ORG Blog

As the political season heats up, so too does the rhetoric about who’s right and wrong in headline-making labor-management disputes. Recent among those was coverage of the Machinists strike at a Caterpillar hydraulic parts factory in Joliet, Illinois.

When it comes to labor-management relations, what typically dominates the headlines are the boisterous disagreements, emotional point-counterpoint arguments, and sad economic news of layoffs, lost benefits, even facility closures. And there’s an all too familiar refrain: labor blames management for failed leadership or corporate greed, while management cites excessive labor costs paralyzing the enterprise’s competitive ability.

"Actions speak louder than words.” Whoever was the adage-maker on that one sure had it right! It’s an expression that invariably comes up when labor and management leaders discuss how they should go about articulating their commitment to working  together. The phrase garners knowing nods, agreement all around, “Well of course that’s true” type statements.

How powerful they are. Individual alphabetic letters we put together to form words, some full of promise, others fraught with nuance and innuendo. Simple words when strung together declare war and proclaim peace; foster relationships and tear them apart. Put to paper, they are political manifesto, contracts that bind, poetry and prose. Uttered aloud, they incite riots, inspire greatness, challenge our belief systems in necessary ways. Put to music, they remind us of our allegiances, make our souls sing, our toes tap. We choose them with care and thought, also with reckless disregard.  They are powerful indeed, and often under-estimated.  Here is a case in point.