Shocked and Appalled?

"Carole James is selling out the Labour Movement in British Columbia! Labour was a founding partner in the NDP, and we were the ones doing most of the fighting back against Gordon Campbell over the past four years!"

I'm hoping to hear those words, or at least similar ones, out of the mouth of a Jim Sinclair, Barry O'Neil, George Heyman, Debra McPherson, or any prominent labour leader in B.C. As it stands now, Labour is solidly behind the NDP, and unions like CUPE B.C. backed Carole James' leadership bid knowing full well she would be looking to steer the party towards the centre.

It doesn't appear that any of the leadership within the labour movement has a problem with that - a number of unions have at one time or another advocated a sit-down with the business community and the government to review the Labour Code. This position would differ from the BC Liberals, who believe BC workers shouldn't be shown to the table, they should be shown the door.

Still, if someone were to at least give the impression of some kind of betrayal, it would make the NDP's move towards the centre much more visible, and ultimately make the party that much more electable with swing voters who mistakenly shiver whenever the mainstream media raises the spectre of 'Big Labour'. The end justifies the means: a government that regards labour as a legitimate actor in BC's economy and the formulation of public policy. The other positive for Labour is that it's a subtle means to remind Carole James and the NDP about who their base is, in case they're planning to move from the centre into 'Ujjal' territory...

If you're the President of one of this province's larger unions and reading this article, why not take this opportunity and help yourself to a little outrage? Do you really want to wait for post-election consultation on automatic certification, or 12-year olds in the workplace? What's the worst that could happen, getting the NDP elected?