What does “back to the future” mean?
The phrase “Back to the Future (Not the Movie)” is a powerful and evocative statement that speaks to a profound human desire – the yearning to return to a perceived “better” time, but with the crucial caveat that it’s not merely a nostalgic fantasy or a superficial imitation. It represents a deeper, more nuanced longing for a return to fundamental values, principles, or ways of life that have been lost or diminished in the relentless march of progress. This concept taps into anxieties about modernity, technological advancement, and the erosion of community and connection. It suggests a desire to recapture something essential from the past, not as a literal recreation, but as a source of wisdom and guidance for navigating the complexities of the present and future.
To remind us of what that might mean for unions, check out a guest essay by Erik Loomis in the NYTimes this Labor Day. A clip:
. . . . Despite this assault on their very existence, we have barely heard a peep from unions. Where is organized labor in the public fight to maintain union jobs, stop the stripping of the safety net and lead the fight for democracy? Other than some statements and angry speeches, the movement has been muted.
If the labor movement wants to fight for its survival, it must return to mass mobilization tactics, reminding Americans that their rights come through working together — not through supporting a president who talks about helping American workers while slashing worker safety regulations, supporting tariffs that raise the cost of consumer goods and stripping workers of their legal rights to contracts. . . .
For education unions to follow this good advice, it will require the surgical removal of The Union Reform Network (TURN) cancer that was introduced into AFT by corporate titan, Eli Broad, and AFT’s own corporate collaborator, Adam Urbanski, and which has been inherited and nurtured by the current AFT President, Randi Weingarten.
For a case study of one union becoming the tool of corporate overlords, follow the links:
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