Corporate Greed, Unions, JE

[lisainmilo]

"In order to fully understand the history of labor unions, you must first understand why those labor unions were created. As a result of greed and market competition, the majority of employers have always hired the people who were willing to work for the least amount of money. Also, those employers put those employees in unsafe factories, and the work day was usually from Sunrise to Sunset with few holidays and no pay for those days off from the job.

In other words, those people were simply used, without regard to age or sex. Yes, children, no matter how young they were, were put to work in those filthy and unsafe environments, just as long as they could do the work. In many parts of our World, that practice still exists today, and some people still wonder why labor unions were created. It's only right that laws were created to protect the workers of the United States. It's too bad that that all of the other Countries of the World don't have similar laws in place."
http://www.helium.com/tm/573736/order-fully-understand-history



"Workers decided to organize
Those problems didn't stop workers in Wisconsin; they had already elected many Governors, Mayors, and City Council members who pledged to defend working people and family farmers against GREEDY CORPORATIONS. Workers even formed their own political parties to hold politicians accountable, and make sure the concerns of working families were always a top priority. Workers in other states also decided to form unions, and even organized councils of unemployed workers to help workers fight that had lost their jobs."

"Bosses fought back
These efforts were bitterly opposed by wealthy investors and factory owners who attacked union organizers as "radicals" and "reds," Communists and Socialists. But workers kept organizing in small meetings, then larger meetings, and eventually held strikes, marches, rallies, and sit-ins to demand the right to form unions, feed the poor, help the unemployed, and care for the elderly."

"Unity and action made progress possible
The organizing effort by workers made it possible for Franklin Roosevelt to be elected and support new laws that required companies to recognize unions in the private sector and negotiate contracts. Workers also pushed for reforms that created the Social Security system, unemployment insurance, and other benefits."

http://www.afscme3299.org/how-history.php



My point in posting this is simply, history not remembered will repeat itself. We are in a time when CORPORATE GREED ABOUNDS. Our jobs going overseas (article Death of a Nation: American Jobs Shipped Overseas http://deathofnation.blogspot.com/2007/05/american-jobs-shipped-overseas.html, destroying the US dollar, lay-offs, forced early retirements, corporate lobbyist to get (our?) representative to give bigger tax breaks, corporate lobbyists to get (our?) representative to change laws to benefit it's own growth, housing market dropping, etc. etc. etc. All the while making record profits!



Halliburton profits: http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/2007/07/record-profits-.html

KBR profits: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/construction_and_property/article2789062.ece

Titan, Blackwater making profits 2007...part of the budget (my taxes) http://media.www.leprovoc.com/media/storage/paper453/news/2007/02/14/Viewpoint/Big-Companies.Are.Making.Big.Profits.Off.The.War.In.Iraq-2726270.shtml

Blackwater profits: http://bucknakedpolitics.typepad.com/buck_naked_politics/2007/10/blackwater-uses.html

CACI profits: http://www.forbes.com/home/2007/09/05/fedex-humana-stocks-biz-wash-cz_atg_0905beltwaybet.html


Those are just the war profiteers. We spend 275 million dollars a day on the Iraq war alone
http://nationalpriorities.org/cms/costofwar those are my tax dollars!

















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































It is time for John Edwards

[oasis]

1. Good post.

Were photos supposed to follow the text?

[lisainmilo]

3. No, but computer went haywire while doing research on these thugs

I wanted to add a bit more, but was too tired at the time.
So here it is, here are more reasons we need JE

Chrysler cuts Profits Up - 13,000 jobs cut: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/feb2007/chry-f15.shtml
Gm slashing 30,000 jobs : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10138507/
Furniture Facturies moving overseas - NC & the Global Economy: http://www.duke.edu/web/mms190/furniture/case.html
Textile Firms Weave overseas : http://in.rediff.com/money/2006/jan/16textile.htm

[0007]

25. Good post lisainmilo and your right on about the Unions of America.

Unions catch the same kind of propaganda as do the Communist, the Terrorist and the sex perverts that Chris Hanson entraps. There are so many real life stories about unions and the good people that fought for them, that it would be impossible to lay out the truth for the brain washed walking zombies that believe other wise.

