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In my view some of the posts demeaning unions are so extreme as to validate questioning the character of the poster.
I come from a union family and the history of the US labor movement was a frequent topic at home. Aside from PT jobs in college I have always worked union and so have my brothers (2) but not my sister. I will retire from my union job at the end of the yr. and I have appreciated being an union employee for 35+ yrs. I always accepted paying union dues and considered it a great value.
One of the remarks I read is if corporations are forced to do what they should do willingly they will take off for foreign shores. Well sure, if our gov't. allows them to get away with it--actually they should be severely penalized and their product banned from the US consumer market.
I ask this--in the 20 or so yrs. of union decline has less union members made America a better place in general or for the workers. Are non-union workers more secure. I can assure you class-warfare in the US is alive and growing.
I can also assure you unions are not perfect specimens. However until a better organization comes forth (and labor does need to be organized) or we somehow miraculously eliminate greed and pomposity from the human species I'll be involved with union activity.
Texas is a right to work state and we are booming here....Most manufacturing jobs have moved overseas because of high wages and other restrictions put on them by our federal government.
If the economy keeps slowing down people are gonna get laid off in Texas, too, whether it's in manufacturing or many other types of jobs. Probably Dell will be laying off at it's hq in Austin, if not already.
I worked in a union plant for many years but I never joined and I never needed them. All the union was good for was sticking up for the lazy people who didn't want to work. The last pay raise that company gave was voluntary on the company's behalf, the union didn't even bargain for it. That great union is known as UNITE!, and it stinks. Thankfully they never saw a dime of my money. Every election they would come around with their stickers and tell me who to vote for. I took great pleasure in telling them to shove it!
I can assure you class-warfare in the US is alive and growing.
IQUOTE]
You are certainly right about that ! Evidence some of the post from you"re union bretheren. I have known some pretty staunch union guy's, but I have never met anyone so filled with animosity and disdain for those who are non union as your brother irishtom, I am sure he is not alone, in his us versus them attitude.
I can assure you class-warfare in the US is alive and growing.
IQUOTE]
You are certainly right about that ! Evidence some of the post from you"re union bretheren. I have known some pretty staunch union guy's, but I have never met anyone so filled with animosity and disdain for those who are non union as your brother irishtom, I am sure he is not alone, in his us versus them attitude.
Oh sure Silas. While YOUR posts are just dripping with the milk of human kindness and concern for those who work for a living. I hope that some day that people wise up and realize that, even if they didn't have a union themselves, it was unions keeping the prevailing wage up to a living point for everyone. If a non union shop wanted to hire decent people and the other shops in the area were paying union wages they had to pay similar wages to compete. AMA and similar lobbyist organizations finally were able to pay off enough politicians to make it possible for them to only have to compete with child labor in third world countries now. One thing I wonder. Have you all figured out who is going to buy your products when no one is earning enough money to purchase them? Or are you just going to sell to one another?
As the internationalization of “free" trade seems to be unstoppable we need to really internationalize our UNIONS so workers all over the world are assured of safe working conditions, decent pay and reliable pensions. Where are the wobblies (IWW) when we need them?
BTW - When I was an independent energy contractor I always hired UNION when I needed skilled workers. I could not afford to take the time to train a worker and even a laborer needs training to do their job. Assembling and wiring a small hydro power plant is not a task for amateurs.
As the internationalization of “free" trade seems to be unstoppable we need to really internationalize our UNIONS so workers all over the world are assured of safe working conditions, decent pay and reliable pensions. Where are the wobblies (IWW) when we need them?
I agreee and meetings are taking place right now to try to accomoplish that very thing. Sometimes the American worker is his/her own worst enemy. In an effort to feel that they are "independent and conservative" they play right into the hands of the unscrupulous who want only to manipulate them and use them up and discard them like so many pieces of tissue. They don't know the history of the courage and stamina that it took to form the unions that once provided protection and living wages to those who created our once thriving economy through their hard work. We are rapidly becoming a third world country made up of the very, very wealthy and the poor because of the politicians who sold out to those who care only about accumulation of their personal wealth and through the sheeplike behavior of those who continue to vote against their own best interest because they don't realize how they are being manipulated.
We are rapidly becoming a third world country made up of the very, very wealthy and the poor because of the politicians who sold out to those who care only about accumulation of their personal wealth and through the sheeplike behavior of those who continue to vote against their own best interest because they don't realize how they are being manipulated.
Indeed.
If it keeps going some day people will have had enough and then all Hell will break loose. The conservatives who keep throwing the "laws of economics" at us may some day become familiar with the laws of ballistics. Many are too damned stupid and greedy to realize that a prosperous working class is their ticket to social peace and financial success.
I agreee and meetings are taking place right now to try to accomoplish that very thing. Sometimes the American worker is his/her own worst enemy. In an effort to feel that they are "independent and conservative" they play right into the hands of the unscrupulous who want only to manipulate them and use them up and discard them like so many pieces of tissue. They don't know the history of the courage and stamina that it took to form the unions that once provided protection and living wages to those who created our once thriving economy through their hard work. We are rapidly becoming a third world country made up of the very, very wealthy and the poor because of the politicians who sold out to those who care only about accumulation of their personal wealth and through the sheeplike behavior of those who continue to vote against their own best interest because they don't realize how they are being manipulated.
Third world? A little less drama please, I would question whether you know what a third world country is.
We're becoming third world but yet when new video games come out for playstation 3 people are sleeping in the parking lot for days ahead of time to get it. Get a grip people.
In my view some of the posts demeaning unions are so extreme as to validate questioning the character of the poster.
I come from a union family and the history of the US labor movement was a frequent topic at home. Aside from PT jobs in college I have always worked union and so have my brothers (2) but not my sister. I will retire from my union job at the end of the yr. and I have appreciated being an union employee for 35+ yrs. I always accepted paying union dues and considered it a great value.
One of the remarks I read is if corporations are forced to do what they should do willingly they will take off for foreign shores. Well sure, if our gov't. allows them to get away with it--actually they should be severely penalized and their product banned from the US consumer market.
I ask this--in the 20 or so yrs. of union decline has less union members made America a better place in general or for the workers. Are non-union workers more secure. I can assure you class-warfare in the US is alive and growing.
I can also assure you unions are not perfect specimens. However until a better organization comes forth (and labor does need to be organized) or we somehow miraculously eliminate greed and pomposity from the human species I'll be involved with union activity.
If someone doesn't like there job they can always get another one. Why are people so scared to make there own decisions?
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. The last pay raise that company gave was voluntary on the company's behalf, the union didn't even bargain for it. That great union is known as UNITE!, and it stinks. Thankfully they never saw a dime of my money. Every election they would come around with their stickers and tell me who to vote for. I took great pleasure in telling them to shove it!
