Published May 15th, 2025
Socially Engaged Poetry Contest #12 – First Place
by Gary Beck
It's not as dangerous
confronting the bosses
as it used to be.
They don't use goons lately
the way they used to
to break up strikes,
intimidate workers,
the rough guys who cracked heads
when they caught you
on the way home from work,
or vicious scabs
attacking the picket line.
It's more difficult today
to convince young people
the bosses aren't their friends.
They take for granted
the places they shop online,
the places they buy coffee
are benevolent
even though they give
as little as possible
to their workers.
I try to tell the kids
their only protection
from arbitrary firing
is joining the union.
A lot of them are afraid
if they join the union
the boss will fire them
and they need the job
to support their families.
The company stooge
tells them the union dues
are a wasted expense
because the company
will take care of them.
I try to tell the kids
the company can change
how they treat their workers
if they start to lose profits
and the jobs they need
can quickly disappear,
but they don't listen,
much too insecure
to risk losing their jobs.
I won't stop trying
to organize the youngsters
for their own good,
but it's not like the old days
when all the workers knew
the bosses weren't their friends,
so if they wanted a fair chance
to get a fair deal
they'd negotiate, strike,
fight for the right
for better conditions.
The mega corporations
are so big, so rich,
they just move on
if there are too many demands
and we take for granted
that they mean well
as they fool us
into believing
that they care about us,
though they pay minimum wages
and don't pay taxes,
almost sovereign states
usurping the power
of elected government
and discouraging workers
from joining a union.
About the Poet
Gary Beck resides in New York, New York, United States.
Read the poet's biography on Gary Beck's Artist Page.
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Duality of Montreal
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