The Labor Games: Time for An American Comeback
By Thom Hartmann A...
It’s the bottom of the 9th inning, and corporate America is just one out away from another major victory. According to a new study from the International Trade Union Confederation, corporate America has all but destroyed workers’ rights in our country. The study looked at things like workers’ ability to strike or protest, to engage in collective bargaining, and their basic civil liberties.
A 97-point evaluation of labor-related criteria by the International Trade Union Confederation found that the United States ranks as bad as Pakistan, Indonesia, and Thailand when it comes to workers’ rights. And the only countries that are ranked worse than the U.S. in the study are countries that are experiencing “open violent conflict.” Of course this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Over the last three years alone, more than a dozen corporate-friendly Republican-controlled states have put limits on collective bargaining for public employees, and 19 other states have pushed for right-to-work-for-less laws that destroy private unions. But the U.S. didn’t always used to be at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to workers’ rights.
For nearly a century, it was unions and strong workers’ rights that made us proud to call America home. And it was thanks to unions that America had a strong and robust middle class. But, over the last three decades or so, corporate America and the wealthy elite have been waging an all-out war on workers, and on the very unions that helped build our country.
As result, ever since Reagan came to Washington, corporate profits have been on the rise. But as corporate profits have been rising, America’s union membership rate has been in a freefall. And a study by Tali Kristal, a sociologist at the University of Haifa in Israel, found that the relationship between rising corporate profits and falling union membership is undeniable.
Speaking to the Huffington Post about the study, Kristal said that, “It’s a zero sum game: whatever is not going to workers, goes to corporations. Union decline not only increased wage gaps among workers, but also enabled capitalists to grab a larger slice of the national income pie at the expense of all workers, including the highly skilled.”
But corporate America’s war on workers’ rights isn’t just hurting unions and the labor movement. It’s hurting the American middle-class too. As the group Unions Work has pointed out, while union membership has been declining steadily since the late 1960’s, middle class income has also been shrinking.
Similarly, a study by the Economic Policy Institute found that the drop in union membership that America has seen over the past three decades has contributed to our country’s income inequality epidemic. So, not only is corporate America trying to score a knock-out blow against workers’ rights, it’s also systematically destroying the American middle class, while making the rich richer.
But what corporate America and its Republican allies in Washington fail to understand is that America’s economy is strongest when the middle-class is thriving. And the American middle class only thrives when there are strong workers’ rights and when union membership is high. It’s not just a freak coincidence that in the 1940’s and 1950’s when union density was at its highest, income inequality was at record lows.
Fortunately, all across our country, working-class Americans are fighting back, and standing up for workers’ rights. From the Fight for 15 to the fast food strikes across the nation, Americans are saying enough is enough, and are fighting to bring back the unions and robust middle class that once made our nation great. So, while we may be in the bottom of the 9th inning, and corporate America may have our backs up against a wall, there’s still time for us to come back and win this thing.
It’s time to restore the labor rights that we’ve lost, repeal Taft-Hartley, stop the insanity of Right To Work For Less, rebuild the American middle class, and make our nation great again.
Comments
#2
WHERE have all the good jobs gone?
long time passing
WHERE have all the good jobs gone?
long time ago
WHERE have all the good jobs gone?
jobs are export number one
WHEN will they ever learn?
WHEN will we ever learn?
WHERE have all the good jobs gone?
long time passing
WHERE have all the good jobs gone?
long time ago
WHERE have all the good jobs gone?
corporations ship them every one
WHEN will they ever learn?
WHEN will we ever learn?
#3
Why does Kristal call it a zero sum game? Workers build the wealth of the nation. When they don't work the wealth suffers.
#4
If we really want to revitalize our worker union base we need to first bring back our manufacturing base. Unions, without jobs, are toothless.
We have to repeal Free Trade and pass Move to Amend before we can ever hope to restore our middle class.
#5
Sorry Thom but in the 40's and 50's America had a closed economy. They didn't have to compete in a world economy. So of course Unions could hold a knife to the throats of companies but it is a new world today you have to compete for a job with a guy in China or India who is starving to death. Get use to the new world or get left behind.
