On the substance of the column, let’s remember that it’s always about the money. There is little or no principle involved here. The alleged Libertarian-Populists (read that conservative Republicans) in Colorado are only too happy to use the big lie technique to fend off unions. That their fear (hatred) of unions is pathalogical is perhaps subject for another column. On the other hand, it is up to the unions to persuade workers that their lives will be better as a result of union representation, not worse. If they fail to do that, they will continue to shrink in numbers and importance. Meanwhile, jobs that can be sent off-shore to low-wage havens will continue to go. By the way, many Reuters U.S. business stories are arriving with Mumbai datelines, so not even journalists are safe. The phone bill from India to sources in this country isn’t nearly as large as the wage differential.

Grow up, Jimmy. Grow up and stop with the whining and moaning. You want to make a living, try working for a living.

I think LHKMAN said it best. This is a not a black and white issue; it’s a slippery slope, the phoney Republican/capitalist/libertarian/right wingers want you to believe if you work hard you will succeed! It’s the American dream come true! Anyone can become a millionaire, and then vote to lower taxes on the rich; and all unions are evils, particularly the teacher’s union, because they are keeping public education from going private and allowing rich people to stop paying taxes to pay for expensive teachers to teach poor kids who may learn liberal ideas and become Democrats. OK, I digress.

But on the other hand, unions create almost elitist work environments, where only the senior union members benefit. I worked at John Deeres, in Iowa, where I made good money to buy a house, own a corvette, and live the good life. Since I left, the union beat the company down so much to avoid layoffs, that now the new employee averages just $14/hr while the senior union members retain their lucrative pay. The junior members only dream of reaching that pay grade. Not to mention all the jobs that are being outsourced because of unions. The union is trying to get established in KY Toyota plant, where workers already are making 2.5 times the average state income. Will Toyota move the plant to Mexico? What is a factory work worth?

It’s all one big slippery gray area. While I’ll side with the unions most of the time, they both serve one master. Some middle ground is needed. Yeah, I like choice, and given a new job, I’d like to choose whether I am required to belong to the union or not. But if I produce 200% over my fellow union workers, I’m going to be the first out the door under the union contract, or as well a non-contract. Where do I see job security. Oh, yeah, that’s right I work for the Feds. ;o)

“One, we should blame ourselves if we get laid off, because we didn’t deserve the job in the first place. Two, benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans are luxuries to which we are not automatically entitled. And three, employers can be trusted more than union leaders.

In other words, we are entitled only to what our bosses are willing to give, not to what they can afford nor to what we need.”

I’m sorry dudes and dudesses, I’ve owned four businesses and I’ve been a job steward at CWA, Communications Workers of America.
That’s my brief background, not including a degree in Computer Technology and currently work as a Programmer/Business Analyst for a multinational corporation. (the dark side)

The issue is what Unions used to do and what they currently do. Retirement plans, partial payment of health insurance and other such stuff are not “entitlements” or “rights”.

Our founders would turn in their graves at such a thought. Yes,Republicans tend to over simplify as do the Democrats.

Here is a good difference between the two:
“Fred Thompson and Hillary Clinton were walking down the street when
they came to a homeless person.

The Republican, Fred Thompson, gave the homeless person his business
card and told him to come to his office for a job. He then took $20
out of his pocket and gave it to the homeless person.

Hillary was very impressed, so when they came to another homeless
person, she decided to help. She walked over to the homeless person
and gave him directions to the welfare office. She then reached into
Thompson’s pocket and got out $20. She kept $15 for her administrative
fees and gave the homeless person $5.

Now, do you understand the difference?”

The union apologists are much like this example of Hillary..the Union “bashers” are much like the example of Thompson and both make the same mistake.

When I owned my businesses I made it a habit of offering jobs to the “homeless”. Out of several hundred business cards handed out within a block my office, one person showed. The rest obviously took the money and used it for immediate pleasure, be it a meal or drugs (booze).

So the Thompson character shows the flaw of giving the money and offering a job (naivity), the Hillary character is the typical Government can and should solve all things, and take money from those who produce without their choice, keep a horrendous admin fee (ever check the GAO for those stats)and give the “crumbs” to the poor…

Both are weak.

As the old saying goes, “I’d rather teach a man to fish and have a friend for life, than cook him a fish and have a friend for a meal.”

That platitude says it all, but it assumes that one wants to learn how to fish, what if they don’t?

Unions have misused the power they had gained. They sank from employee rights, to employee benefits (claiming them as rights) and why not? The Democratic Party’s socialist camp has professed as much. It is even repeated here as if it were fact….

Reform is needed in the Union movement as well as in our government and tax code.

I never hear these same people that are complaining about the unfairness of layoffs and the “safety” of being in a union, mention a word about the dry wallers, masons, carpenters and landscapers being laid off by illegal alien “cheap” labor. They never bemoan those layoffs and champion a union attempting to protect the American worker.. funny how we pick and choose our rights and wrongs even if they are from the same “family”…

May God Bless,
Father O’Malley

Coming off as if you support union labor is a joke. You don’t even want companies to identify whether or not a person is a legal citizen when applying for employment….

Think about your contradiction………
Just like all the rest..

John

any where?