I take offense to this statement: "Remember how suppressed workers were before unions came along? The unions leveled the playing field. Unfortunately, over a long period of time the pendulum swung too far. Slowly, businesses and factories closed and jobs left the country."
I live in Flint, MI, where the UAW and GM were both founded. I am UAW member and a disabled GM worker. Is OSHA protection from unsafe working conditions too much too ask for? Several people I worked with are now amputees. The unions got us what little protection we have. Should we really have LESS safety regulations? We have healthcare, however limited our choices are. Should we have no healthcare at all? We got paid overtime for any work beyond 40 hours a week. Should overtime pay be eliminated? We also made enough money to live on. Should wages be slashed to $1 a day to compete with third world countries? Labor costs are a small percentage pf the cost of a new car, or other manufactured goods. U.S. companies say they want cheaper labor but the price of the foreign made crap is the same as U.S. made. They use cheap labor to get higher profits but not lower the prices. The unions have nothing to do with that. It's just a bunch of companiles lusting for money. Don't blame corporate greed on the unions. They couldn't force us to work 7 days a week, just 6. Should they be allowed to make us work EVERY day until we retire? Everyone who works for a living benefits from all the things unions have fought so hard for, whether they belong to a union or not. If we didn't have unions we would be forced to work double shifts every day without even having a minumum wage. It you think I exaggerating you don't know the history of workers rights and what a struggle it was to get anything. People are no longer beaten with clubs for trying to organize a union and get better working conditions. Does anyone honestly believe the old way was better? The pendulum has not swung too far. Corporate greed HAS gone too far. Who deserves to be a multi-billionaire while their underpaid workers are losing their homes?
Jumbo Frank,
I too am a retired GM worker, but from the salaried side. I have to respectfully disagree with you. Now it is the Unions that are greedy and have too much power. I still support the union, but I think they are killing the US Auto industry. And they are spending your dues money to support only the Democrats and positions that the rank and file may not support e.g. 2A no matter what -- I think that is wrong. Having said that I think the union movement has helped everyone. I also think the unions will be part of the solution. I think they now realize that they must help not just confront and demand or there will be no company to fuss at or work for.
Just grousing because GM stock is at a 53 year low. That is not entirely the fault of management. Congress and the unions need to step up and take a share of the blame. The pendulum is due to swing back part of the way.
I'm a Machine operator I've never actualy worked in a union shop, except as a Temp in a shop in Ca. I Have however interviewed at 3 union shops, 2 in Ca. 1 in NH, In all 3 cases the Union shop offered me 25% less in start pay than non union shops were offering with similar Bennies. Add in initiation fees and dues and it amounts to ABOUT 1/2 the hourly wage offered by NON union shops.
Another impression is that unions are divisive influence in what SHOULD be a team . True that management can shuffle paper all day long and accomplish nothing with out the Laborers on the shop floor. But by the same token, Laborers can work all day long and still starve with out management to buy materials sell product and atend to administration.
I had heard this as an Urban Legend type story earlier but as a Temp I actualy SAW this, I was operating a Bridgeport Milling maching tapping some parts, I spilled some tapping fluid which I put speedy Dry on then began sweeping up the speedy dry from MY mess at MY machine, My lead man came to me and said, " What are you doing ? We pay people to sweep the floor." That strikes me as just plain WRONG.
On top of these things, I cannot see the sense in taking below average pay to belong to a devisive group that supports Politicians I oppose.
I understand that Labor needed some form of organization to break the Company store mentalityof some employers. However I would point out that the only reason OUR unions are not out right Communist organizations is because they are more or less controlled by oorganized crime. They seem to have outlived their usefulness and simply become anothermoney making beurocracy with its hand in the working mans pocket.
This is the first time I have been able to present these thoughts to union members, and I am interested in hearing what you both have to say.
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