. Prophets of globalization love to tout the wonders of global capital while ignoring or rejecting a more proactive role for labor. I know that corporate global media are quite happy to continue ignoring labor issues, but most labor leaders don't do a thing to change that. Wouldn't it be great if we could have a labor movement that isn't stuck in the 1950s and is actually being smart about using the media. Labor will never achieve parity in the media agenda-setting stakes, but right now it's definitely bush league.