by Ron Kutak, Guild Executive Director

Recently, the Editors Guild Board of Directors organized a phone bank for the gubernatorial recall election on October 7. Its purpose was to alert members about organized labor’s opposition to the recall. Though most people contacted were very happy to hear from fellow union members about this very important election, some objected to “being told how to vote.”

First, we do not endorse the Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Green, Reform or any other political party. However, we do endorse candidates, based solely on their stated labor policies. That is why, for example, the IATSE has endorsed Richard Gephardt in the upcoming presidential campaign. We do not have a foreign or domestic policy, or spend any time discussing these issues (as if anyone would care if we did). We simply look out for labor, nothing more, and nothing less. We are a labor organization, and it is our institutional mandate to represent and advance the interests and well-being of our members. We have a long history in California of working closely with anyone who will help on our issues, regardless of political party affiliation.

Many special interest organizations, including the ACLU, the NRA, and various religious institutions take positions that benefit the group they represent. While many of these groups may attract people who have similar political opinions, that is not why they are there. They participate to advance the “cause” of the group. Similarly, the “cause” of the Editors Guild is to protect and promote labor laws that benefit members. A successful recall and the probable ascendance of a Republican governor was clearly not in the interests of the Editors Guild as a labor organization, and consequently the board voted to contact members in whatever way we could and inform them of this position.

Did every California member of the Editors Guild Board of Directors vote against the recall? I doubt it. As individuals, we are all free to vote as we see fit. But we are connected to the outside world, and to think of our union as apolitical or nonpolitical is really to desire we play no part in issues that affect us and then hope we don’t get hurt. Labor is under attack in Washington, and it would be irresponsible to claim otherwise. We can’t close ranks under a “we don’t get involved in politics” policy when no one else can be expected to advance our cause for us. What we must do is always take the most pragmatic position on issues that affect us with an eye to what we can realistically accomplish.

It is, of course, our hope that since Governor-elect Schwarzenegger knows our industry so well, he will be much more supportive of our issues than his statements and those of his advisors gave us reason to believe during the election. On behalf of Guild members, we will work tirelessly to make sure that labor laws are not eroded in California or nationwide.