By SY SLAVIN, Ph.D.
At a time when unions are under vicious attacks by the Koch Brothers, reactionary state Republican legislators and greedy employers, it’s opportune to recall Abraham Lincoln’s prophetic message to Congress in 1861. This was Lincoln ‘s message:
Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the
fruit of labor and could never have existed if labor had not first
existed. Labor is superior to capital and deserves the much higher
consideration.
Lincoln’s message is a rallying cry to defeat the union busters. This message should be used as a preface in every union publication.
-- Dr. Slavin, a retired University of Louisville professor, is emeritus director of the Kentucky Labor Institute.