Reagan??? still blaming him. You do know he has been dead for 10 years and been out of office for 25 years. The democrats have been in the Whitehouse for 14 years since he died. Blame Clinton and Obama for not changing it. Let poor Ron rest in peace.
If you want higher wages create demand. What has Obama done to help that besides nothing.
#6
$10.10 an hour raise in minimum wage is an insult to American workers. It should be $15, the same as in Seattle, WA. 4 day work week same pay. Affordable home ownership for single income families. Federal labor unions exempt from state regulations. Join the national teacher 20-10 strike. 20 class size limit. $10,000 raise for every teacher. Join the national student- teacher strike to divest all institutions of higher learning from the fossil fuel economy.
#7
What does Obama have to do with it? The repugs control the house with 1.5 million fewer votes. I assume you, like 83% of Americans, do not understand how our govt works.
#8
Craig Bush -- We need "card check". Vote democratic.
#9
Kend -- You also do not understand trade agreements. We still could be a closed economy. It was raygun that gave China most favored nation status. He also started to lower the tariffs.
#10
Quote Kend:If you want higher wages create demand. What has Obama done to help that besides nothing.
Kend ~ Obama and the Democrats have repeatedly tried to raise the minimum wage. Where have you been? That alone would instantly raise demand. Perhaps you simply don't understand basic economics? Surely the Republicans don't because they were the ones who stopped raising the minimum wage at every turn.
How else would you have him raise demand? Maybe sneaking out of the White House at night and blowing up warehouses around the country? That would work too.
#11
The bases are loaded and Bernie is up to batt!
#12
I grew up during the forties and fifties in a union family.I grew up in the 80s and 90s, when the negative reputation of unions had already been established. It's so drilled into my brain (or I'm brainwashed, most of you would say), but now I can't NOT look at a group of city workers and think to myself, "Those must be union people, because there seems to be twice as many people as necessary to do that job, and only one of them actually seem to be working."
For example, our trash is picked up by unionized city workers, and our recycling is picked up by a private company. The union trash guys have a four-person crew - one driver, two people loading the garbage in the back, and one person in the passenger seat for some reason. The recycling collector, who has the same exact kind of truck, just painted green, is just one person. He drives the truck, parks it, hops out, loads the stuff, gets back in, moves the truck forward two houses, and repeats.
I look at this and think to myself: "My property taxes are already too high, and they go up every year. I'm paying for the garbage and the recycling collection. Why can't the garbage collection run like the recycling collection - a one-person show? To save costs."
And the only answer I can come up with is: The union must not allow that.
I'm trying to be more open-minded about things though.
I think unions are another topic where there is a difference in opinions between generations. I know I can't speak for all 30-somethings, but for the ones I know, the concept of a union is archaic and negative.
#13
I am a Canadian but I know how it works Chuck. . My point is a great leader can get all to follow. What has Obama done to convince investers to spend there money to get the economy moving. everything he proposes is borrow and spend. Reagan created ways to get the money moving. Everyone will vote for good policy.
#14
Marc, this is it. You are going to save America by raising he min wage. This is Obama's plan. That's it. Please aim higher.
i hire a summer student every year. although they try It takes a lot of work to employee them. Because they have very little experience you have you hold their hand all the time. If our min wage went up $3,00 I don't think I could do it.
#15
Kend, do you honestly believe your knowledge of history or economics would rival Thom's? Frankly, I find it laughable that you'd take it upon yourself to "correct" Thom's assessment of anything in those areas. Far as the "new world" is concerned, we've already been left behind! (Hello…)
Yes Reagan has been dead a number of years now. But unfortunately, his disastrous policies and their consequences live on. Rest in peace?! It is my most fervent hope that there's a special place in Hell reserved just for him.
I blame Obama for many things. Not waving a magic wand to instantly "fix" our economy isn't one of them, especially with the Grand Obstructionist Party dominating the House!
By the way, fourteen years ago is when Baby Bush first stole the presidency. He remained in the Oval Office until 2008. We've only had a Democrat president for five years since "Dubaya". So much for your version of the "facts"! Here's just one more example to illustrate why I never take your posts that seriously.
