Stand Up for Freedom to Form Unions

[LincolnMcGrath]

In spite of the language of the National Labor Relations Act passed in 1935, in spite of the provisions of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, in spite of the conventions of the International Labor Organization, American workers have lost the right to organize.

Three years ago, Human Rights Watch issued a report documenting the fact that the United States is in violation of international law and internationally accepted human rights standards for failing to protect the rights of American workers to freely form unions. According to the NLRB, an average of 20,000 American workers a year are victimized by their employers for organizing and union activiy.

• In 90% of unionization efforts, the employer hires a consultant to frustrate the will of the workers;

http://populist.com/04.4.acuff.html

[lovedems]

1. My step dad works at Caterpillar and their contract is due to be

renewed in April. He might have to retire early because the contract looks so bad and he stands to lose a significant amount of his 35 year old pension.

They are being told they are moving down south and basically "take it or leave it" the corporation doesn't care. If the union strikes, they feel like they will move sooner rather than later and leave all these people without jobs permanently.

My step dad is pissed as feels all this started under bu$h 1.

[LincolnMcGrath]

3. The assault on unions has been ongoing

since the 1800s.
That said, Reagan and Bush both took heavy swipes at unions.

Reagan with the Air Traffic firings
Bush with banning PLAs
And on and on

[Ksec]

2. Unions are about to make a HUGE comeback

With all thats going on I predict a huge comeback. Stregnth in numbers and those numbers scare the refugs. Imagine unifying the entire workforce in America and the power it would possess? The people need to realize that alone we get nothing, together we rule the fkin planet!

[LincolnMcGrath]

4. The Union movement has always been led

by a few brave souls. While the rest were happy to sit on there hands and enjoy the benefits gained.

I also predict a larger uprising than previous labor movements.

[lovedems]

5. I hope you are right. n/t

[PVnRT]

6. It would be nice

if groups like the DLC and their supporters weren't intent on destroying the largest union in the country, that is, the NEA.

[[e-mail]]

7. Unions not welcome...

...in Florida. There is so much anti-union talk in Florida that one has to be careful when even mentioning the word 'union' in public or in the workplace. What's amazing to me is that every time I hear somebody talking anti-union, they are generally unemployed, underemployed or if employed in a "good job", underpaid and with little to no benefits. In my last gainfully employed job here in Florida, I suffered and on the job accident. If I had been union represented, my employer, who allowed an unlicensed worker to make an electrical connection that damn near electrocuted me, would be in big trouble (at least with the union). But, no unions to speak of here and as this is a right to work state where workers have no power at all, nobody on the state level can or will help you either.

I got shuffled through the Workmen's Comp system, which did nothing for me in the end, but kick me out of the system. They processed the required paperwork, sent me to doctors who they chose, doctors who processed the necessary paperwork and tests, but that's about all they did. I'm still all screwed up. When I tried to return to work, I was let go because I could not do my previous job like I did it prior to the accident. Well, yea, I do admit to not being able to perform at my previous level and yea, it was because of the electrical shock incident, but my question is this. Would this have happened if I had union representation? I'll bet not. Workmen's Comp told me that I can't collect on pain and suffering (I have that in writing)and that my employer has a right to let me go, even if the accident wasn't my fault. The Florida laws say that if my employer was negligent, thats' OK. If my employer intentionally set out to do me harm, I'd have some grounds for further compensation. A specious law, because no company in their right mind would set out to intentionally hurt an employee by intentionally mis wiring an electrical connection. At least I don't think that they would do that, right?... No lawyer will touch my case because, after taking into to consideration that the laws are stacked against the injured worker in Florida, no attorney is going to "waste" their time on an accident where one didn't lost an appendage or at the very least, several quarts of blood. By the way, Florida governor Jeb Bush pushed through the "reforms" that have me in my predicament today.

I originally come from a state with heavy union representation. That state is currently losing thousands of jobs to countries that offer 1/10 the pay, no benefits and have absolutely no worker or environmental protections in place. Current union busting laws and policies favorable to doing this sort of thing (outsourcing) are responsible for this travesty. Only when high paying white collar jobs leave this country in droves will the politicians start to feel the heat. It's for sure, as long as it's only the non-union represented underclass and union represented (but being dismantled) middle class workers losing their jobs, Washington doesn't hear our cries- and if they do, don't really care anyway. I'm pro union and I'm looking for the return of a level playing field when the Democrats gain control of the White House and Congress at the next general election.

