Aw Matt... your union teacher mother would be disappointed.

Do you know the origin of that? An audio book perhaps?

Beyond that I honestly don't know.

But I do love his wit.

That is perfect to solution a problem for someone I know.

Or, in fairness, whoever wrote that for him.

But, damn, he's spot on otherwise.

My grandfather knew and helped the man Al Hartung who organized train unions during the 1930's. He got blackballed and the like. I met Al and he was a work and a wonder at 80+. I told him I wanted to union organize someday (I did) and he wrote me a letter on his typewriter. It is 100% misspelled and halting in his grammar but I have few treasures I prize more. He was a hero and he couldn't spell. Look past the trappings to the heart beneath. You will be changed forever.

Wish he'd run for office.

I felt the union stifled me by having rules that based everything on seniority rather than a combination of seniority, performance and aptitude. That soured me on them.

At the same time I recognize that unions have the ability change and become more modern and effective.

But if we continue to have more and more states with "right to work" laws that decimate union coffers, the organized labor movement will be extinguished and we will be back to where we were in the early 1900s.

Unions for public and private sector workers, a livable minimum wage, access to affordable healthcare....these are American values and something that we can afford.

So who gets to make those decisions? Mangement? The union?

The reason seniority is used as a deciding factor is because it's non-subjective.

Unions are about Us not Me. Unions are about everyone getting ahead, not just you. You want to get ahead? Go for a management job.

Unions are about US not me.

In my union store, we had an annual raise, and automatic raises when the minimum wage would go up. No "merit" based raises. At my non-union store it is the exact same situation, except the raises aren't guaranteed for any reason. Things are a bit more standardized now. Before we would get raises based on favoritism, and wages were pretty arbitrary when moving from position to position within the store. Most have gotten pay cuts or been saddled with multiple jobs in the company for no extra pay. The seems to be the case for most people I know these days. Managers who are capable of determining who is and isn't actually deserving of a raise based on merit seem to be few and far between, especially in lower wage jobs.

What I learned about non-union is that if you are buddies with the supervisor regardless of your talent you will get the gravy. On the other hand if you are not, even though you are very good at your work-well too bad.

With the union there is some protection from this kind of favoritism. As with any system there are pluses and minuses. Sometimes the seniority rule protects deadwood but what I saw in my non union jobs is that there was more protected deadwood than in my union work.

The point is with a union management has to abide by the contract- without a union they can rule by whim. It is better having a binding contract over willie-nillie management.

In my 37 years I have been very close to being rifted but have managed to survive to work another day.

Had 5 years in a union job, and 8 in non-union in the same general industry. Also, edited to add that I'm not just some disgruntled lazy worker in case anyone is wondering. Though I've been unintentionally victimized by favoritism, I've also been the beneficiary of that culture of favoritism before and have had a pretty good look at both sides of that double edged sword.

yes INDEED

"In-sourcing" IS Anti-LABOR.

Word.




[font size=5 color=firebrick]Solidarity![/font]

Somehow, that seems like the wrong end of the bargaining position, no matter how many people might benefit from another pittance per hour, we should be fighting for decent jobs with maximum wages and benefits and less abuse from telecoms, insurers and power companies.

I had some issues with one or two small unions in the distant past, but in the bigger picture, they are needed now more than ever.

are most likely not into the fair wage thing and stuff like that.

which I sort of agree with, the slant of hypocrisy But if we were all to be the purest we'd have to all get totally off the grid and chew our leather and have outhouses in the wilderness.

I am happy to use the late slave labour user Steve Jobs, happy to use this fine macintosh to tell him to rot in hell for how he made some of his money.

My objection to his post is his use of the technique of insinuation by question. It's common on Faux News. "Was Obama born in Kenya?" "Will Obamacare really deny seniors health care?" If you dont have the proof to make a statement then just change the statement to the form of a question.

As you say, it's very hard today to not be a bit hypocritical as we use products and services of Apple, Comcast, Google, etc.

Damon via asking a question. If you have something to say, spit it out.

On edit.

Another sunshine warrior.

When productions move away from California to bypass the unions, I don't here anything then.

Union

So let's guess your point. You dont think Damon has a right to speak out because some of the people he works for or with dont support unions. Did I come close?

So then your issue is pretty much moot, right? (That's a question)

And you must be watching a lot of fox, because what you describe is pretty much broadcast journalism as a whole. Not that, to mimic broadcast journalism was my intent.

To answer your question.

"So let's guess your point. You dont think Damon has a right to speak out because some of the people he works for or with dont support unions. Did I come close?"

Close, I guess. But I think this is as close as you want to get. I think your point making is paramount to discussion.

So are looking for the sound lot, city, state, country or what? That rhetorical.

-Post deleted-


Do a little googling on Toronto and Louisiana if you're so concerned about us union folk.

It's my union that's getting the shaft when productions take off.

So maybe I'm just bitter or maybe I just watch Fox News or maybe I just know a little bit about the subject other than ideology.

Just curios.