"Demand" without sufficient wages to back it up equals zero stimulus, Einstein.
Have a lovely week. - AIW
#16
ok thom knows more than me but Obama's record speaks for itself. Still after six years one in five out of work and all you talk about is raising the min wage. Alice I am just saying. aim higher. America is better than this.
Einstein what does he know. LOL just kidding.
if you have more jobs then people wages go up. The market takes care of it But if you have to borrow the money from China to create those jobs they are fake, not real jobs. You should know you have a business I believe. If you take your savings and hire yourself you are no better off. Government jobs are no different.
#17
Kend, the market only takes care of itself. (Duh.)
It never ceases to amaze me how consistently you make up "facts" to support your bogus arguments. We never let you get away with it on this forum, yet you persist in doing it anyway. It's gotten to be the Canuck Kend trademark! You must be a glutton for punishment. If you enjoy getting verbally spanked, you've come to the right place. - AIW
#18
Matt, have you ever collected garbage for a living? Because if you haven't, you don't know what you're talking about. If you don't like paying for the service, take your own shit to the dump.
If it wasn't for unions, there would be no weekends and no holidays for workers; we'd still have little kids slaving away in places like factories and coal mines, instead of in school where they belong; and in place of a forty-hour work week, we'd have an eighty-hour work week.
You seem to have no clue what unions are about and how they've impacted our lives. I hope I'm long dead before your generation is running the country, because if what you've said about them is true, they don't seem to understand much of anything. This country has deteriorated enough already in the decades since I came of age. That was when fuel became "scarce" and we had long lines at every gas station! It's gone steadily downhill ever since. - AIW
P.S. Maybe I'm being too harsh about young folks in general. Maybe I oughta question your generalities about up-and-coming generations. I've seen some mighty awesome climate activists profiled on Democracy Now, much younger than you, in their early 20s or thereabouts. Maybe there still is hope for humanity...
#19
Quote Kend:Marc, this is it. You are going to save America by raising he min wage. This is Obama's plan. That's it. Please aim higher.i hire a summer student every year. although they try It takes a lot of work to employee them. Because they have very little experience you have you hold their hand all the time. If our min wage went up $3,00 I don't think I could do it.
Kend ~ So your suggestion is to bring back child labor? Maybe sweatshops? I still don't hear any reasonable logical ideas that make any sense coming out of your mouth. I hear a lot of critical rhetoric and skepticism about what will work.
Certainly you are aware the the law of supply and demand is one of the simplest equations there is. Imagine a see saw with supply on one side and demand (cash in people's pockets) on the other. If that demand gets too light the see saw comes crashing down and you can't get your supply of the ground. That is the economy crashing. It crashes because production goes up and wages don't. The only way to balance the see saw is to put more cash on the demand side; or, remove the quantity on the supply side. If you remove supply you lose jobs. The only way to balance out the see saw so that swings is to perfectly balance both sides. The only solution that saves business is to raise wages.
Republicans don't want to allow the economy to function when they are not in power. That is what this is all about. Making Democrats take the blame for their lame policies hoping Americans will be in so much pain in the next election they will vote Republican. The only blame I place on the Democrats is allowing the Republicans to get away with it so easily. Personally, I think they allow it too easily to not share the blame. However, don't tell me the Republicans have any other idea up there sleeve that is better than what the Democrats are doing. And please don't even mention lowering taxes. That cup of kool aid has come and gone a long time ago and just makes us nauseous to hear it again. There is only one solution that will work and that is raising wages. Every other plan is a pipe dream on acid.
Seriously, I want to hear your idea before you say another word about against raising wages. No more hot air Mr. Hairdryer.
#20
Kend ~ One thing we could probably agree on is that if we were to repeal free trade and institute huge import tariffs on imported goods we could bring back our manufacturing base of good paying jobs. That would increase the number of jobs and also demand. The main problem with that is that neither side of the isle here is even mentioning that. Which is why I'm through with the Democratic party. This should be the ball they take and run with. It is time for some new blood in Washington.