[LincolnMcGrath]

9. Welcome new evilDUer

I belong to a Florida local. (OTown)

The destructive legacy of Jeb will be felt for decades.

[mobuto]

11. Florida is labor-paradise

Go to South Carolina if you really want to see anti-Union crap. I don't understand it. South Carolineans are treated like absolute crap by their employers, they have fewer rights than workers anywhere else in the country, and yet you talk to blue collar workers there and they still consider union membership to be the moral equivalent of pedophilia. It boggles the mind.

[LincolnMcGrath]

13. You can lead em to water.....

I have met their type in central Florida as well.

[guitar man]

8. OOPS!

Something heavy just got dropped on the "consultant":evilgrin:

[htuttle]

10. If we want to do something about outsourcing's effect on workers...

...think about encouraging unions worldwide.

It's not a short term solution, but it is the only solution that I can imagine that actually might work.

It's either that, or we could continue to just sit here getting played off one another by multinationals like a bunch of fucking gumbys.

[LincolnMcGrath]

12. 300 labor leaders executed in Columbia=US MEDIA SILENCE

http://www.labourstart.org/

[htuttle]

14. Look at Iraq, too

Proconsul Bremer declared any sort of organized labor action to be a crime. Many of Iraq's labor leaders have been imprisoned and harrassed by US forces since the invasion.

There aren't any governments that are going to help with this, unless we can take ours back. The choice is either that, or global serfdom -- I'm not exaggerating.

[PVnRT]

16. You can thank "free trade" as well

Specifically, the organizations like the World Bank and IMF that encourage government policies in Third World countries that are hostile to unions.

[davsand]

15. Unions have GOT to make a comeback

Unless we want to return to a much darker time in our history Union membership has GOT to increase and strengthen. Every gain made by organized labor for workers is in danger right now, and ALL workers have got to realize it.

We live in a time when union membership is openly viewed as a threat to "national security" and our own government is working to remove our ability to organize or fight for collective bargaining. Scares hell outta me--because I have read the history of the labor movement here in the US. I see a very real parallel between things now and the time immediately preceding the Palmer Raids. THAT should scare us all...

What amazes me is the number of union members I've talked to who have no real understanding of WHY union membership is so terribly important. How many times have you heard someone say, "I pay dues and what do I get in return for it?" How many times have you heard people complain about the local and the leadership--then the don't bother to go to meetings or even elections?

I've spoken to any number of labor leaders and have urged them to put sections in the apprentice training programs about what it was like without unions. Thus far, it has met with mixed response. I realize that training people in how to do their jobs is important, but I have to say, I think that pride in union membership is seriously lacking in many locals.

My biggest fear is that if we DO have any kind of attack again here in the US, they are gonna use that as an excuse to clamp down on union membership in any government office, and they will take the opportunity to begin rounding up labor leaders as threats to national security. I fully expect that if there is any further incident here in the US, somebody is gonna kick in my front door and haul both my husband and me away to Gitmo...

I can only wonder if anybody would notice or even care.

Laura

[locustfist76]

17. Maybe your's is good, mines not

I see unions a bit differently. Ultimately they are good, but I think they have some fundamental flaws. Because of my union, the AFSCME, I am unable to get a promotion or a pay hike based on my own merit. Others who have the same job title and pay grade as I do are able to do the bare minimum (show up at work) and still continue to get paid the same. Does it matter I do 3 times the work? Does it matter I show more initiative? Does it matter I have haven't used one day of sick leave in 3 years? Why should I continue to work hard if I'm not going to be rewarded? Unions are only as useful as their workers. I'm not anti-union, but I just wish there was a better way of running them. If my co-workers worked in corporate America, they would have been fired 10 years ago. All my union does is negotiate a contract and that's it.

[LincolnMcGrath]

18. How much do you pay for health care?

There are no advancements to be had? Do job postings require a trial period? You think merit means a whole heck of allot in the non Union sector?
Are you involved at all in your union?

[locustfist76]

19. I actually

I actually use my wife's benefits through her employer. Trust me, I know Unions are neccessary but sometimes they tend to lower the bar for all of us.

