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A Ca DOJ investigation into unfair labor practices, plus a tireless, two-year campaign by workers to organize for better working conditions, has resulted in Santa Monica having the nation's first unionized car wash.
Employees, who previously worked for tips, are now guaranteed minimum wage, hourly breaks, fresh water, and are paid by the hour. Three other local washes are in negotiations with their workers.
The Labor Movement is alive and well in this country, as it continues to make inroads into the service industries.
A poor economy can present an opportunity and an excuse for Capital to exploit Labor, with take-it-or-leave-it jobs, inhumane working conditions, and miserly wages, as in the "Right to Work" (yourself to death for peanuts) states. But not if we have the courage to stand together for workplace justice .
I support the concept of unions, it's a natural right.
I do NOT support unions where they exert monopoly power and are so entrenched politically that they function more as a parasite with the senior leadership tied to the politicians and rampant cronyism. At that point they often don't even benefit the rank and file, just the top.
You know that the plumbers union in Philly has done such things as keep PVC pipe out of the city for decades longer than other places? They also stopped construction on a new "green" building there until they changed the plans because it didn't use conventional plumbing. It now has extra pipes added that don't do anything....which is clear extortion.
In Kansas City up until 10 years ago all household plumbing had to be done by a union plumber or it would be consider not up to code.
If you set up a booth at a Chicago tradeshow, you have to pay an electrician if you want a cord plugged into a socket.
Overt abuse of power by either side of the equation is bad for all but the elite.
Of course you could just wash your own car except there are places in California were I have a tough time finding a place that will let me wash my own car.
Any bets on how long it takes for the car wash to shutdown?
I dunno about that. It's located in the People's Republic of Santa Monica, one of LA's wealthiest, most liberal suburbs. Folks there may go out of their way to patronize a union shop, even if they have to pay a little more.
I support the concept of unions, it's a natural right.
I do NOT support unions where they exert monopoly power and are so entrenched politically that they function more as a parasite with the senior leadership tied to the politicians and rampant cronyism. At that point they often don't even benefit the rank and file, just the top.
You know that the plumbers union in Philly has done such things as keep PVC pipe out of the city for decades longer than other places? They also stopped construction on a new "green" building there until they changed the plans because it didn't use conventional plumbing. It now has extra pipes added that don't do anything....which is clear extortion.
In Kansas City up until 10 years ago all household plumbing had to be done by a union plumber or it would be consider not up to code.
If you set up a booth at a Chicago tradeshow, you have to pay an electrician if you want a cord plugged into a socket.
Overt abuse of power by either side of the equation is bad for all but the elite.
You are right, of course.
But remember, unions are made up of people, and the largest ones, where money and power become concentrated at the top, are subject to the same foibles of human nature as any other type of large, powerful organization. There is nothing about unions that is inherently more corrupt than governments, Wall Street, corporations, mega-churches, etc.
I dunno about that. It's located in the People's Republic of Santa Monica, one of LA's wealthiest, most liberal suburbs. Folks there may go out of their way to patronize a union shop, even if they have to pay a little more.
yes and the quality of life there is healthy...visit South Florida a "right to work state" where mostly illegals get jobs and small businesses have no customer service, or very poor customer service. Most are in Chapter 11 bankruptcy now. "Right to work" is a bogus term.
The quality of life disintegrates, and people with money and education move elsewhere....
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