As America enters what is feared to be a long and deep recession, one question is whether we save or let fade our auto industry.

The GOP has long been hostile to the auto industry's unions so any union-busting opportunity not used is a wasted opportunity, in their view: Let 'em crash, millions of jobs lost, so what?

House Republicans sitting in their fantasy world spouting free market bromides are capable of anything.

But does anyone believe that saving the millions of jobs that depend on the domestic auto industry is not in itself sufficient cause to act?

The new Congress and President will act, and Republicans as a Party opposing comprehensive measures will find themselves by the political wayside very quickly.

The economy will be geared toward establishing a middle class and raising families by this new administration.

Health care reform and the whole array of initiatives addressing the concerns of real people will become policy next year, and the Republicans will scream while they lose a generation or two of voters who will see the results.

Cross-posted from the AFL-CIO Now Blog.

Sue Ledbetter, Labor 2008 state director for Wisconsin, reports on a labor council meeting inMilwaukee.

This month, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council’s
monthly delegate meeting featured a special economic forum panel discussion introduced by council Secretary-Treasurer Sheila Cochran: “Wrong Directions for the Economy.”

The first thing that jumps out at you is Mr. Sherk's name.  Is that "Sherk" as in "shirk responsibility"?  Gee.. I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly.  James Sherk in an article at the Heritage Foundation wants to give employees "free choice in the workplace".  Mr Sherk must be a really nice guy.  According to Mr. Sherk:

"Private-sector union membership has fallen over the past generation as many workers have concluded that traditional unions do not meet their needs."

It must have been that revelation that employees had realizing that livable wages, good benefits and safe working conditions just weren't all they were cracked up to be.  So apparently "employees" decided to just scrap the superfulous "add ons".  And here I thought Reagan broke the unions during the air traffic controllers strike.  He then claims that:

"In response, the labor movement is pushing the Employee Free Choice Act. Instead of taking away workers' right to vote on joining a union by secret ballot, Congress should restore employers' and employees' right to explore innovative labor–management relations."