In this economy everyday should be Labor Day. The lack of attention paid by the media has been disastrous to labor and unions. Agree/Disagree?
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Unions can do a great job ... they can do a disasterous job.
Every industry is open to competition .. especially manufacturing ... multinationalism allows companies to shift operations to wherever the resources they need are available - predominantly labour costs driving US companies to Mexico, China, etc.
The effect overall is that the well paid jobs unions have fought to support disappear complately.
Trunp, like it or not, places import duties on goods, often made in China by/for US companies ... but it is like trying to stop the tide and will eventually fail - not because manufacturers are unwilling to move manufacturing back to the US, but because citizens of the US will continue to vote with wallets for the cheaper imports .... there will not be time to drive through the transition to goods from a high wage higher cost home manufactured economy
ShadowAmicus
Level 8
Sep 3, 2019
1
You are spot on. The media is corporate owned and has an interest in supporting the corporatist agenda. For example, we should be getting constant news about climate catastrophe and how politicians of both parties kowtow to the lobbyists who own them while we suffer calamitous health effects, the deterioration of our ecosystems from fossil fuel extraction and big ag. But that’s not where the current, easy money is made by corporations. Whether it’s renewable energy, thriving unions, a living wage, free college & healthcare, et. al., the mainstream media will never be on the side of the people.
Bobbyzen
Level 8
Sep 2, 2019
3
There has been attention to U ions, how to bust them. NJ actually sent local county governments how to get rid of top pay for county workers It was before 2004, but they took the steps out wher annual increments were eliminated. they did have raises which the union person didnt fight for or even telk the office voting it was eliminated. I could go on a maniacal rant but will save you the bluster. oh and because we work for social services we can't strike. Our contact expired a couple years ago.
gigihein
Level 8
Sep 2, 2019
2
It's not just the media. Instead, it's Republicans who have been gutting unions for decades.
Vote Republicans out of office!
LiterateHiker
Level 9
Sep 2, 2019
4
Somehow they don't want the sheep to have a voice.
Having been a union member for 42 years, I can tell you it's not just the Republicans that have killed the unions. Our own greed and jealousy have contributed in large part, aided by the media and the Republicans. I put the beginning of the end during Reagan's term as president, when the Air Traffic Controllers went on strike. President Reagan bulldozed to Union out the door and the brotherhood of union members? Crickets! No one backed them up, stood besides them and closed up the country (which would have happened in many European countries). The only thing I heard from my fellow transportation union brothers was "they get paid way more than I do, their benefits are much better than ours, why should we care? I'm not going to cancel my vacation to where ever and not fly in protest. Trucking unions didn't refuse to cross picket lines. The only way unions work is with the support of not only all it's members, but of Unionists as a whole. The company I worked for, long before I was there, maybe late 1950's went on strike because their boss refused to accept a legally formed union and bargain in good faith. After long months of trying to get a contract, the Union called for a strike. Not just a general strike! It was honored by Unions throughout the city, trucking unions, postal unions, demonstrations were held, scabs were prevented from going to work at the company, members were beaten by police and spent time in jail (many of them were still working there when I started). They held on and the company was forced to come to the table and bargain in good faith and even when I started in the 70's we were getting good contracts and had good benefits and wages. This is how Unions improve lives of workers, through grit and determination. Most people today are too fearful of losing a few weeks pay, living paycheck to paycheck, to strike for their own benefit, let alone the benefit of workers in other unions, other companies. While I was with the company we went on strike after part of the organization was sold to the a government authority and they were looking to reduce our contract. It wasn't easy and we had little support from the outside, or even many of our members after a couple of weeks, So we settled for far less than we wanted. This is what killed unions. They only work when everyone is prepared to sacrifice to obtain what they want, not because they have any real power besides the power not to work and determination to risk it all to get what they need.
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