Unions: Is this time and money well spent?

[CrusaderFrank]

Building Management at the Chanin Building decided, once again, to go with non-Union labor for some small projects. The last few days I've had to pass the 12 foot tall inflatable rat. This morning was a special treat, 10 men were chanting and blowing whistles and playing loud music supporting the Union and their right to protest and complain

So instead of getting out there looking for new business and impressing potential clients with the sense of duty and work ethic that you find in Union employees, the Union is PAYING people to fuck off and protest.

Is this time and money well spent? The Union is free to spend their dues however they want, that's their business. However, instead of protesting it might have been better if these 10 guys went canvassing for new clients.

 

[Bill Angel]

Seemed appropriate to mention this at the start of the Labor Day weekend. This large inflatable "fat-cat" squeezing the life out a worker is being displayed across the street from a downtown building construction site by the Baltimore Metropolitan Regional Council of Carpenters. They are protesting against the use of non union workers at the site by a construction company that does so in order to avoid paying payroll taxes and overtime labor rates. This same worker organization had earlier displayed the inflatable rat sculpture that you had mentioned.

Psychological Warfare (Part 2)

Hmm..I smell a Rat​

 

[MikeK]

The bottom line of any pro-union vs anti-union discussion is, while unions are far from perfect entities, ultimately they are extremely beneficial for workers. The Union Movement was a critical factor in the rise of the American Middle Class. Without it the U.S. would still be a two-class society consisting of the rich and the obedient, groveling poor, working long, hard hours just to maintain a low living standard.

Opponents of unions are typically too young to remember what America was like before the union movement and how dramatically it changed the quality of life for the working class. It is very rare to hear a mature American speak against unions.

Those who are receptive to anti-union propaganda need to be reminded that were it not for unions there would be no 40-hour work week, no paid vacations, no worker safety standards, no minimum wage, no worker protections of any kind,

The following movies are educational, entertaining -- and important.


Harlan County USA
Norma Rae
The Molly McGuires
On The Waterfront
Metewan
Hoffa

 

[Mac1958]

.

The problem with the union issue is that it has become politicized. And when that happens, everything becomes dumbed down, simplified and binary. And when that happens, virtually nothing of substance can be accomplished.

Change the scope and approach of unions and you'll save them. Keep the collective bargaining for working wages and the ability to maintain and improve workplace safety. Jettison the long-term pension plans that massively increase costs for business and move to 401Ks; get rid of the ridiculous union protection rules that add to inefficiencies, such as only certain people can do this task, or you need three trucks to accomplish what one truck could.

But no, both sides would have to give in with this approach, and we can't have that. Instead, both "sides" continue to play politics as unions crumble and the middle class vanishes. Either unions remain exactly as they are or they disappear. Absurd.

The decay continues. A pox on both houses. Partisans need to find a new fucking hobby so the rest of us can try to improve things.

.

 

[MikeK]

.

The problem with the union issue is that it has become politicized. And when that happens, everything becomes dumbed down, simplified and binary. And when that happens, virtually nothing of substance can be accomplished.

Change the scope and approach of unions and you'll save them. Keep the collective bargaining for working wages and the ability to maintain and improve workplace safety. Jettison the long-term pension plans that massively increase costs for business and move to 401Ks; get rid of the ridiculous union protection rules that add to inefficiencies, such as only certain people can do this task, or you need three trucks to accomplish what one truck could.

But no, both sides would have to give in with this approach, and we can't have that. Instead, both "sides" continue to play politics as unions crumble and the middle class vanishes. Either unions remain exactly as they are or they disappear. Absurd.

The decay continues. A pox on both houses. Partisans need to find a new fucking hobby so the rest of us can try to improve things.

.

I am strongly pro-union but I agree with the thrust of your argument. Unions are essential but not perfect. There needs to be some trimming and adjustment to optimize them.

My son-in-law drives an eighteen-wheeler for UPS. He said the shop steward in his local will not support improper performance or unreasonable conduct by members. As a result they have a good relationship with management and there have been zero grievances filed in recent years. When they have a legitimate complaint he brings it to management and it is quickly and quietly resolved.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

I am strongly pro-union

Why would anyone be pro- union when unions are the enemy of America having shipped about 30 million jobs off shore thus all but destroyinig our manufacturing sector and much of the middle class too!!

 

[Mr Natural]

Only in Conservatopia is making less better than making more.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

Only in Conservatopia is making less better than making more.

dear, you don't really make less when your pay is less and prices are less too. Econ 101.

