One on One With Edward Asner
The most effective way to appeal to any worker is to forget waving the flag and make it an issue of dollars and cents, and of being treated with dignity.
Clyde Weiss
Award-winning actor Edward Asner is known to most of us as the crusty but heart-of-gold newsman Lou Grant of the classic, 1970s TV comedy "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." His own show, "Lou Grant," ran from 1977 to 1982. But Asner has done more than become one of America’s best-loved actors. He’s also been a vocal crusader for many causes and has served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild. Asner’s a union man, though that hasn’t always been the case, as he relates in a one-on-one interview with Public Employee.
Born in Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 15, 1929, and raised in Kansas City, Kan., Asner was infused with the middle-class values of his times. He served in the Army Signal Corps from 1951-53, and a Chicago theater is where his professional stage debut took place — in 1953. As his acting career grew, so did his accolades. He’s a recipient of five Golden Globe Awards, seven Emmy Awards and was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ "Hall of Fame" in 1996. Last year, Asner became the 38th recipient of the Screen Actors Guild’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.
You’ve been seen as a labor rights crusader and "celebrity activist considered left of center," to quote one published description. How did you earn this reputation, and is it deserved?
The center keeps shifting, so maybe by the time I’m through with the center shifting, I can be a nihilist. I hope not, because as I understand it, [nihilism] tends to abolish hope.
But what about your reputation as an activist?
I tend to regard it as poppycock. What I have done is stick the first joint of my toes out, and as a celebrity, I become noticed and attract attention. That’s what I serve as — a lightning rod of name recognition for the great cause of unionism and the unbelievably great people who work to organize and to advance the cause of every man.
Was there anything in your upbringing that predisposed you to become a union supporter?
I was not raised in a socialist family. My father was a businessman, and I didn’t care or think much about unions. I used to rail against John L. Lewis [the founder of the CIO] and his strikes, like every good Kansan did in those days. But [that changed] when I began working at a General Motors plant in Kansas City. It was an open-shop plant, and I felt the brutality visited on weak union members, which we were.
What led you to assume a union leadership role?
I really didn’t want to take a leadership role. I was kind of "ootzed" into it. The first sign of it began when I was working in a union shop at a Ford plant in Chicago. A couple of the black crew members, who had no great awe of me, asked me to run for union office. They probably felt that no black would win, and that through me they could gain some of their objectives.
Did you run?
No. The Korean War was going on at the time, and I was due for the draft. But I took it as a compliment, and I was grateful for their recognition of me as a worthwhile human being. As time went on and I became a dedicated actor, I saw what unions meant in terms of me. Then, somehow, I blundered into becoming president of the Screen Actors Guild.
What public issues are you crusading for these days?
Right now I’m deeply involved with the guild, which has suffered enormously in recent years by the flight to Canada — primarily by the television producers. I’m trying to find some way to bring [the productions] back here — not just for my union, but for all the ancillary unions, such as technicians.
What are some of recent issues that arts unions, such as the guild, have dealt with most effectively?
Although it’s been an inchworm process, I think we’ve made some progress with advancing minorities. Not enough, but we’ve seen a phenomenal revealing of great black and Latino actors. We still fight the battle for women, who — as much as they do appear on screen — are vastly outweighed by men in terms of performance [opportunities].
The retirement of thousands of older union members, as the American workforce ages, raises concerns for the labor movement. What should be done to encourage younger people to join unions?
The most effective way to appeal to any worker is to forget waving the flag and make it an issue of dollars and cents, and of being treated with dignity. It should be pointed out to them what they’re getting where they are, and what they could hope to get if they unionized.
Many of our current union leaders — at the national and local level — are approaching retirement. Do you have any tips for preparing younger members for leadership?
The wise union president must fight against the temptation to reward the "Old Guard" and must constantly seek out the younger blood.
Many cities are debating whether to pass "living wage" laws to improve the pay of low-paid workers. How do you view the issue?
I fully believe in the living wage. It’s a hot item on the West Coast. The threat [from business owners] is always, "We’ll go to Arizona," or somewhere else. In the end, I think a lot of the people who make money here like living in this city and find that they’re not driven into bankruptcy by paying decent, living wages.
Any other issue you would like to address with our members?
One other thing I want to rail about is the war on drugs. It would be lovely to see unions taking a stand against sucking us into yet another engagement in Colombia, where we have nothing but losses in the drug war. The dose of salts this country needs to take in terms of re-addressing the drug problem is enormous, but I sure would like to see unions get involved there.
