We need to revitalize and strengthen America’s unions. In 1945, more than one-third of all Americans were union. Today, just under 12 percent are.
Our grandparents/parents respected unions, even being non-members! They knew that giving a voice to the employees was key to having an economy that could maximize profit without minimzing people. By forcing employers to bargain fairly with the employees, our elders helped to bid up wages and ensure safe working environments and better treatment for all workers.
The middle class itself is largely the outcome of the pay wages and benefits that the labor movement fought for so valiantly in the 20th century.
The labor movement is not perfect; it had to battle racism and sexism within its ranks. And yet, unions are the backbone of a secure middle class in America and worldwide.
Unions are under attack by the forces that back the 1 percent. Fearing the power of organized labor to counterbalance the power of big money, the 1 percent wants to defund, delegitimize, and destroy the protectors of the working families. The American dream is not that a few of us will get to be rich, but that ALL of us will have a fair portion of the good things in life!
Unions have never stopped the battle for the American dream. They are one key to a thriving middle class.
Don Bevineau
Gilbert
chatmandu002 posted at 3:00 pm on Tue, Jun 5, 2012.
The government has taken over the responsibility of the unions now with minimum wage, OSHA, EEOC and many other government agencies. All the unions offer now is corruption and graft.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 3:11 pm on Tue, Jun 5, 2012.
Hmmmmmmmmmm....."unions are the backbone of a secure middle class".
Autoworkers Unions destroyed the car-making industry in America with their $28 an hour wages, time-and-a-half, double-time and triple-time rules. 6-7 weeks of vacation and 9-11 paid holidays. Obama spent $1Trillion Tax-Payer dollars on the Stimulus to help out ............BANKRUPT = GENERAL MOTORS & CHRYSLER.
Most of the major Airlines have gone either bankrupt or been forced to merge and then furlough or fire thousands and thousands and thousands of .......UNION PILOTS, UNION FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, UNION BAGGAGE , TICKETING & RESERVATION WORKERS (most of who now make 1/2 of what they earned before).
UNIONIZED GOVT WORKERS, POLICE, SHERIFF & FIRE FIGHTERS "PIE-IN-THE-SKY" PENSION PLANS & "CAVIAR" HEALTH CARE BENEFITS = BANKRUPTED CITY BUDGETS ALL ACROSS AMERICA (CALIFORNIA OWES HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THEIR NEARLY BROKE PENSION FUNDS).
TEACHER'S UNIONS HAVE DESTROYED THE EDUCATION BUDGET OF BOTH CITIES AND STATES ALL ACROSS AMERICA. IF NEW TEACHERS WANT TO KNOW WHY THEY AREN'T EARNING "SQUAT"....IT'S BECAUSE THERE IS NO MORE MONEY IN THE KITTY AFTER THE PENSIONS, HEALTH CARE IN PERPETUITIY COSTS TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS. JUST CHECK OUT ALL THE LEXUS'S, VOLVO'S, AUDI'S, AND ACURA'S IN THE SCHOOL EMPLOYEE'S PARKING LOT.
THANKS TO THE UNIONS = 14 MILLION UNEMPLOYEED & EVERY SINGLE INDUSTRY THAT HAD UNIONS IS NOW IN CHINA, MEXICO, INDONESIA, INDIA AND BANGLADESH.
JMJ posted at 3:35 pm on Tue, Jun 5, 2012.
As long as workers remain complacent, we will not have strong unions. Strong unions, such as those back east, have almost 100% participation of employees. There are travesties in that model, as well, since "dead wood" is protected, sometimes. Here in Arizona, it's left up to workers whether they join an association, or not. The associations still meet and confer to uphold all workers' rights, so the complacent, nonparticipants enjoy the very limited and few fruits of the unions' work, anyway. There has to be an awakening of the working, disappearing middle class, but, this is quite the uneducated state. People accept low wages, decide to let others fight their battles, and swallow the union-busting majority hook, line and sinker. It's frustrating. The "unions" out here are all bark and no bite. It's a Catch 22. People ask, quite correctly, "Why join the union, when the legislature just takes away everything it can, anyway?" Well, if you don't join, that will continue to happen. And, if you do join, at least here in this state, there's no guarantee that the legislature won't just keep taking everything away, anyway. People don't realize that if they join together, they can turn over the whole system and take back the fairness that unions try [badly, at this juncture] that workers deserve. The workers that came before us understood that. But, our complacency and egocentrism keeps us from joining to take it back. Oh, wait, I'm talking to the wall, again.
truth posted at 3:41 pm on Tue, Jun 5, 2012.
