People seemed to have forgotten what things were like before the unions came to power. Ten to twelve hour work days were common and that's six days a week. If you got injured on the job then too bad. A replacement was easy to be had. Unemployment insurance was non existent. And let me list a few of the other benefits we take for granted.
Health insurance
Holidays off
Vacations
An 8 hour work day
A 40 hour work week
Overtime pay
Workers compensation
Better wages for all
All of this was done with the help of unions in America and people had to fight for it both figuratively and literally. Don't believe me? Then just google 'Wobbly' it tells one of the many stories of union protests for better working conditions.
It seems apparent that Governor Walker is going ahead with stripping workers rights so to the folks of Wisconsin I think it's time to strip the governor of his position RECALL HIM!!!
10 comments:
This is something that is REALLY importante for folk's to really look at, especially now. As I've said ... I never been with a union ... but only because many of the job's I worked were non union, and I didnt know much about or keep up with union's, but today I am very supportive of them and try to look at them more, because what America is fixin to go through over the next 5 year's or so is going to really be hard on working and even middle class across the board American's. Not so much for those like myself, because I am self employed and create my own job's basically, nor do I live beyond my mean's, etc. I also only use small inde domestic bank's these day's. But "business" ride's our society across the board, so it affect's my customer's, and of course I will feel an economic pinch as well. Also this is why I been so gung- ho on support for the Democrat Party, not because I think politic's are the answer here alone, because they cant be in this type of system, BUT (and this is a "big" butt) the only reason I have pushed this SO HARD in my earliest posting's, is because frankly between these two polarizing more than ever parties now ... they are simply the (Dem's) "lesser of two evil's" (I use the term "evil" here to express a sour result, not that I believe in thing's like "good and evil" as far as force's and/ or having to do with spirituality, I want to point out) ... I wrote so much of this simply as for who will make the ride smoother as I explained for this transition that will take place over the next decade or more, due to the new emerging market's that has been being constructed over the last 20 year's or so. Also folk's should understand that America WILL NOT get back to what it once was, nor will be No.#1 any longer, but the No.1 thing never bothered me, I actually prefer to be in the back seat for certain reason's of benefit in especially these time's.
Later Guy ....
And what are these spoiled brats doing with all those extra wages? That's right, ivory spoons & Cadillacs while poor Wall Streeters are suffering with one less ivory spoon & Cadillac, leaving them with 6 instead of 7. Heartless.
Unions became their own worst enemy with some of the lunatic contracts they have forced. In many situations, non-union companies can pay better wages and benefits than union scale and still make money because they have flexibility.
It is the inflexibility along with some of the less than democratic methodologies that makes them a laughing stock at best and hated at worst.
That said, they are still the working man's only protection and more or less best friend.
Great list. These are all things that republicans and tea partiers are fighting against.
As you point out, unions have played an important role in our relatively recent past.
You also know one of my sons went to Florida 6 months ago to join the pipe fitters union to ultimately be a welder which he has already had advanced training.
He wanted to join the union period! I have mixed feelings today because I have seen them protect lazy druggie friends of mine too many times. Excellent friends but if you are inadequate you are gone, friend, relative, or whatever.
I hope the Wisconsin state government gets brought to a standstill by thousands of state employees walking off the job.
As of right now, that union-busting law can't get passed because every state Democrat has boycotted the vote; and the vote can't be held unless at least one Democratic legislator is present.
Interesting times.
RC I'm surprised Texas didn't try something like this sooner.
In your case it would be like a supplier dictating the terms of sales to you only they'd be the only game in town.
Randal most teachers I know drive 85 Dodges and the spoons were borrowed from the cafeteria.
BF Not exactly true. Most unions have worked with government and done a far better job at bringing jobs in on time and under budget. And most non union companies don't pay better wages. I've worked for both and I rather be in a union.
Jim There are dogs in every profession. It's up to the employer to weed them out. I know with my union if you get two write ups from an employer the union can either reassign you to a different job or determine you incompetent and kick you out of the union. And yes I've seen it happen.
The benefits of the union is that if you are good at what you do you'll almost always have work and a set pay scale. No need to suck up to a lousy boss to get ahead.
And from what I recall union pipe fitters are some of the highest paid of the trades. Union scale in the south is far less than the north so he'd be a fool not to when a non union company would be paying half that much.
"All of this was done with the help of unions in America and people had to fight for it both figuratively and literally."
Dad went to work in the coal mines when his father was crushed in a rock fall. The company carried my grandfather home and gave him to my grandmother. Dad was the oldest of six kids so he quit school and went into the mines. The year was 1923 and Dad was 13 that year.
Google Lewis Hine and find the photo of several small boys separating slate rock from the coal. Note the big fellow behind them with the big stick in hand. My dad did those boys' job and came home each night bruised across his back and shoulders for missing a piece of rock here and there.
Later, Dad and friends took their fists and changed things. Men like Walker, backed my men like the Koch brothers, are cowards but still dangerous so let's expect the worse.
THE BLOOD OF A MAN FLOWS THROUGH MY VEINS and as you can see, I'm rather proud. The UMW led to the UAW and so on and so on. Without these men and women, as you have said, there would be no middle class. The motto at our place is Vos Populi Vos Dei (the voice of the people is the voice of God). Really like your blog and all the great comments. Cletis
Egregious typo: "backed my men" should read "backed by men".
I was a proud member of a union, open shop but with 98% signed on. The only thing I didn't like was that they protected everyone's job, and not everyone earned their job. If there was some way of having a strong union without letting people feel entitled to their positions by virtue of, ah, showing up (or even not showing up), I think it would be better for all. Including the union members. We must band together for working conditions, fair wages and benefits, but that sense of entitlement weakens our position and demoralizes the workforce.
Mine was, however, a minority position among union members...
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