Unions a big part of the problem
 

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I have never been a big fan of unions as they exist today. They play at acting like they are working for the individual worker, when in actuality, they are in it for the money and power themselves. The "Mob" was heavily involved with many of them during the Great Depression and are probably heavily involved now, just in a quieter manner. They use scare tactics to force workers to join and eventually ruin businesses. They basically take control of a business away from the owners. Unions are not helping the economy today, they are an impediment to its recovery.

It's stories like this that make me glad to live in Wisconsin. It may not be popular but what Govenor Walker is doing is great for the state. Unions are simply not needed.

My wife has been receiving mailings from SEUI every month, for quite sometime and she is not a union member..........but the hospital she works at has a Union and some people belong.


The problem with Unions is not the members, it is the people who run the unions. The Teamsters and the Central States Pension Fund did wonderful things with their members dues and pension proceeds. All it takes to gets non-union employees on a Union Job around here is padding the palm of Union, State and City Officials.

Big Business moved out of the country to China and Mexico because those people that represent us in Washington, DC made it advantageous for US Companies to move their facilities outside the US through Tax Incentives, Subsidies, Regulation and Tariffs.

The EPA is notorious for making domestic production non-profitable and not cost effective. Because of the EPA strong arm tactics anything that has some environmental hazard involved is sent elsewhere to produce. The EPA is now inching its way into your home and making it unaffordable to work on homes of a certain age.

Home Depot and Lowe's are allowed to be a wholesale distributor, while also providing service/installation for the same products. 20-30 years ago that would not have been allowed to happen. Why aren't the Unions picketing HD and Lowe's?

Big companies like GE see the US Economy has limited growth potential and see that countries like China and India are an untapped so they are moving their resources in that direction.


There are so many directions to point blame, but I don't have enough fingers on my hands and feet to accomplish the task.

IMRE, the problem with unions is not the unions themselves but many of their members and their stewards.

YMMV.

I agree. My father was a master carpenter and a member of the capenter's union for over 30 years. The union had training and certification programs, job placement programs, offered its members reduced rate access to excellent health care, offered a retirement fund and reduced rate group life insurance, offered legal services against unfair employer labor practices or for member's disability claims, etc. My father grew up through the 20s and 30s in the farm country of Texas and California, and experienced life without unions - he was a staunch union advocate and reflected the same POV stated by Sigaba.

Richard :munchin

That's exactly why Mississippi has "The right to work act"you don't have to join the union if you don't want to..............:rolleyes:

Big Teddy :munchin

There is a world of difference between the trade unions and the rest of the unions even today.

The trade unions have many flaws. Some of them in my area are hard to get into if you are the wrong ethnic group. And they have some really stupid rules. But having said all that, they provided some really valuable services even for the consumers.

At least in my area, if someone is a union journeyman, you know they are qualified to do the job. Most of the best tradesman that I know are either ex-military or trade union (although to be fair, the absolute best tradesman that I have ever worked with is neither).

This is because for all there flaws trade unions at least work to make sure that they have an educated work force. And any one in the trades knows how hard it is to get a trades person who knows their trade these days. Thus, for all they demand in wages and stupid rules at least they give something back in the form a skilled work force.

My union does not do anything in terms of quality control. As such, we are deservedly known as a bunch of losers.

Take a look at General Motors and Chrysler Corp. Obama and the UAW fXXked bond holders out of billions of dollars and gave ownership of these companies to the Unions. The unions can bite me. The inmates are running the asylum...

TANSTAAFL.

Dues and benefits increase the cost of production.

Workers make more money (and benefits) in the short term, but eventually, the company, which exists to maximize profits, finds it more advantageous to ship the jobs where the labor costs are lower (right to work states, non-union states, or overseas), or they go out of business as competitors lower their own costs.

You want a minimum wage increase? Feels good, right? Wins lots of votes. Guess what. Everything made by minimum wage workers now costs more, and businesses will generally seek to reduce labor costs by eliminating positions and raising prices. That increases unemployment and creates inflation.

Higher wages kill the goose laying the golden eggs. This was all ECON 101 when I was in school many years ago. Businesses are generally not charities. Darwin rules.

And sadly, public employee unions are the worst of the lot.

The EPA, while initially doing some good work, has ended more jobs in this country than people would imagine and is ranging far afield in search of new targets.

TR

There are NO Wheels for Aircraft Forged in this Country today!! They may be "Finished" here, but the alloy casting and subsequent forging is done o-conus!! Just like EVERY air compressor for sale today, the cylinders and other "cast/forged pieces are not made in the USA!!! You can Thank/Damn the EPA for this!! I would think that eventually someone/some group, would look at Motor-City Detoilet and ask WTF!!!

Take care!
Martin

Yeah, I remember when my Mom used to send me down to Mr Kara's Market with a $1 and I'd come back with 5 bags of potatoes, 2 loaves of bread, 3 bottles of milk, a hunk of cheese, a box of tea bags, the latest Fantastic Four comic, and a dozen eggs. You can't do that now, though...too many security cameras.

And so it goes...;)

Richard :munchin

Worked at US Steel in Gary Indiana in the late 60's during the summer. The numerous unions put everyone out of work and almost closed the Mill...couldn't change a light bulb..had to call an electrician....
The real problem was the huge wage for no skills...and the way they protected loafers, drunks, druggies from being fired.
The older guys 50ish would put in a good days work, the younger folks (my age today) would find a hide site to sleep for 8 hours and bitch about their benefits.
If you ever wanted to get your head cracked wide open go up against the Union in that town in those days.....just a reversal of roles from robber barons to robber unions.