I wanted to take a moment and respond to a letter in the prior Communicator wherein the writer perpetuated a historically false claim in an attempt to fortify their complaints over Randi Weingarten’s book excerpt in the October 2025 Communicator as well as the distribution of her book, Why Do Fascist Fear Teachers? to Delegates at this year’s Convention. Knowing of its recent publication, I can personally say I appreciated receiving it and look forward to reading it because the topic coincides with my long-time personal interests.

The writer started with a foundational claim which has been widely circulated in right-wing and far-right circles for years and which was widely popularized by the deceased radio host, Rush Limbaugh. In an effort to differentiate themselves from the political formations which promoted ideals which closely resemble or are the same as those which they promote, far right radio hosts, authors, podcasters and “influencers” continue to make the claim that the fascist governments of Germany and Italy were, paradoxically, “socialist.” The source of this falsehood is in the official name of the ruling German fascist party from 1933 through 1945 — the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. Anyone familiar with history knows National Socialism was developed in direct opposition to Socialism. To Nazis, “socialism” was a non-egalitarian chauvinistic premise which prioritized a nationalized race-based hierarchy over culturally and religiously diverse international cooperation or integration. In fact, Adolf Hitler went so far as to claim Marxists had stolen the term and he was taking it back.

If we further deconstruct the claim of being a “workers’ party,” we will likewise observe that this claim is also false. Nazis economically prioritized capitalists over workers and the letter’s author is correct in the observation the German unions were forcefully destroyed in 1933 when the Nazis seized power. The writer is grossly incorrect with his assertion about the Nazis not fearing unions, however. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the German Trade Union Movement was one of the largest and strongest in the world. Threatened by organized labor, not only did they dissolve unions by decree on May 1, 1933, the Nazi’s Brown Shirts beat members, stole their funds, attacked their meeting halls and much more including sending leadership to concentration camps. To claim the German Labour Front (DAF) was a “government-supported union” is not only a grotesque misrepresentation, is obscures the fact it was the organization which stole those funds, halls, etc. It was the organization put in place to enforce workforce decrees and propaganda when Hitler banned collective bargaining. In my view, actions of this sort most certainly indicate Hitler and his government were afraid of unions. Assaults of this kind wouldn’t have been taken had the Nazis been confident in workers’ acceptance of their economic and political policies. Do not forget they rose to power by exploiting an insecure aristocracy and the wealthy during economically hard times by ensuring their economic position and power. They broke up the unions because they were afraid of a legitimate, principled opposition which stood for working people.

It is my conclusion the writer is ideologically indignant a president of one of our parent unions appeared in the Communicator, doesn’t like her research and the resulting book, and is willing to perpetuate a bald-headed lie in an effort to create and perpetuate toxic divisiveness. Authoritarians like Hitler or authoritarian wannabes do things like issue orders disbanding unions or calling for rival political parties to be declared enemies of the state because they are a direct threat to their quest for enrichment or power. Why try to sweep this historically repeating fact under the rug? Unions provide the working class a voice and strength through unity and trying to divide and isolate us is a tactic our opponents have used time and time again. Read up or take a course on labor organizing like that which is offered by Cornell University, and you too will see repeated use of this tool (the end notes to Weingarten’s book excerpt are an excellent source with which to start). While someone might take exception with something our administration might or might not do, they should voice their argument honestly and without perpetuating an old trope of division with disingenuous intent and factually untrue arguments. I have to ask myself what are they covering up? What lies beneath the surface? Do not submit to such division! While we may not agree on everything, our strength is in our solidarity. Let us never forget.