In its desperate attempt to bolster its membership, the UAW (United Auto Workers) union continues to use the civil rights movement as a corollary to workers rights to join a labor union. 

The UAW has targeted one of the most sorely contested areas of the nation in the civil rights movement and is depicting the right to unionize as a civil right, drumming up sore wounds of the past in its efforts.  We reported on this in June of this year and apparently the UAW has stepped up its efforts at the Nissan assembly plant in Canton, comparing workers rights to civil rights.  "The civil rights experience was fought on that very ground," Gary Casteel, a top UAW official is quoted to have said by Reuters news service.  "We been saying that worker rights is the civil rights battle of the 21st century," he adds. 

Indeed, anyone who wants to join a labor union should have, and as far we know, does have, the ability, or right, to do so.  But dredging up old wounds to create new ones is not a right that anyone has, at least not in the U.S.

The UAW has clearly targeted the Nissan Canton assembly plant because of the high number of black workers - 70% according to Reuters.  It's efforts to organize the workers by using age old social wounds is despicable and perhaps portends the future of an organization that is so desperate to succeed that it will stoop so low in its tactics to gain new members.