However, barring that solution, raising wages is the only other way to save the economy; and, it appears that saving the economy simply isn't on the agenda of either side.
I just thought I would mention that little tidbit before it gets too late because I'm almost sure you won't bring it up. Republicans never bring that up.
#21
Marc says "Republicans don't want the economy to function when they are not in power." No argument there! But I think you'll agree, it wasn't functioning that great when they were in power either. Everytime one of those big-ass elephants gets into the White House, we sink way deeper in the ole debt hole. We have geniuses like Dubaya starting all these wars while simultaneously, lowering corporate taxes and taxes on the rich... and those wars still aren't paid for! (Let alone all the carnage and ruined lives...) - AIW
#22
DAnne yes I am with you on tariffs. The Chinese are keeping there dollar artificially low and it has to be corrected. I will be the first to admit I don't know much about free trade agreements I think the governments like it that way.
Child labour come on Marc. I pay $12.00 CAN / hr (Alberta's min wage $9.95) to some one who is worth $6.00. Think think its worth it to help them get experience. They are high school students Far from a child. I had one two years ago that his Mom would come in and tell me what to do all the time. That poor kid. He was so embrassarrassed. The first 5 times I just sat there and smiled. Then I locked her out and banned her from coming in the shop. You should of seen the smile on that kids face. He completely changed. Kinda became a man. Instead of a mommies boy After that. He probaly never seen anyone stand up to his mom before.
Alice your guy is spending a trillion a year more than he brings in. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
C
#23
For your information, Kend, presidents can't spend money without Congressional cooperation.
With so many bogus, fictitious arguments you keep conjuring up, look who's talking about glass houses! - AIW
#24
Sometime during the administration of Bush 41, Richard Slocum moved into Ronald Reagan's Bel Air, California home. So what! Richard Slocum, a down an out actor with few assets and no relatives had found a home. Perhaps the greatest asset Mr. Slocum possessed is a striking resemblance to the ex-president.
At the same time Richard Slocum arrived in Bel Air, the 40th President of the USA secretly took up residence in Grenada. Where he remains.
Richard Slocum played the role of his lifetime. Through indoctrination by US intelligence agencies, plus some chemical assistance to produce memory loss, convinced all but those closest to the 40th President, that Richard Slocum was Ronald Reagan.
On June 5, 2004, Richard Slocum died. He is buried in the Ronald Reagan library in Simi Valley, CA. The inscription on the grave stone reads; Ronald Reagan, "I know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will always triumph and that there is purpose and worth to each and every life".
So what happened to Ronald Wilson Reagan? To the best of my knowledge, he is alive and living in Greneda, where he controls the Presidents and congress of the USA. Because of the marvels of modern medicine afforded to an Ex-President of Reagan's stature, he is alive and healthy at 103 years old.
#25
Swell.
#26
Don't get me wrong - I am all for unionization at private companies. If those employees negotiate a better wage or benefits, then those costs get passed on to the consumer. I can always choose not to consume from that company if it's too expensive. The public-sector unions are entirely different. If they convince a politician to give them a raise, in exchange for votes usually, the politician doesn't have to care about the cost.
A few years ago we had a 66% increase in the IL Income Tax, to help cover a shortfall in union pensions. Or, to look at it another way, we're paying 66% more, yet not getting any better services, because we're paying for people who aren't even working any more. I know those people need those pensions. I know they were promised that money. But who promised it to them? The politicians. Who has to pay for it now? The taxpayers. Hell, I'd go around promising people money from other people if it got them to like me too.
Matt, have you ever collected garbage for a living? Because if you haven't, you don't know what you're talking about. If you don't like paying for the service, take your own shit to the dump.
I hope the garbage men get paid well. I really do. If they aren't making at least $80,000 a year, they're being underpaid. My problem is when there are four of them doing the job that one person could do. I'd rather see one person making $150,000 a year in that case.
And, sadly, we aren't allowed to dispose of our own garbage or burn it in our backyards here. We get charged for the haul-away no matter what.
Same thing with sewer - you're charged wether or not you use it.
