I find it telling that so many long for the "good old days of the 1950s, and in the next breath decry the existence of organized labor.
Some are too young to remember that in America's glory years our durable goods were 60% union manufactured. Others are simply too ignorant or agenda bent.
Anyone can see the problem with govt employee unions and the disastrous contracts that they negotiated with the govts that employ them.
Government employee, government payroll, government union. What could go wrong?
On the other hand, private business and the business of private employees is and should be market driven.
The fact that we are down to about 8% union employment in durable goods manufacturing is partly due to imported goods which are price supported by offshore governments. The tariffs initiated against this practice is the real news, and the good news today.
John,
When you see people make blanket condemnations on a topic as multiple faceted as unions,
they are making a statement on on their intelligence.
Marge Scott once made the comment that "in the beginning, Hitler did a lot of good things".
The goofy old hag was right. He improved his countries infrastructure, and industry. We know
what his goals were, and how it played. But, he did do a little good.
Unions came into being because the steel and coal industries (frequently combined here) were making
Kings, on the backs and blood of workers that they managed to entrap in a servitude situation.
Only by bonding together, with appointed spokesman, we're these men able to ask for improvements.
I have worked more non-union jobs than union.
If management was fair, in everyway, non-union would undoubtedly be best.
But I have never worked for a company that wanted to give me their money.
Labor is a commodity, and a smart person tries to get the best deal.
No college, just a reasonably intelligent, hard worker, in an economically depressed area,
these personal negotiations people talk about are a joke.
Sure, I have been able to get raises, and to go up the pay scale for that business.
But when I was hauling gasoline in 2005 for $12/hr, I wasn't going to negotiate a 60% raise.
Yep, I chose where I lived.
Nope, that wasn't a "great" job. (I had been RIF'd, and this was the first/best thing I found)
Now, there's a factory job. Union.
Lot of problems with that union.
I hate what the national does with my money.
But even after I pay my $8/wk dues, there isn't a factory around that compensates the workers as well.
