Look For The Union Label To Kick Your...

Earlier this morning, the big news was that Somali pirates attacked and hijacked a US-operated container vessel in the Indian Ocean, with 20 crewmen on board. As it turned out, the crew regained control of the ship and put one of the pirates into custody. Go American shipping container crewmen! And, as it turns out, go unions.

...it's important to note that like all the people involved with the safe landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in January, the crew members of the Maersk Alabama are union members. The unions in question are the Seafarers International Union, which represents 12 of the 20-person crew, the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA), and the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P). As former safety chairman of the Airline Pilots Association, Chesley Sullenberger, the hero pilot of Flight 1549, fought to make sure his colleagues got the training they needed to do what he did in January. And as I just heard on Fox News (and confirmed with the SIU), crew members of the Maersk Alabama received anti-piracy training from (where else?) their union.

Surely that message won't get lost on the corporate media, which welcomes advertisers who organize against union membership and anti-busting efforts like the Employee Free Choice Act? Surely the go-America jingoists will point out this key piece of information?