We keep hearing employers complaining that they can't find trained employees. Unions were the ones who made skilled reliable workers with their apprentice program which required 5 yeare of college training along with on the job training. Leon you talk but no facts what runied companies was CEO perks and expense accounts. I worked for a Fortune 500 company where upper management had 5 jets 24/7 to take upper management where ever they wanted to go for pleasure or business with plenty of cash to make their trips most enjoyable, but when the workers of the company retired they forgot most of their promises and employees left empty handed. Greed of CEO"S destroy companies. Leon would you like employees to have the same coditions that COMMUNIST CHINA employees have 12 hours day 6 days a week for $1.50 a hour?
samkat posted at 5:37 pm on Tue, Jun 5, 2012.
JM: I worked in several union shops and later with the Defense Contracting, we worked in many contractor facilities where there were unions. I have to yet to find one where they did not protect the deadwood. The most vocal members were the ones who did the least work and manipulated the system the most. I cannot say I gained a lot from the unions and I don't know where you get your information about them being associations. I worked in one of the Southern Arizona copper mines in the 1970s and the union decided to strike over two lousy cents per hour in fringe benefits. We were out for 6 months and I managed to find another job before the strike ended. I never looked back.
Then, we have the SEIU that is composed primarily of illegals.
Leon: You must have a better handle on teacher's salaries than I do as my daughter-in-law has a masters degree and has been a teacher for over 25 years. She makes less than $50,000 per year. As far as driving a Lexus, you must really be stretching the limit of your imagination. She has an older Ford Escape.
Maybe you might be better off asking where our tax dollars are going for the charter schools the republicans keep pushing. 'they are cutting that money out of the state public education budget to fund their pet charter school projects. Our public schools are crumbling while the charter schools going up look like mansions. The Tribune did a series of articles a couple of years ago that was very revealing. Its too bad they do not do an update.
JMJ posted at 10:18 pm on Tue, Jun 5, 2012.
I remember the strike when the Copper Mines went out. It was an ugly time in Arizona, and it didn't turn out too great. When my dad went out on strike in Arizona, back in the 70s, it didn't turn out well, either, sad to say, and a family of 7 on $45 strike pay per week did not go far. My dad was never paid well in Arizona after we moved here from back east, in spite of having far more experience than his "supervisor", who was in a union shop but had no experience in his trade. The guy was a shoe salesman, and a friend of the management, and that's when my dad decided to retire, because a shoe salesman was running things. That would have never happened back east.
I did a very short stint in the postal service, and I agree, there was a ton of dead wood, and I didn't stay because I am a worker, and I couldn't stand the slackers.
So, there is good and bad, but having taught in Arizona for a quarter century, being a member of the "association" [it is not a union--right to work state], most other workers did not want to participate because they didn't want to pay dues when the association would go to bat for them, anyway. Why pay dues when someone else is paying them and you just benefit, anyway? Reading and hearing about the "rubber rooms" where teachers just sit on their arses all day reading the paper while the union makes sure they continue to be paid is wrong.
Arizona's "unions"-not, have nowhere near that kind of power. Associations are there to make sure some of the nimrods, the "shoe salesmen", to use the same example, don't railroad the teachers out of their jobs over trumped up charges--which is happening now that teachers have no tenure in this amazingly backward state. Many of the absolute morons who are in supervisory positions in education did not get there through being qualified. They are "appointed" or promoted by their friends, and take the place of qualified workers who might actually get something done to advance education in our state.
How's it working for Arizona with weak "unions"-not. It isn't. Teachers are the most complacent workers there are--they are afraid of everything, and don't join to have their voices heard. It's the state's loss. It's not getting better, here, educationally, it's getting worse.
Abstract01 posted at 11:29 pm on Tue, Jun 5, 2012.
That 100% participation in the eastern states is required for you to even get a job.
I know of a young lady who went to work at a local grocery store. When approached for union dues, not knowing any better, she opted not to participate. She got "dumped on", blamed, accused and in many other ways harassed until she terminated her employment.
You must remember that, like any large corporation, the union is a legal entity that has no moral compass. It acts to justify its existence. It justifies its actions without regard to anything outside its body politic.
Most union members have a heart, and some union leaders (on the lowest levels) have integrity. The rest are bought and paid for, just like most federal politicians.
Bingo6 posted at 2:28 am on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
As of last night the GOP Plutocrats destroyed the working middle class in Wisconsin and now they will just buy the rest of whats left of America off.
The end of our nation is on the horizon and we are all going to be kissing the jack boots of the billionaires, the corporations, and most humiliating of all the Leons of the world.
