Are Anyone Keeping Up With What's Going On In Wisconsin? (Charlotte: unemployment, bankrupt) - City-Data Forum

prwfromnc · 02-18-2011, 12:19 PM

It looks to me that 2011 is shaping up to be the year of massive protests around the world! First it was Tunisia, then it was Egypt, who knows where else it will spread throughout the Middle East, now it's happening in Wisconsin! I don't know the latest right now, but from what I've heard so far is that well over 30,000 protestors have marched onto the state capital to protest proposed legislation aimed at cutting a lot of state employee jobs like teachers and firefighters and also trying to do away with organized labor! My question is this, with what's going on in Wisconsin, could that happen here in North Carolina? Personally I highly doubt it! To me, I think people here too apathetic and lazy to organize anything, let alone get getting more than 30,000 people motivated to march to the state capital in Raleigh! What do y'all think?

Time2Travel · 02-18-2011, 01:06 PM

NC doesn't have a huge union presence (thank god) so no we probably won't have a huge 30,000 person march on Raleigh. Those people marching in Wisconsin are doing so because the state is broke and is trying to get government workers to share in the responsibility of balancing the budget. Everybody wants the budget balanced but nobody wants to pay for it.

prwfromnc · 02-18-2011, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Time2Travel

NC doesn't have a huge union presence (thank god) so no we probably won't have a huge 30,000 person march on Raleigh. Those people marching in Wisconsin are doing so because the state is broke and is trying to get government workers to share in the responsibility of balancing the budget. Everybody wants the budget balanced but nobody wants to pay for it.

What is so evil about unions! To me, unions help level the playing field in terms of making sure employess in the industrial or manufacturing sector have a competitive wage and in turn, offer better healthcare/benefits and good pensions when they retire, what is so wrong with that? My dad reired from a union company and set for life with his benefits!

prwfromnc · 02-18-2011, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prwfromnc

What is so evil about unions! To me, unions help level the playing field in terms of making sure employess in the industrial or manufacturing sector have a competitive wage and in turn, offer better healthcare/benefits and good pensions when they retire, what is so wrong with that? My dad reired from a union company and set for life with his benefits!

I would also like to add that it isn't the unions that are killing businesses, it's greed from upper management and bad trade agreements that are causing our companies to shut down and sending our jobs overseas! I sure wish the place I work for had a union, b/c we the employees are treated like crap and if we had a union in place, things would be different!

topchief1 · 02-18-2011, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prwfromnc

What is so evil about unions! To me, unions help level the playing field in terms of making sure employess in the industrial or manufacturing sector have a competitive wage and in turn, offer better healthcare/benefits and good pensions when they retire, what is so wrong with that? My dad reired from a union company and set for life with his benefits!

I would imagine there is animosity that unions tend to be unwilling to cooperate when times get tough, and refuse to make concessions, but the whole "unions are the downfall of society" thing is coming from a political party that has always been pro big business and against unions because it cuts into corporate profitability, so them complaining about it is nothing new.

zthatzmanz28 · 02-18-2011, 03:28 PM

It ain't the UNIONS...it is government TAKING money from the pockets of everyday folks--and it always seems to be taking from TEACHERS...cut the governor's pay (or is he a zillionare working for free?) and cut the legislature pay and judges pay and every elected offical, put a salary cap on doctors (ROFLMAO) then tell teachers it is their turn. Wisconsin has put an anti-people governor in office--IMHO...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Time2Travel

NC doesn't have a huge union presence (thank god) so no we probably won't have a huge 30,000 person march on Raleigh. Those people marching in Wisconsin are doing so because the state is broke and is trying to get government workers to share in the responsibility of balancing the budget. Everybody wants the budget balanced but nobody wants to pay for it.

So that makes it easier for the governor to take money from folks. Thank-you Gov! I think I managed to save a few hundred dollars from last years salary despite the pay freeze and INCREASE in COL...maybe I should give it up now before I loose another .5%?

Charlotte485 · 02-18-2011, 10:31 PM

I think we have the least amount of Union workers in all the country. Maybe 3% Unionized workers?

I'm not sure, but I remember that was a huge issue (for Union workers, at least) during Charlotte winning the 2012 DNC.

They are going to import Union workers to work in Charlotte during 2012. I don't know why. Nor do I think it's fair.

CarolinaOnMyMind · 02-18-2011, 10:50 PM

Unions have destroyed European economies such as Greece and will bankrupt this country and pick the middle class clean. Nanny states are unsustainable. Our corporate taxes are killing our economic competitiveness. Wake up America!

Charlotte485 · 02-18-2011, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarolinaOnMyMind

Unions have destroyed European economies such as Greece and will bankrupt this country and pick the middle class clean. Nanny states are unsustainable. Our corporate taxes are killing our economic competitiveness. Wake up America!

Is that Political Rhetoric or Do you have any Substantial Quick Facts to back up your claim?

I'm Anti-Union myself. I'm not doubting you or anything, but what nanny states are unsustainable that you speak of? Some European "nanny states" are thriving and have the best lifestyle in the world. Germany's economy grew by nearly 10% last year. Other economies are doing well also.

North Carolina has the lowest amount of Union workers (i believe, or one of the lowest amount) and we have higher unemployment than most states. Also, our state deficit is pretty bad, Education is taking big hits, etc. etc. etc.

I am just wary of jumping on bandwagons. But I do believe Unions are horrible for companies. At least in the airline Industry. Very very much in the airline industry.

box_of_zip_disks · 02-19-2011, 02:06 AM

NC has the lowest union membership because the last time there was a major union push in the Textile Worker's Strike of 1934, governor Ehringhaus mobilized sheriffs and the national guard to occupy the mills and factories and murder the workers. The union organizations from up north weren't expecting the level of violence southern governments were willing to go to (the governor of Georgia went so far as to round up workers and put them in prison camps) and they were stretched thin enough as it was so they essentially abandoned the south.

People involved with the strikes were blacklisted from work entirely and refused to speak about the violence out of fear of further punishment so the incident was largely forgotten over the generations.