And, off topic but interesting - if you buy a house, and the previous owner owed on the water bill, you have to pay the balance before they turn on your water. The building gets the bill, not the person. My neighbor bought a foreclosed house and had to pay a $2,000 water bill balance left from the previous owner before they turned it on for him.
#27
This is why I love the internet - My exposure to totally crazy people is greatly improved.
#28
OU812 ~ Well certainly there is some great evil influence out there that is ruining our country. However, whether it is a 103 year old antiChrist Ronald Wilson (666) Reagan or the Grinch that stole Christmas remains to be seen.
Personally, I have to hand it to you Neocons. You really take the cake. I haven't seen a group of people so eager to simply pull facts straight out of thin air to support some of the most ridiculous notions I've ever heard since I was in first grade.
Pray tell where you got that story? Can you provide even one citation as to it's accuracy?
A simple google search turned up nothing about any Richard Slocum actor. An image search showed no one even bearing a slight resemblance to RR. Surely anyone who was an aspiring actor at some time in their life would have had at least one press releases.
Please save the BS for BS blogs.
Just what we need an actor pretending to be an actor. How about a politician pretending to be a leader?
Google Images for Richard Slocum
#29
My point, Matt, is that even in the humblest of professions, there's more to it than meets the eye. Unless you've done the work yourself, or have a friend or family member who's done the work and filled you in on the logistics, you're in no position to judge what that work should entail or how it should be done.
By the way, regarding your second post (#28): no argument! Have a nice day. - AIW
#30
Quote ChicagoMatt:My problem is when there are four of them doing the job that one person could do.
ChicagoMatt ~ Honestly I don't know any more about garbage service than you do--which makes me uniquely qualified to respond to your comment. I'm sure the city isn't throwing workers at a task. If there are four men on the truck I'm sure there is a good reason. Let me tell you why I would like to keep them right where they are.
Early in the morning when I go to work I often run into these garbage truck crews on my way to the freeway. You can't avoid them since they have to block residential streets with a huge truck in order to do their job. Getting around them can be quite tricky and dangerous. Wasted time waiting behind a slow moving truck means more frantic driving on the way to work. The less time they spend sitting and blocking traffic the less dangerous the situation is for everyone involved. Therefore, the more people they have scattering out and collecting garbage at a time, the faster they can get out of the way of me and my neighbors. Having four people doing the job is much faster than one man and helps make life safer for everyone. Well worth the investment if you ask me!
I'm sure the waste management company and the city feels the same way. In any job safety is always the No. 1 concern. It is also the main focus of Labor Unions.
PS Your comment about crazy people on the internet is so spot on!
#31
Marc, thanks for starting my day with a nice belly laugh! A little of that neo-con BS goes a long way. Especially when the source is a wienie-sucking bimbo.
#32
I'm sure the waste management company and the city feels the same way. In any job safety is always the No. 1 concern. It is also the main focus of Labor Unions.
Again, I think we have a generational difference of opinions here. When I see things like that, my mind immediately jumps to "the person in the passenger seat must be the supervisor, who was probably a token promotion or is related to someone in the waste management office." Safety is a concern for the unions, but keeping their own jobs is more important for them. Back in the 50s and 60s, didn't unions do everything they could to stop factory automation? Even if a machine could do the job safer and cheaper, it would mean laying off a union employee, so they wouldn't let it happen.
There was a story here about the unions that work at McCormick Place, a big convention hall downtown. During trade shows, vendors were not even allowed to plug in their own extension cords. They weren't special cords - just regular 3-prong cords and outlets. But they had to wait for a union electrician to come and plug things in for them. For safety? Or to keep union guys employed? So officials from the trade shows began complaining, and some of them moved their entire shows to non-unionized places, like Atlanta and Las Vegas. (Legal prostitution and gambling probably didn't hurt either.)
Here's a great but lengthy article about it:
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20110611/ISSUE01/306119980/contractors-trade-associations-squeeze-convention-exhibitors-at-mccormick-place
#33
[quote=ChicagoMatt]
For example, our trash is picked up by unionized city workers, and our recycling is picked up by a private company. The union trash guys have a four-person crew - one driver, two people loading the garbage in the back, and one person in the passenger seat for some reason. The recycling collector, who has the same exact kind of truck, just painted green, is just one person. He drives the truck, parks it, hops out, loads the stuff, gets back in, moves the truck forward two houses, and repeats.
