There are several threads going on right now discussing Unions. The question is if unions are good or bad. How about a little union strong arming directly from union mouths. How about thug mentality written right into union contract.
The popular myth is that unions are about protecting the workers when the real reason unions exist is for profit and money. The more members they have, the more they make in the way of dues.
This is an excerpt from a standard CWA contract, Article 33, page 118. Read it very carefully. You do NOT have to sign up, join the union and be a card carrying member. But if you want to work you better pay the union its dues regardless if you are a "member" or not.
Tell me how do you fail to "voluntarily" acquire anything?
http://files.cwa-union.org/CwaNet/CWAContractAllAgreements.pdf
15 B. For the purposes of this Section, “membership in good standing in the
16 Union” shall consist of payment by the employee of dues (as described
17 herein) for each calendar month not later than the last day of the second
18 following calendar month, as may be levied in accordance with
19 procedures set forth in the UnionÂ’s Constitution. Each employee of the
20 Company covered by this Agreement who fails to voluntarily acquire or
21 maintain membership in the Union shall be required, as a condition of
22 employment, beginning sixty (60) days after the effective date of this
23 Agreement or sixty (60) days after the completion of his probationary
24 period, whichever is later, to pay the Union each month a service charge
25 as a contribution for the administration of the Agreement and the
26 representation of such employee. The service charge for the first month
27 shall be in an amount equal to the UnionÂ’s regular and usual monthly
28 dues, and for each month thereafter in an amount equal to the regular and
29 usual monthly dues uniformly required as a condition of acquiring or
30 retaining membership.
Now why is that? If you have the free choice to NOT belong to the union as a member why would you have to pay the union its dues? Being a member of a union has no bearing if you are hired by a company or not. But if you want to keep your job you have to pay.
The fact is that if you do not pay the union its dues they can force an employer to terminate your job in accordance with the union contract the employer holds. The other option the unions have to acquire its dues is to sue the non member for the dues they believe the non member owes them.
To me unions are nothing but Racketeering, Blackmail and Extortion.
How strong is the desire of American workers to have a union? To join a union?
Results of a recent Rasmussen poll found that 9% of nonunion workers were interested in joining a union. For public school grads, that means that 91% have no such interest. In fact, maybe that means that 9% are public school grads who didnÂ’t learn to read on their own. (
Just 9% of Non-Union Workers Want to Join Union - Rasmussen Reports)
Rasmussen found that even workers in companies who were in danger of losing their jobs, it was still only 9%. What do the 91% know about union membership that the 9% donÂ’t? One can only conjecture.
As to your point about unions' concern for the worker:
"...instead of improving workers’ benefits, unions have become political action committees: take money from workers to give to politicians to help them get elected, and then politicians pass laws that make ‘capitalism’ moot. SEIU President Andy Stern: “We spent a fortune t elect Barack Obama- $60.7 million, to be exact- and we’re proud of it.”
“After unions spent more than $400 million on the election and mounted massive voter-turnout efforts for Mr. Obama, they're inclined to push for bringing the Employee Free Choice Act up for a vote early next year, believing they have a narrow window to get it passed.”
Labor Wants Obama to Take on Big Fight - WSJ.com
BTW, while lobbying for the EFCA, the SEIU fired 75 of its 220 employees, ‘cause, you know, they needed that $60 million for Obama, so the employees filed an NLRB unfair practices suit. (
NATIONAL BRIEFING | LABOR; Union Is Accused of Violations - New York Times)
This is what Andy Stern, SEIU president said: “This is not a financial issue. We need to respond to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity our members created by helping elect President Obama.” Once again, why join a union?