[LincolnMcGrath]

22. Working Union, the bar is already raised.

I have never worked non union, but have been forced to work with them many times. I have found advancement at every job I have been on. In the non Union sect cronyism and nepotism rule.

[davsand]

20. Have you ever filed a grievance?

Have you ever NEEDED to? I'd be willing to bet that your workplace suffers with very little in the way of harassment or abuse of workers "because they want to." You better thank that union contract if I'm right.

I'm not gonna launch into the entire "enjoy your five day work week and your health benefits" lecture because I'd be willing to bet that you can hear that from just about any pro-labor person you speak to. I am gonna talk to you about how your are treated at work...

I dunno if you have ever worked in a place that wasn't a union shop, but I'll be happy to talk about my experiences. I worked for a company with a phone bank of customer service reps. I worked my ass off and because I dared to speak up on occasion, my bosses treated me like shit.

Time after time I got passed over for more money--I'd get sent out on the road and my boss would go in my office and go thru my desk drawers--my reviews would roll around and I'd get 5 cent raises while being told how outstanding my work was...

Meanwhile I saw absenteeism rewarded, suck ups advanced and pay raises reserved for a few non-producers.

Want to know what lay at the foundation of all that? We were "self insured" meaning they took money from our checks every pay period, and then they pooled it corporation wide. When I had a difficult pregnancy, they refused to pay for my care--in spite of the fact that it was covered under that policy. When I questioned WHY they refused to pay--I became a non-person. The harassment began then, and it never let up.

I got stuck with medical bills that were over $8000 that should have been covered by my employee insurance. Evidently, I was not the only one to read that policy that way--the court found in my favor when I left the company and sued...

Now, you can ask how a union would have made any difference, but think about this--it would have provided me one more level of recourse that I didn't have then. A union could have interceded in the unequal treatment and maybe left me protected a bit from a supervisor who was told to get rid of a "troublemaker"...

I understand that you may be frustrated with your local leadership--that is common. I do want to urge you to be involved with your union--and set it on the right path if you feel it is astray. Encourage them to start working on union pride and productivity campaigns--that may be one way to help out. Maybe those lackluster fellow Union members feel un-challenged. Maybe they need to be reminded of what pride in your work is all about.

Laura

[LincolnMcGrath]

21. Great post Laura

[davsand]

23. Thanks for saying that, LincolnMcGrath

I worry that I am too strident on this subject sometimes, but it just kills me to see rank and file view union membership in such painful ways... How awful it must be to see those union dues leave your pocket and not feel any sense of support from your union! I can't imagine it!

A lot of times we think Union membership is OK--but can't always verbalize why that is. A good local can do wonders in helping with that very issue, just as it can be a spur to pride, productivity, and safety.

Our locals are only as strong as the rank and file's commitment to them. It is important to build that understanding and to educate as much as possible, IMO.


Laura

[LincolnMcGrath]

24. You`re Welcome

:loveya:

[locustfist76]

25. Great Post

That's a very inspiring post. But I guess I should only take pride in my own work and not worry about what others are not doing. But deadbeat workers give unions a very bad name. The union should not defend those who do not deserve their job. My dad is very pro-union, so I've been informed my whole life who beneficial unions are. The weird things is my personality is that of an arbitrator. Unions and Corporations are two selfish entities with opposite goals. The airline union is (in my opinion) too selfish for it's own good. There demands are raising the price of flying, while driving airlines out of business. I would like to see both unions and corps working together for the betterment of both workers, owners, and customers. Is there a common ground? Maybe this is just a pipedream. Again, let me state I am not anti-union, but I'm just not a live and die by the union type.

[LincolnMcGrath]

26. Oh Please, Deadbeats are coddled everywhere!

For every Union defending a dead beat, as you call them, I can show you two bosses being treated with kid gloves for their offenses.

How many millionaires have the airlines created? They took that $15 billion BAILOUT and one airline gave $5 million bonus to THE CEO for "groveling well done," I guess. It was not a merit bonus for his stewardship at the helm of that airline, Thats for darn sure.

Pilots hold more lives in their hands then ER surgeons. My stewardess friend is home only 4 days a month. They deserve what they get and more.

[locustfist76]

27. sorry

I guess the tone of my reply seemed harsher than my intent. I'm just going to leave it at unions haves issues the can improve on, just like all of us.