I look at this and think to myself: "My property taxes are already too high, and they go up every year. I'm paying for the garbage and the recycling collection. Why can't the garbage collection run like the recycling collection - a one-person show? To save costs."
And the only answer I can come up with is: The union must not allow that.
[/qoute]
Well Matt, your recycling guy is no doubt a non union employee and you're no doubt right that the union doesn't allow the garbage collectors to be made to do a job alone that is really for two or three people - as it shouldn't. That's really the only reason privatization saves any money to taxpayers - the private firm is typically non union and pays substandard wages and implements substandard labor practices - and thus, why privatization is an odious phenomenon.
Everywhere, these days, working people are increasingly being made to do a job themselves that really is for more than one person or even two people to do. That your recycling guy has no rights is nothing to crow about. As a taxpayer you are a rogue employer by proxy. Our economy doesn't benefit from fewer jobs but from more jobs and to bring an economy back and keep it in good health government shouldn't be cutting jobs like some FDR in reverse but should be making them, especially in times of economic crisis. You might say that unions err on the side of too many rights for workers as opposed to too few and, although I wouldn't express it that way, I would prefer too many to too few.
You also shouldn't begrudge someone a good, middle class job but, instead, say, "Where's mine?". Teachers are overworked and underpaid because, in our society, teaching school is traditionally woman's work. Your employers don't want you to step out of your place but you also, Matt, deserve better.
There are two ways of looking at public sector workers as a taxpayer. One is as their employer and to seek to exploit them trying to squeeze the most possible work out of them in return for the least possible compensation. The other is as their fellow worker and to find solidarity with them.. To take the first view is, I think, to fall for the divisive strategy of the elites and have us fighting each other instead of uniting for everybody's collective prosperity - or for everybody's middle class deal.
To unite for a just society is better although it requires delayed gratification and sustained effort. It may not make you feel better about your property taxes - and the unjust system of levying them - in the short run but to have us all fighting over the remnant scraps is their (those elites') strategy that will, in the longer run, defeat us all.
#34
DAM -- I think the repugs understand very well that the economic system needs more demand. With that understanding, they know how to stop it at every turn.
#35
Chi Matt -- You need to read Thom's piece defending inefficiency.
#36
Kend -- Since you keep ignoring my question I will keep saying it. What does Obama have to do with it?
You consider raygun a great leader because he handed over the govt to the 1% and convinced the 99% that it was good idea?
#37
DAM -- Please quit bowing to the republican playbook. Strong labor unions would bring back reasonable tariffs and a minimum wage. Card check would bring back strong labor unions. Dems were 1 vote short in the senate of passing card check in 2009. Vote DEMOCRATIC.
#38
Chi Matt -- And to think DAM compared you to OU. He corrected himself by the way.
#39
I have said it before, but I will say it again. When I say raygun, I mean the raygun adminstration. Raygun himself, a really good democrat, was duped by Nancy's father.
#40
DAM -- You also need to read Thom's defense of inefficiency (if you find the link, please let me know).
#41
BRAVO!
#42
Mr. DAnne Marc, you can't be so naive to believe a secret like the name an picture of a man impersonating an ex president would be available on the Internet. What I've stated is true. If it's not true, give me a better explanation of why 25 years after Reagan left office, and 10 years after his alleged death his policies continue. And please try to refrain from name calling it makes you look foolish!
#43
Raygun enabled the 1%. The 1% are running his policies; just like when he was in the white house.
#44
Quote Ou812:What I've stated is true. If it's not true, give me a better explanation of why 25 years after Reagan left office, and 10 years after his alleged death his policies continue.
Ou812 ~ Mr. Raygun was an actor and puppet of the corporate elitist groups that got him elected. His policies continue because the corporate elitist groups who benefit from them continue. Any other stupid questions?
By the way, that was your ridiculous story. If you can't offer anything to support it, don't be surprised that everyone laughs at it.
