NALC: Bureaucrats vs. the Rank-and-File

The article on wsws.org critiques the role of Building and Factory Network (BFN) and similar organizations within the labor movement, arguing they serve to suppress genuine worker power and maintain the dominance of the existing union apparatus. The central argument is that these networks, while presenting themselves as advocates for workers, are actually tools used by the established union bureaucracy to prevent the formation of independent, rank-and-file committees. The article contends that these committees are essential for workers to exert real control over their working conditions and wages, free from the constraints and compromises of traditional union leadership. The BFN and similar groups are accused of actively working to prevent workers from organizing independently and challenging the authority of the existing union structure. The author asserts that the existing union structure has become a bureaucratic entity that prioritizes its own survival and interests over the needs of the workers they represent. By co-opting worker activism and channeling it through established channels, these networks ultimately serve to reinforce the power of the union apparatus and prevent the development of a truly democratic and worker-led movement. The author calls for the dismantling of this apparatus and its replacement with rank-and-file committees. find the original article here: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/04/09/uyma-a09.html