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My Point of View by Jennifer Vogt-Erickson

Almost every single political issue comes down to the fulcrum of labor: On one side are those who favor labor rights, and on the other are those who favor weak labor.

Weak labor isn’t something a lot of voters naturally support, especially if they are part of the labor force. They usually don’t want downward pressure on wages or lax safety standards on the job. So how does a party get them to vote for weak labor policies anyway?

A party peels off voters from their best allies by exploiting cultural fractures. There are so many fault lines to choose from, like race, gender/sex, sexuality and religion.

You might have seen a Republican in this column write, “Are you a white guy? You’re part of the oppressive ‘patriarchy.’” This is baloney, and an example of exploiting fractures based on sex.

Anyone, of any sex, can choose to support oppressive patriarchy and the way it strips power from workers. It’s also true that any man can oppose the patriarchal pyramid scheme which benefits the few, and he can support strong labor instead. He is a man who knows his own worth and looks out for others in the most effective way possible.

Recent specific fracture lines include gay marriage, drag queen story hours, abortion, “CRT,” “2A” and immigration. Pretty much every conservative bogeyman — even fake stories of litter boxes in school bathrooms — is a ploy to get people to vote for weak labor policies.

Even abortion comes down to strong labor vs. weak labor. Among women who seek abortions, those who are able to obtain them have better economic outcomes than women who were denied abortions. The divergent effects on their wages last for years, even when women in the first group give birth later. Abortion rights give women economic leverage; abortion bans increase their risk of poverty.

Conservative leaders use the label “pro-life,” but what they value is a cheap supply of labor. It’s even better when the cheap supply of labor reproduces itself.

Do you think that’s unfair? It’s not. It’s the same reason why conservative leaders won’t lift a finger (except to fold their hands in prayer) to reduce gun violence that has become the number one killer of children under 18. They’re looking out for gun industry profits, not workers and not life.

Strong labor means that workers enjoy more of the fruits of their own labor. We had this in the middle of last century when union membership was at its peak and income inequality was at its lowest point. It was a boon for cities like Albert Lea. People remember this era for good wages and major public investments in infrastructure and education that benefited everyone. This fed virtuous cycles and helped create tight family bonds and fond memories.

My childhood was centered in the Reagan era, when weak labor policies gained traction. I didn’t experience my hometowns in northern Minnesota the way that people in their 70s and 80s here talk about Albert Lea during the years they were growing up.

I experienced towns in decline as the federal government disinvested in families and communities. Conservatives actively denigrated public investments like housing and education which benefit the labor force by associating them with tyranny, communism and dependency.

Reagan famously broke the air traffic controller strike in his first year in office, and as the labor movement lost ground, the middle class began its long, painful shrink. We were told that, in direct contradiction to the Bible’s teachings, greed is good, actually. Don’t blame rich people for getting more than their fair share of the benefits of our labor — poverty is the fault of lazy people who don’t want to work.

I grew up among the working poor. People who patch it together for months or years at a time until they catch a break. People who aren’t insulated from misfortune by money and have to rely on their hands, wits and grit to pull through. When a politician refers to them as lazy, I know they are either lying or oblivious, and they favor weak labor. They favor exploitation of workers to benefit those at the top who are hoarding opportunities.

Did you know that rich families reap almost 30% more in government subsidies than the poorest families do? We don’t usually consider things like mortgage tax deductions as welfare benefits, even though they are. Stigmatizing welfare recipients and only applying that label to low-income people supports weak labor policies.

Strong labor builds strong families. Strong labor builds strong communities. Building from the bottom up and middle out builds strong, indomitable democracies.

Vote for the party that favors labor unions and labor rights — the Democratic party. The “L” in DFL stands for labor.

Labor is the central issue of our politics. Vote for strong labor.

Jennifer Vogt-Erickson is a member of the Freeborn County DFL Party.