#45
A couple more stupid questions. Why did these corporate elitist groups need a puppet? Do these corporate elitist group still need a puppet? If so, who is the puppet now? I can't prove my story, but you can't disprove it. Some things must be accepted on faith.
#46
Ou812 ~ The new puppet's name is Obama. At least that is what he calls himself. I used to know him as Dwayne Sanchez. He used to be a rocket scientist from the Dominican Republic that helped the government run a secret UFO base at the bottom of a lake near the city of Santiago. I met Dwayne in a secret government program I took part in during the 80's where together we teleported from Andrews Air Force Base back and forth to the underwater UFO base in Santiago while participating in a project called 'Pegasus'. He told me back then that he also used to time travel and knew that someday he would be the President of the United States. I didn't believe his story at the time, but what do you know. I can't prove my story, but you can't disprove it. Some things must be accepted on faith.
#47
There you go, you're catching on.:))
#48
I was wondering where you were anarchist cop out. To be honest, I have been on this blog WAY too much this week, since we're winding down for the school year. I have to stop myself from posting 10 things in a row, lest it look like I have no life. This site is rather addicting.
Not to wax all poetical or anything, but I'm glad I found a site full of educated, astute, and politically engaged individuals to chat with.
You also shouldn't begrudge someone a good, middle class job but, instead, say, "Where's mine?".
How is that different than Thom's constant begrudging of millionaires and billionaires? Instead of saying, "They should be paying more", why not say, "Where's mine?" Or, "I should be paying less too."
I heard that on a Conservative talk show once. Someone said that the rich pay 15%, and it's not fair, since the poor pay a higher percentage. The host said, "You're right, it's not fair. Everyone should pay 15%, not just the rich."
Teachers are overworked and underpaid because, in our society, teaching school is traditionally woman's work. Your employers don't want you to step out of your place but you also, Matt, deserve better.
I do work with mostly older women. But I know know my employer isn't trying to keep me down on purpose. I've seen the numbers. In fact, they're constantly trying to get me into leadership/principal positions, but I refuse. I enjoy teaching too much.
And it's not like I didn't know this would be the pay when I started. That's something that I don't understand about people who work at a fast-food place and complain about the pay. What did you think when you took the job? If anything, you should be complaining about the cost of everything going up, not the fact that your pay isn't going up as fast.
There are two ways of looking at public sector workers as a taxpayer. One is as their employer and to seek to exploit them trying to squeeze the most possible work out of them in return for the least possible compensation. The other is as their fellow worker and to find solidarity with them..
You want solidarity at the same time when the city of Chicago and the state of IL still have Affirmative Action and contract quotas for minority and women-owned businesses? Good luck. Those things seems contradictory to me. "We're all in this together, but 40% of the contracts are earmarked for women-owned businesses. So if your a guy, and we have our quota of guys, tough. But remember, we're all in this together."
#49
Oh good - more crazy talk to make me feel better about my own sanity. :)
I like reading conspiracy theories for the same reason I like watching shows about morbidly-obese people (My 600 pound life, for example). It makes feel think, "yeah, I may be crazy/overweight, but I'm not THAT bad compared to these people...
#50
Chuck - you have inspired me to learn more about this "card check" thing you keep talking about. I did a quick search, but I am still a little confused.
I am pro-union in the private sector. Because the management there has a personal, potentially negative stake in any bad union deals it makes. But in the public sector, the politicians who make the deals with the unions don't have to worry about the consequences.
A unionized car company can go out of business, taking the management's jobs with them. A unionized police force still has to find a way to function, and the politicians who created the problem aren't around or don't lose their jobs once the problem comes to a head, like it did in Detroit.
Thom's Blog Is On the Move
By webmaster
Hello All
Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.
Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.
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I grew up during the forties and fifties in a union family. Was with my father walking picket lines. Picked scrap metal to eat while our family fought to gain better wages and conditions. To see the destruction of US Labor by the Rightwing traitors to America has been very hard. The Republican War on Workers has been very successful! I wish I knew the answer--think it lies in media ownership and the Rightwing's propaganda machine. A curse upon all card carrying Republicans--every damn one of them!