[davsand]

28. Oh wow, Being TOLD to be grateful sucks.

Eeeew! I'd hate that. My life experience is totally the OTHER extreme--my dad was a farmer and the idea of collective ANYTHING was alien to his way of thinking. They are an independent lot--and many of the family farms are gone now...

I agree--unions have a rep now of providing safe haven for slackers and suckups. I've heard that very thing espoused by any number of anti union folks, as well as by some folks in unions who are unhappy with the lack of leadership. I expect it out of the anti union guys, but it really saddens me to hear it out of folks like you who are union and feeling let down.

I'd really urge you to consider running in the next election in your local. You have some wonderful skills to take to the bargaining table next time with "a personality is that of an arbitrator". Trust me when I tell you that it is difficult to find anybody able to do that job well!

I'd also urge you to get hold of some of the organizers for your union and talk to them about what they are seeing in places that don't have a union. If they can articulate it to you, then they can most certainly come to your next local meeting and tell everyone else about it too.

I really don't think the Unions want to shut down companies with excessive demands. I think the workers want a fair deal for a day's work, ideally. They benefit by having that job, and they lose by closing the job site...

I also don't see corporations as being inherently evil--I do see them as entities who want to maximize profits. I don't think any of them want to beat down the workers--hell if they do that they are gonna have to retrain--and THAT costs money! (I'll grant you--some corporate decisions are made by idjits and bandits, but a lot of what happens is just bad policy calls by some guy who is clueless.)

I think the reality lays in the middle, to be honest. Nobody is gonna be happy unless they get to a table and discuss this stuff in good faith. The only way that is gonna happen is if everybody DOES go in pragmatically, and honestly. You sound as if you have that ability, and you could be a big help in that process.

FWIW, I don't see you as anti-union, nor do I see you as a bad union member. I see you as a person who can help put things back on track.

Please do consider becoming more involved in your union and working to improve productivity in your rank and file as well as working to help forge a better relationship with your management.

Pax.

Laura

[locustfist76]

31. Thanks

That's actually solid avice. I'll have to check into it.

[Lone_Wolf]

29. My Local Union leaders sold out to the company I used to work for...

I'll be the first to admit that unions are great when they look after their members best interest. There is an insidious thing happening in many unions now.

The Local I was in was basically taken over by the company I used to work for. Basically, the company pushed for certain candidates to win the our elections by allowing them to walk around during work hours to campaign. Coincidently, these people were seen as pro-company. The people running aginst them, mostly strong union supporters, were not afforded this luxury. When elections came, the candidates the company wanted swept into office in a landslide. Soon afterward, our contracts began to benefit the company more than us in the union. It was pretty sad when the last contract came out. Basically, we had less rights than the non-union workforce. The non-union people had better pay, better benefits, and more vacation time. By the time I quit, the union was reduced to nothing more than a Just-In-Time workforce. We could be laid off on a moments notice in order to scale up or down the workforce at the managements whim.

I started speaking out against this, but was harassed by the company and the union. Finally, I quit and relocated my family.

[revcarol]

30. Need to repeal most of the Taft-Hartley Act.

Kucinich is for thias. Will be a labor president.

Sorry to campaign here, but when you are talking about unions, wouldn't it be nice to have a union supporter at the top?

I see unions settling for the LCD (Least Common Denominator)candidates in so many elections. In my Congressional district, the Dem candidate supported the "right to starve!!" If we are not politically active on all levels, the union movement will be a thing of the past.

[Malva Zebrina]

32. labor has to get back some of it's power

my husband , at the age of seventy, recently went to work inthe local supermarket for four hours a day, five days a week. He does the janitorial work, including cleaning the toilets.

It brings in some money that we desperately need in order to pay for some costs involvintg our furnace and frozen pipes in this very very cold northeastern winter.

We could not have paid these bills if he did not bring in that money. We could have over a period of time I guess, but it was really an anxious time.

This week, the supermarket, large corporation, cut his hours down to three hours a day from four.

This is wrong.

The employer should be make to sign a contract guaranteeing the employee the amoung of hours they were hired for.

The excuse was that they "could not make the payroll"

Puleez--how much of this do people have to endure? It is probably better to go to welfare than to be subjected to this jerking around.

We do our best to remain independant and to pay our way. This should not be allowed. The worker is being treated like a piece of shit.

The workers also should have the opportunity to treat the corporation like a piece of shit.