People have bought the right wing propaganda on unions

According to Gallup, More broadly, fewer than half of Americans -- 48%, an all-time low -- approve of labor unions, down from 59% a year ago.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/122744/Labor-Unions-Sharp-Slide-Public-Support.aspx


First of all, any asshole who thinks unions are bad should have to give up all the protections unions brought us. Think unions are terrible? Fine, go without the weekend, or the 8-hour workday, or the safety regulations.

Secondly, we need to better educate Americans about what unions have done for our workers and our country.

:(

What's worse is that people who *are* going without the kind of benefits unions can provide (health care, better wages, vacations, etc...) simply resent union workers for having them, rather than realizing that they can organize and get those things for themselves. And that's especially the case for workers in the public sector... my very own brother in law can rant on and on about why should he have to pay for teachers or DMV workers to have health benefits or paid sick days when he doesn't have those things himself. So many times I've wanted to snap at him, "Don't blame us (my hubby's a teacher) if you're too stupid to join a union." But, to keep peace in the family, I kept my mouth shut. Although I did once say. "Well, if you want the things unions have negotiated for their members, join a union so you can negotiate for them too."

Because of what they did 100 years ago. The weekend or a 40-hr workweek doesn't justify 2am hang-up hone calls or strangers showing up on my cousin's doorstep at midnight because he doesn't want to join the union.

I don't believe you. Prove that happened.

Hugs and kisses. :)

There are more slaves today than at any time in human history, here is the Alternet article.

http://www.alternet.org/world/142171

Labor laws prevent powerful people from abusing workers. Without workers uniting together and acting in solidarity with one another, they have nothing, no benefits, no safety, no voice on the job.

The only reason people are voting against unions today is because of RW corporate propaganda, which brainwashes people into voting against their own healthcare reform and to stand by while their jobs get sent overseas for slaves to do instead. What a mindjob!!!

I have to hand it to the Corporate Propaganda Department-->Good job, mission accomplished, America is now in a Depression.

Especially teachers unions, which seem to be particularly evil.

Ha ha ha ha

This country is so full of dumbfucks on both sides -- WTF did we THINK 30 years of letting NSDAP control the public airwaves was going to lead to?

Ha hahah aha hahaha!

the comfortable middle class think that their nice ties and soft hands shield them from the rougher side of work.

Not so, as many are finding out now.

apparently thinking that they have a safe workplace and a 40-hour week because Mr. Bossman is so kind and nurturing.

My grandfather only had a fourth grade education, but he knew that the rich man was not his friend. He believed that the Democratic party and the United Mine Workers made it possible for a working man like him to have a decent shot at life.

The UAW is still trying to do the right thing, but I doubt Papa would recognize the party anymore (not that many of our new, hip Democrats would want a hayseed like him around anyway).

and what would happen if their boss got mad at them for something, or hired someone new, who got along better with the boss..

Another "fun" one is when people who work for crap wages, with no benefits, say they don't like unions because they don't want to pay union dues..

Granted, times have changed since 1995 (when I retired from my union job), but back then my dues were $26.00 a month...and for that money I had FULL medical..glasses..dental..mental.. and a guaranteed pension..NOT a 401K that I had to put money into.. and I made $16.78 an hour with triple time on holidays, my birthday off with pay, and 3 weeks paid vacation.

Not exactly an excessive burden.

Unions need to work on their own to upgrade their image. They can do this by providing things that their members need.

1) I would suggest that some of the UAW pension money be invested into farms in Michigan and Ohio. These farms should not be run as factories, but rather as labor intensive, high quality food producing communes. Examples abound from the Israeli kibbutz to Twin Oaks in Virginia. Job-banked, or outright unemployed members (and maybe others) can work and live on the communes, which at a minimum should be able to produce food and shelter for residents. Rather than monocropping grains, the farms should adopt a multi-produce approach - meat, dairy, vegetables and fruit all from the same farm.

2) Unions could also use this recession/depression opportunity to buy up some of the discarded "means of production" of other items, such as car plants, appliance plants. Then they should prove that they can run them better than the capitalist. The purpose of running the plant should not be profit, but simply to provide for the workers.

3) Unions would be held in much higher esteem if they would adopt true rotating leadership, term limits, etc. As long as union leadership is a position of power over the workers, it becomes just another apparatus of the capitalist exploitative system. All of our country's leaders would do well to hold in mind that "Our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not govern."

4) Unions could start running food banks, clothing exchanges, youth centers etc. In essence, start taking over functions that are now being conducted by churches.

In short, unions could incrementally, and non-violently, start taking over the means of production and start operating them for the benefit of those who work there rather than for those who own them.

unions do operate food banks or labor/community services organizations that offer a variety of types of emergency assistance including help paying utility bills and rent. Those organizations are often the only ones who come to the aid of striking workers. In other areas individual locals or labor councils co-fund church/community operations.

The largest hot meal site in my community was begun by Longshore volunteers. It grew to the point where it needed a real organizational structure and more stable financial support. Catholic Community Services took over the operation. The Longshore local still has members on the board and actively support operations.

I'm not a supporter of term limits for any elective office but I have watched union elections close up and believe that they are a model of real democracy in action. In my spouses local there are strict limits on campaign expenditures and a very high percentage of the members vote in each election.

and were hiring nurses for more salary than the ones already there (this is was what did it). The hospital spent a year in arbitration, and IBEW won 100% of the employees. My salary went up to the going rate and I gained job security, benefits and became familiar with all the labor laws so they could not abuse them anymore. The petty tyrant(s) running the place were not happy, and they couldn't take out their frustrations on us anymore.

I know unions are not perfect, but they are designed to DISMANTLE THE CORPORATE POWER BASE FROM WITHIN, so naturally they want to spread all kinds of misinformation and lies so they can stay in power. GO UNION.

You know, "books are closed."

Seems like the books are always closed.

Seriously, sometimes unions are able to shoot themselves in the foot with no help from the right wing at all.

demonstrating how they've helped the economy and continue to do so.