Unions

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair is a classic book. Right up until the very end, it is a compelling story. If you stop reading right before the whole socialist/communist indoctrination at the end, it’s a great book.

More importantly it was a call for change and reform. Health standards at meat packing plants were absolutely abysmal. The only thing worse than the ‘food’ that they were producing was the horrid conditions that the workers were enduring. Child labor was rampant Something had to change. And it did. Conditions improved for the workers and the consumers both.

It was during this crucial time in American history that unions really sprang up with force and gained in popularity. Saul Alinsky and others taught workers how to organize and how to fight for basic improvements in working conditions. Union memberships increased and filled union coffers. Things changed and conditions improved.

As they did, there was a problem. Workers were content. If you are banking on discontent and abuse, peace and stability become a real issue. Instead of cutting back union dues and gradually fading the unions out of existence, they kept fighting for more and more concessions from management. If people aren’t upset, then make them upset, that’s how Alinsky taught labor leaders to hold organizations and therefore power, together.

The system began with extremely wealthy business owners stepping on the health and safety of their customers and employees in order to increase their profits. The government began implementing regulations, the unions negotiated for improved conditions, and gradually things got better. But as they did the union had to keep up pressure on management to make more and more concessions; as if management was drawing from a limitless financial well. The union movement had spread across a good portion of major industries and in some cases even joined ranks to increase the pull across industries. They became powerful. Their demands for basic improvements became demands for extravagant perks. Instead of paid sick leave and a forty hour work week it became full pensions for life, life time guaranteed health insurance, drastic pay increases, and the elimination of merit based pay.

The people that once fed and nurtured the bottom line of the company began to rise up and choke the very company that employed them. The concessions they had won, that were marginally feasible during good years, became a lead weight during tough times. Instead of working for the mutual benefit of the companies that employ them, unions began committing suicide by destroying the very companies they worked for. Instead of shifting focus and looking at the real financial conditions of their employers they became even greedier for power and influence. Instead of lobbying management, they began lobbying the government against their own companies.

I believe now we have come to a new era. A new time of worker organization and cooperation. I believe, for the most part, unions have outlived their usefulness. They benefit workers who fail to perform and they hobble the companies that pay the bills. Across almost every industry union membership is declining and rightfully so. Good workers are against unions because they take dues and offer no real benefit. If anything they are ripe territory for corruption, hurt your chances for advancement, and take away some of the possible perks that could be given to better workers. They tend to be a benefit to the lazy workers, rather than the efficient and more competent employees.

The UAW (United Auto Workers) is a prime example. The employee perks that they gained from GM in their golden days are now forcing the company into bankruptcy. Even in this condition the company has gained little ground against the union. At this point bankruptcy is actually the company’s best option because it will force the UAW to renegotiate.

The American worker is protected. Unions should not be.

You have probably heard of the Employee Free Choice Act or the Card Check Bill as it is also called. It is a last desperate gasp by the unions to expand their memberships. Instead of voting for a union by secret ballot it will allow the union organizers to use a card check method, which is public. This means that union “representatives”, hint : Vito and Tony, approach employees with cards and request that they vote for the union… you know… “like all your coworkers are doing”… “you want to be a team player don’t ya?” It turns a legitimate ballot into a high pressure sale. The real goal is to force Honda and Toyota plants in America into the UAW and finally give Walmart employees enough pressured votes to break the back of the world’s largest retailer.

Unions use to be the protector of the common man. Now they are the crusher of American business.

Oppose card check legislation. Shut down the unions. Let the organizers go to countries where the unions could really help people; like China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and India.