I never thought that I would live to see the day that hate and nativists right wing extremists would rule us.
The United States is now on the fast track towards third world status with the overwhelming oppressionof our working class as its future. The cororations are celebrating their new Plutocratic nation this day, we are lost.
sockratties posted at 6:43 am on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
Unions were born out of need and continue out of greed. At one time safety was a major issue in the industrial workplace. Miners, loggers, steelworkers, longshoremen, and finally farm workers had to unit to have enough clout to effect the work environment. Their only weapon was the strike. Following safety, child labor, working conditions and wages became issues. Unions were a tool that could be used by labor to improve the lot of the blue collar worker. Government agencies have replaced the union roll of safety monitor and work environment police. Unions have become big business. Labor works for the union now, and the union contracts with industry. Unions have become an expense without a functon. The age of the union has come and gone.
Arizona Willie posted at 7:47 am on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
The Democratic Party has long been promising labor but failing to deliver. This election in Wisconsin the Party did not help at all. Obama wouldn't even make an appearance to try to help. The Democratic Party sat on the sidelines and watched as Capital beat Labor over the head once again. The anti-labor forces put 7 - 1 in resources in the campaigns. They outspent labor by 7 times.
Money winds ... always.
Obama has failed to even try to keep any of the promises he made to organized labor before his election.
The time has come for a Labor Party in the U.S.A.
The Democratic Party is no friend of labor any more.
They take and never produce. There is no difference for organized labor between the two.
Time for labor to tell the Democratic Party where to stick it and form our own political party.
Arizona Willie posted at 7:49 am on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
People who claim government has taken over the role of unions in maintaining safety are drinking the Kool Aid of the 1%.
The Republican Party has gutted all safety laws by refusing to fund anything near adequate enforcement.
They don't care what laws are passed or how many as long as they can stop enforcement funding.
Without enforcement the laws are as worthless as an Obama speech.
Bingo6 posted at 8:21 am on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
do don't just need a labor party we need a labor rebellion, until then we will suffer from the greed and explotation of the extemists from the right.We
VofReason posted at 12:43 pm on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
If unions are such a good idea, why are people opting not to join them? Boy, that must have been those dirty Republicans who made all the jokes about lazy workers must be union. Or this is going to be really expensive, because it has to be union labor. Those must just be misconceptions. Or not. Simple math, GM et al could sell cars for what it cost them to build them becuase of union labor. Therefore, several times over the past decades, the Government had to bail them out. What does that tell you? Does the Government need to force people to pay more for cars so the union guy can make 100K for tightening on hubcaps?
VofReason posted at 12:45 pm on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
Yes, and the people of WI must have been hoodwinked buy those sneaky Republicans. Or, they realized that the current Governor actually brought their debt under control with simple moves like not overpaying and over promising to unions. Hmmmm, what are the odds that this will spread?
fae4now posted at 1:23 pm on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
Willie and Bingo - Sign Me Up!
Chat, I too have been forced to sit through the corporate propaganda films you refer to, suggesting that the business of unions has all been addressed, making them obsolete. Not true.
As a card carrying member of the IBEW for 10 years, serving 5 of those as a shop steward (unpaid) and later a chief steward ( minimal stipend) I had occasion to represent numerous grievances on behalf of our members, officiate up or down strike votes and elections, organize picket lines and assist in preliminary contract negotiations.
A unions' primary function is to represent its membership in matters concerning wages, benefits and working conditions. As a secondary function the union may also represent a member or group of members in a grievance where a perceived contract violation may have occurred. In other words the unions function is relevant and ongoing as watchdogs of the workplace.
In my experience the 'deadwood' workers referred to above most often violated contract terms in the companies' FAVOR. When they went too far and got in trouble with the company they would turn to the union for protection. We were obliged to represent every grievance but baseless grievances were destined to fail. Those failed deadwood grievances were our biggest critics.
More frequently members tolerated company violations and chose not to file grievances for fear of stirring things up. In only limited circumstances were we allowed to act outside of the members request.
This was my experience.
One more thing. Unions must also employ a political arm to lobby lawmakers in favor of legislation that benefits workers and to prevent the stripping of government agencies that protect them.
chuckles3 posted at 2:30 pm on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
If Unions are so great, why does the Government have to prop them up with HUGE numbers of Federal employees in Unions?
If Unions are so great, what happened to the Steel Industry, Car Industry, Manufacturing in General?
If Unions are so great, why do we need a minimum wage? OSHA?
That being said, if you want to be in a Union, go for it. Just don't force others to do the same.
