By Doug Cunningham

Have unions become too much like the corporations whose workers they represent? Jim Smith, a labor activist and writer with L.A. Labor News, believes they have - with top down control , highly paid union executives
and little real input from the rank and file.

"Many of the people that unions want to organize work for corporations. And there's no reason why these workers would want to join another corporation where they're at the bottom and they don't have anything to say. They need an organization that they're willing to fight for. People used to fight and die for unions back in the thirties in this country and earlier. But you won't find anybody fighting and dying for the AFL-CIO today I'm afraid."

Smith says the Democratic Party doesn't serve the interests of American workers.

"My advice to labor would be to run, not walk out of the Democratic Party. What labor really needs is to re-instill class consciousness."

Smith says here's the most important thing labor needs.
"What's really needed in the labor movement today is a broad expansion of democracy. And this is needed because people need to be attracted to unions."