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Bruce! Rarely seen these days, but well worth the wait. The best explanation of the union situation that I have read so far.

Yep. Well said Bruce.

Big Business, a Tea Partier and Organized Labor are sitting around a table. A dozen cookies arrive on a plate. Big Business takes 11 of them and says to the Tea Partier, "Pssst! That union guy is trying to steal your cookie!"

Oh that's fucking brilliant! I love it.

I have been a trade unionist all my working life, I have also been a local and branch rep although these days I'm only an active member.
I've worked in jobs that have had no union representation and jobs that have, and have been a member of three unions and can say any employment without there being union involvement has always been worse for terms and conditions and mangement attitude towards it's workforce.
A union is only as good as it's members, people talk about the union this and the union that but forget that it's not a seperate entity, it's a collective of members and to get the most out of any union you must participate to an extent.
It's no good paying your subs and then moaning "What has the Union done for me".
If you're not happy about something attend meetings,speak up get involved
People that say unions are dead are talking crap, there's more need now for unions than at any time in the last 30 years the way the powers that be have fucked up and governments and employers are looking to strip working people of gained rights in search of bigger and bigger profits.

"Goodbye unions. Goodbye democracy. Welcome your new money-class overlords".

Now that's a quote
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Goodbye Unions! you should have died a long time ago.

Such a small percent of the work force should not get benefits that the rest of the country has to pay out the ass for... sorry. Pay up.

Oh that brought a tear to my eye. Love the Internationale.


Can't have a discussion on unions and not throw in a little Bragg though right?

Between the Wars a mid-80s song that seems truly prophetic now.



And of course: There is Power in a Union:

I was leary of the unions in the UK. I grew up with strikes left, right, and center that affected my everyday life when I had done nothing wrong. I never needed one, I felt they had too much power and made the mine situation worse. But they had made sure there was a minimum wage law which was easily enforced with no fear of reprisal from employees. Here in the US, I cannot believe the shit bosses get away with and the crap workers put up with in fear of losing their livelihood. There are laws, but because employment is at will, employers can fire anyone making a formal complaint for no reason and hope that they're too busy looking for another job and too broke to take it further. Which they usually are.

I would not be afraid to make a complaint. I would not be afraid because of my belief in basic worker's rights. That belief was indirectly put there by the unions. They certainly had a place and there was a need for them, I think maybe the day of the old style union is passed, but I think something is needed. Especially here in the US. In the UK, it's is so crowded, it's hard to break the rules without being reported. Here, if a worker is abused in BFE, do they make a noise?

I have seen too much damage caused by unions to think they can help. Like all power organizations they are susceptible and afflicted with corruption. I think they are essentially parasites.

Blame the R's start a thread and whine, but when the D's do a similar thing ...
nary a peep.

Link

Where is your outrage?

As are the business school graduates who make those unions necessary.

Just to be clear, as I understand it, the MA law is limited to bargaining rights for health care benefits unlike WI, which limits bargaining rights for health care, pensions, wages and also requires annual recertification as opposed to recertification each time the contract is renewed (3-5 years).

Given that it does it does not gut the unions to the same extent as WI, I'm disappointed but not outraged. I think I said earlier that unions have overreached and needed to reform and accept some benefit reductions.

To expand on the above.

The provision of the WI law that change the recertification process, and by the very nature of recertification, the voluntary check-off process for political contributions, was not fiscal, but purely political.

The Republican Senate leader said as much:

"If we win this battle, and the money is not there under the auspices of the unions, certainly what you’re going to find is President Obama is going to have a much difficult, much more difficult time getting elected and winning the state of Wisconsin."

Yes, there is a difference between the MA and WI actions so No, I am not as outraged.