But someone explain to me who Federal Workers are negotiating their benefit with? Management beholden to shareholders to turn a profit? Hardly. Elected and appointed officials with no skin in the game and no fiscal restraints.
Could it be, when given a CHOICE, aka FREEDOM, most hard workers in the modern era realize most companies will do their best to STAY in BUSINESS and treat their workers fairly-so no need for a Union.
GM and Chrysler would have a structured bankruptcy without a bailout...but the Union pensions would have suffered so Obama steps in and throws bankruptcy laws on their head to save Union pensions. As taxpayers we are still on the hook for $20 billion or so. Awesome.
fae4now posted at 4:07 pm on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
Chuckles,
The government doesn't 'prop up' unions, federally or otherwise.
The US Steel industry failed due to arrogance (didn't believe anyone could do it better) and failure to invest in modernization (unlike Germany, Japan, India, Turkey etc)
I grew up south of Chicago not far from the rotting bone yards of the formerly mighty steel mills. You want stories? I have 'em!
You can thank unions for the existence of the minimum wage and OSHA.
While you're at it thank them for the 8 hour day, 5 day/ 40 hour work week, child labor provisions, time off for bereavement, the existence of your vacation time, any paid holidays you enjoy and whatever wage you earn. None of those things are a result of "fairness" from employers. They are a result of union negotiations.
Non union employers followed suit to be competitive in order to attract quality workers.
Management enjoys the same. When union workers get a raise, so does management.
Without unions there would be no American middle class AS YOU HAVE LIVED IT.
You're welcome.
By the way, in union shops men and women receive equal pay.
It is duly noted that just yesterday EVERY single Republican Senator voted AGAINST pay equality for women.
That being said, if you don't enjoy the benefits the labor movement has provided you with, feel free to give them back and pursue slave labor camps in India or China perhaps. " Just don't force others to do the same."
Dale Whiting posted at 6:27 pm on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
Don,
A history lesson. Unions are partly responsible for the rise of a strong middle class. But Management is largely responsible for unions becoming too powerful for their own good. Allowing unions to go over board in union states allowed management to pull up stakes and move to 'right to work' states where union membership was not mandatory.
Too bad we can't get unions to relocate to China!
fae4now posted at 10:20 pm on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
Welcome back Dale. Your absence has been noticed.
Not sure I follow your rationale above. If overboard unions caused companies to move to right to work states wouldn't Arizona be flourishing in industry?
And how would that explain our Governor's recent tax giveaways to business coupled with her European trip to beg for overseas industry to come here?
Abstract01 posted at 10:35 pm on Wed, Jun 6, 2012.
Union members of former decades put their lives and livelihoods on the line to gain all the benefits that are available to today's workers.
Management, investors and politicians are to blame for outdated factories, jobs shifted overseas and every other social ill.
Who gets the credit for productivity?
Arizona Willie posted at 8:12 am on Thu, Jun 7, 2012.
People, generally speaking, want to do a good job. Workers take pride in what they make.
American products developed a reputation for being second class and inferior to imported products not because workers decided to use too little paint on the car or too thin steel so the car rusted quickly --- BUT BECAUSE MANAGEMENT made those decisions.
Bailouts of auto companies were NOT bailouts of the union ... they were bailouts of MANAGEMENT.
MANAGEMENT is where the decisions about the thickness of the steel and paint ( you know they control the thickness right down to counting molecules? ). MANAGEMENT controls the speed of the assembly line to push out more and more product and they don't always give the worker enough time to properly do his job particularly if something goes wrong like a missing nut or crossthreaded bolt.
It was steel mill MANAGEMENT that caused the demise of the steel industry --- not the unionized workers.
Good ol' American GREED has caused profitable companies like Whirlpool, Levi, and Hershey that were making fine profits with organized labor in the U.S. to move their production overseas. Great profit wasn't good enough. They wanted MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE.
sockratties posted at 10:54 am on Sat, Jun 9, 2012.
Dale – How is “Management” responsible for unions becoming powerful? By giving in to blackmail? As far as manufacturing in China is concerned, denial of a global economy would be naive. If Americans didn’t buy stuff made in China companies would contract with companies elsewhere. If American companies could bid lower than Chinese companies American companies would be making stuff here. It’s a matter of cost and profit. Unions will someday come to China and when costs get too high, manufacturing will move to someplace like Africa.
I worked for a company in Bell Gardens, California in the 1960s. Holly Corporation was forced out of business because their products were too costly due to a run-away union. Products were eventually manufactured by Seigler Stove in Indiana and warehoused in California. 1500 people lost their jobs when Holly closed. Could you blame management for these events? I think not. California is a closed-shop state. Employees had to join the union to work there.