I have visited Santorini on a number of occasions and have even worked a summer there. But I have been on the island in the winter only twice. On my second winter visit last month I enjoyed the quiet and serenity that is only available this time of year when the crowds and most tourists have departed.  Walking along the seaside in Kamari, you see the empty shops, many boarded up against the elements, lights wrapped with plastic to protect from rust leaves blown along with plastic refuse on to the spaces where in the height of summer, chairs, tables and people sit socializing eating and drinking. However, now there is loneliness and an atmosphere of abandonment.  There are on this long seaside walkway maybe a total of three places open.  A few more were open for the winter but closed to celebrate the Christmas holidays.

Over the last few years there appear to be a growing community of year round residents on the island. Many of these belong to the international community a supportive and helpful community of individuals who have made Santorini their home. Many are entrepreneurs and investors. For example the microbrewery, the first of its kind on the island is up and running and producing specialty beers for a niche market.  The beers are tasty with memorable names:  Red, Yellow and Crazy Donkey. Production and distribution is small so one may have to wait for a visit to Santorini to sample the brew.

Another member of this enterprising community rents her restored 300-year-old holiday villa known as Villa Camari, located in Mesa Gonia, one of Santorini’s traditional villages.

Granted most of the businesses, whether Greek or foreign owned, are geared toward serving the island’s large summer tourist population, however, I think it is safe to say that the variety of enterprises and the internationals just add spice to the island’s attractions.

Photo: Gravalos, Santorini (cropped)

From the east coast to the west coast men and women agitated, protested and demonstrated for these rights. They understood the power in numbers and unity and therefore pushed for union representation demanding the right to organize and bargain collectively. There were some courageous individuals who risked beatings, jail and even death in their campaign to organize workers. People like Eugene Debs, Mother Jones, Bill Hayward. Then these individuals were fighting corrupted politicians and the “Robber Barons”, some of the most influential and wealthy industrialists of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. These industrialists gained much of their wealth through the exploitation of their workers.

Beginning in the early 1900’s the United States saw an increase in unions and union membership in both public and private sectors.  However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, private sector unionization peaked in 1958 at 30% and has continued to fall to where it is today which is below 12%. The story is different for the public sector where there has been small but steady increases in union membership until 2010 when union membership dropped from 37.4% to 36.2%.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics explains the drop in part by, the economic crisis resulting in lay-offs and plant closings, particularly in areas with strong union membership like, manufacturing, construction, education and government.

Barry T. Hirsch, a labor economist at Georgia State University, said that companies have grown more ideologically opposed to unions and are more aggressive about resisting organizing drives. This resistance is based in part on the fact that workers in unionized companies have better benefits and higher wages, which of course will decrease profits. Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric back in the 1990s said “Why am I paying $25.00 an hour for an American worker, when I can hire a well educated, Indian worker in India, that speaks perfect English, for only $3.00 an hour!”  He went on to say, “if I could, I would build all of my factories on barges.  That way, I could move them to wherever there was the cheapest available labor.”

I believe that one reason the middle class in America grew was due in large part to the growth of unions and the accompanying increases in wage and benefits resulting in worker security and safety.

The current attacks on unions are related to the two “Ps” profits and politics. The two work in concert. Historically, unions have been strong supporters of the Democratic Party.  They have been major financial contributors to Democratic candidates and during elections are renowned for being able to put troops on the ground to get out the vote. This union power is something the Republican Party wants to destroy and after the mid-term elections of 2010 it became a goal and the state of Wisconsin became the launching pad. The move did not go as planned and has set off a firestorm of resistance and angry. The eventual outcome is uncertain, but battle line has been drawn. Unions and workers are united in fighting to protect their rights and are striking back at the people geared toward their destruction.