 

[Mr Natural]

dear, you don't really make less when your pay is less and prices are less too. Econ 101.

Less is less. Common sense 101.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

dear, you don't really make less when your pay is less and prices are less too. Econ 101.

Less is less. Common sense 101.

too stupid of course!! lower wages and lower prices don't hurt at all but do give 30 million a chance to get their jobs back!!

 

[Manonthestreet]

Do unions really make more these days...........unions have lost their way....care nothing about who they represent, they just want their cut.....if they were so good and so concerned about the people dont you think they would be growing and not shrinking.

 

[hadit]

Unions are victims of their own success. Virtually everything they campaigned for, such as the 40 hour work week, overtime pay, safety regulations, etc, have been put into law. Unfortunately, they act like it's still 1934. That's why they are increasingly being seen as useless, behind the times, and an arm of the DNC. They need to adapt and deal with the world the way it is today. Focus on making the Union Label mean superior quality and not just higher costs, for example, would go a long way.

 

[Mr Natural]

too stupid of course!! lower wages and lower prices don't hurt at all but do give 30 million a chance to get their jobs back!!

Their low paying, crappy jobs back.

 

[Indeependent]

.

get rid of the ridiculous union protection rules that add to inefficiencies, such as only certain people can do this task, or you need three trucks to accomplish what one truck could.

You have obviously never worked in IT in a private corporation.
This is EXACTLY how corporate America has dumbed down and exhibited their opinion of the worker bee.
I used to work in 10 people shops where each person did everything, projects were completed in under 6 months and team members were paid well.
Today, projects consists of dozens, if not over 100 people, each of whom has their "specialty" and gets crumbs.
It's a joke.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

too stupid of course!! lower wages and lower prices don't hurt at all but do give 30 million a chance to get their jobs back!!

Their low paying, crappy jobs back.

dear, unions jobs were far far better than the low paid service jobs they have now, if they have jobs at all

 

[Indeependent]

too stupid of course!! lower wages and lower prices don't hurt at all but do give 30 million a chance to get their jobs back!!

Their low paying, crappy jobs back.

dear, unions jobs were far far better than the low paid service jobs they have now, if they have jobs at all

Yeah, unions did a lousy job of building the slum called Manhattan.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

.

get rid of the ridiculous union protection rules that add to inefficiencies, such as only certain people can do this task, or you need three trucks to accomplish what one truck could.

You have obviously never worked in IT in a private corporation.
This is EXACTLY how corporate America has dumbed down and exhibited their opinion of the worker bee.
I used to work in 10 people shops where each person did everything, projects were completed in under 6 months and team members were paid well.
Today, projects consists of dozens, if not over 100 people, each of whom has their "specialty" and gets crumbs.
It's a joke.

the beauty of capitalism is that you must offer the best jobs and best products just to survive!!

 

[Indeependent]

.

get rid of the ridiculous union protection rules that add to inefficiencies, such as only certain people can do this task, or you need three trucks to accomplish what one truck could.

You have obviously never worked in IT in a private corporation.
This is EXACTLY how corporate America has dumbed down and exhibited their opinion of the worker bee.
I used to work in 10 people shops where each person did everything, projects were completed in under 6 months and team members were paid well.
Today, projects consists of dozens, if not over 100 people, each of whom has their "specialty" and gets crumbs.
It's a joke.

the beauty of capitalism is that you must offer the best jobs and best products just to survive!!

The beauty of the Stock Market is that all you have to do is meet a mathematical formula before the Quarter ends.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

too stupid of course!! lower wages and lower prices don't hurt at all but do give 30 million a chance to get their jobs back!!

Their low paying, crappy jobs back.

dear, unions jobs were far far better than the low paid service jobs they have now, if they have jobs at all

Yeah, unions did a lousy job of building the slum called Manhattan.

what?? Unions shipped 30 million jobs offshore and destroyed our middle class so should be made illegal and declared treasonous!!

 

[Moonglow]

Damn those police unions...

Unions are victims of their own success. Virtually everything they campaigned for, such as the 40 hour work week, overtime pay, safety regulations, etc, have been put into law. Unfortunately, they act like it's still 1934. That's why they are increasingly being seen as useless, behind the times, and an arm of the DNC. They need to adapt and deal with the world the way it is today. Focus on making the Union Label mean superior quality and not just higher costs, for example, would go a long way.