Union Activities v. Send in the Rat! (insurance, live)

[MannheimMadman]

Originally Posted by dewthedru

agreed. the industry i work in used to have a large show at the mccormick but all the vendors were sick of having to pay an electrician a ton of money to change a light bulb in the booth. while i certainly think that unions are a good thing in certain industries, it's a problem when the union forgets that its purpose is to take care of its workers and turns to extorting customers.

Picketing could affect trade show - chicagotribune.com

the places we go to now still often have union members but the cost are more reasonable and you don't have belligerent union bosses walking around with whistles threatening to shut the whole hall down if they see you working on your own backdrop.

Excellent article. Thank you for sharing.

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

I read an op-ed in the Tribune that the countries we have free trade agreements with result in trade surpluses for us. In the book "The World is Flat" a very compelling argument for free trade is made. IMO many think we have true free trade with China, when IMO they are "gaming" their currency to make it unfair. Unions did a lot of good for a wide range of workers. But the pendulum swung too much towards concessions and large contracts for labor at the expense of the company's health. Please let's leave the ridiculous salaries paid executives out of this for now-it's another topic along with the short term mentality of managing for immediate shareholder wealth instead of long term company health & growth. I'm talking about recent auto-worker contracts and some of the arcane union requirements at McCormick place. How many shows need to leave before the unions there moan "Where did all the shows go? We don't have enough work/as much work as we used to. Come back, we'll change-promise!"
Regarding right to work states, larger companies operating in these states have learned if they do not pay a fair/decent wage, offer benefits and have a healthy relationship with their employees the risk of organizing and forming a union is quite real.

I think free trade is one of those things that sounds good in theory, but when it was actually opened up and done, didn't work so well. the problem is that we import way, way too much stuff. Other developing countries like the China's of the world are the ones who benefit greatly. Instead of exporting things like airplanes or stuff that families cannot buy, we ought to be producing all the stuff that we use in day to day life.

I mean, look around you. I bet over half the stuff within arms reach is made in China, Taiwan, or Mexico.

As awesome as becoming a protectionist country sounds, it wouldn't work. It's all about finding that sweet spot. But yeah, the middle class is becoming non existent and income disparity is rapidly rising. We're going to end up like a third world country or places like Brazil, Mexico etc.. in the income distribution chart if things don't change.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by grapico

the world is flat is rather outdated, friedman has several current updates to his theories if you read in the blogosphere. he's a good writer but sometimes a bit one sided (extremely pro u.s./israel)

Ya, time flies. I need to get to the library and read his updates. I did think he was very balanced when he talked about Arab and Palestinian jobs and aspirations.

[MannheimMadman]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

I've never belonged to a union, but I'm wise enough to know that every last benefit that is attached to a job is owed to blood, sweat and tears from organized laborers way back in the day.

I don't know what the hell went wrong with unions in this country, but I suspect organized crime's infiltration explains most of it - the mob never went away, and it never could truly become "legit".

No right-thinking person can hear that it costs $200 to plug in a radio at McCormick Place and think that's OK. It's not sustainable for our regional economy to have a system as corrupt to the bone as we've become. Too many people at the top are skimming from the trough, it's not the average union workers getting rich, it's a much larger/deeper problem of collusion, like Daley trading his dad's blue collar constituency for the support of the Fortune 500 execs.

(Does anyone really think we should have given Boeing $50m to move some corporate jobs here? Free market my keister!)

Bill Clinton will be judged harshly by history for NAFTA, this article is the best summation of where we're at (not good), written before the bubble really burst, it should be required reading for every American IMO:

Today's Immigration Battle: Corporatists vs. Racists (and Labor is Left Behind)

A lot of very decent Americans have been totally schnooked by the whole immigration debate - it's not about culture, about speaking English vs Spanish, etc.

It's about dealing with the fact that people who are here illegally live in constant fear of being deported and can't organize and thus can be treated like cattle by big business.

It's a way to undermine all of those hard-earned benefits organized labor earned.

That's a fascinating read. It pretty much hits dead on with any current problems.

[Chi-town Native]

Regarding free trade, the 800 lb gorillas in the room are:

Health insurance. As long as this needs to be covered by an employer, American companies are at a HUGE competitive disadvantage.

There is no company on earth that can compete successfully with that kind of handicap.

If Chinese corporations were on a level playing field with us, you might be able to say free trade would benefit everyone, but as mentioned above, free trade is a theory, not a reality. Ever since the days of the East India Trading Co. (nice to have the British Empire's military & capital backing your ventures, you know?) free trade has been wishful thinking.

And further to why none of this works for American is we do have minimum wage laws, environmental regulations, etc. The Chinese government is full of idiots, in the sense they have poisoned themselves in their haste to industrialize - the Yellow River is apparently so polluted they can't even irrigate farmland with it.

[AmosBanks]

Originally Posted by grapico

is there a current rat? I'd like to go take a photo of it actually...

The current rat is on Ohio E of Fairbanks in Streeterville. There was a black one this morning on Ontario E of Fairbanks that I saw at 8:30. It was gone by 10:30. The rat stays busy.

[scoop89]

I guess union members think they're still relevant.

[coldwine]

Originally Posted by scoop89

I guess union members think they're still relevant.

It's a very special kind of ignorance. And an overwhelming sense of entitlement.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by coldwine

It's a very special kind of ignorance. And an overwhelming sense of entitlement.

Do you even know anyone in the building trades?

Just when I'm thinking you're OK you go on one of your bigoted anti worker kicks. Are things going so bad you gotta kick blue collar people?

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by scoop89

I guess union members think they're still relevant.

At least as relevant as powerless lickspittles and knee scraping poppinjays. Especially in Chicago.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

At least as relevant as powerless lickspittles and knee scraping poppinjays. Especially in Chicago.

Holy crap. Can you explain what those two terms mean? I sort of have an idea.