This guy was pegged as a dirty rotten pinko

[Nutmegger]

2. I'm strongly committed to John Edwards.

Big R&K!

[Froward69]

4. like the majority of your post

"hedge fund" Edwards will deliver exactly that... nothing

[The River]

5. It Must Be Nice

being so smart that you can predict what other people
will or will not do.

[Froward69]

6. Serously look at his

record. it is all about his ego. not you, me or America.

[The River]

7. I Have

and it's not perfect but here are a few items.

Edwards in the Senate:

Clinton Defense Leader in Impeachment Trial

Kennedy-Edwards-McCain Patients' Bill of Rights
Kennedy-Edwards Minimum Wage Raise Bills

Vote Against Bush's First Taxgiveaway

Vote Against Bush's Second Taxgiveaway

Vote Against $87 Billion "I support Bush's War Bill"

Wrote Bill that allowed individuals to buy prescription drugs from Canada (would save me thousands every year)

Wrote and Sponsored Bill that would make sexual orientation a legally protected category in job discrimination

Wrote Sunset Provision into Patriot Act

Floor leader for Feingold-McCain Campaign Finance Reform.

Voted against the Chilean trade agreement, against the Caribbean trade agreement, against the Singapore trade agreement, against final passage of fast track for this president.

And before that Edwards actually defeated a Republican incumbent in a Red State who had the Helms Machine with him.


That last point is important. Edwards was a Democratic Senator elected in very Red state.
Could it be that he was actually representing the views of the people who elected him?
You know, conservative Democrats in a conservative state?

[Froward69]

8. Do not get me wrong

I think Edwards would make a fine AG. this is what tore me.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071020/OPINION/71017035/1001
watch Edwards answers. his Ego Hangs out.

[The River]

11. Everyone Running For President

Has a HUGH! ego. It's a prerequisite for the job.

You see ego, I see self confidence.

If Biden is the nom I'll work, contribute and vote for him.

Will you do the same if it's Edwards?

[Froward69]

17. Holding my nose,

Knowing we will loose the GE... Yes I am die hard Dem... I will not vote for a republican at Gun point.

back to the confidence thing. Granted, Self confidence is a prerequisite for the job. But not ego mania! Thats Bushy boy in two words. In my view and a few million others. Thats Edwards also.

Remember above it all we are all Americans and republicans get to vote for or against our Dem nominee. Keeping our eye on the prize should be the objective here. Joe Biden is the ONLY candidate the Right would cross over for. as well as carry most if not all the Independents. ALL I repeat ALL of my colleagues who are disgruntled Republicans or libertarians. Will NOT vote for Edwards or Hillary. for president, Joe Biden is Their choice for America. If only die hard Dem's vote for a dem he will loose. Our candidate must have the majority of America backing him or her. Joe Biden is the ONLY one of our field who can do that.

[asdjrocky]

14. Yeah, it's a good thing Biden has no ego, how are those hair plugs working out?

[Froward69]

16. Better than a pretty boy

yuppie shit stain that capitalizes on others misfortune, (Katrina, Maytag) For his own political aspirations. must be too much testosterone for ya.

notice in this vid who does not applaud.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOXzyTGsC1c&e
Answer its Edwards...

[laureloak]

19. Nothing on your link showed JRE as egotistical.

[asdjrocky]

9. That's funny, coming from someone who's guy is in the back pocket of BOA.

By the way, why does Joe take money from lobbyist?

[Froward69]

10. he doesn't

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAnl7ybDwBg

[asdjrocky]

12. I'm really not trying to be rude-

But I really don't think someone who's candidate takes money from lobbyist should talk.

Jeff Connaughton (Quinn Gillespie & Associates)
Mark Gitenstein (Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw)
Jonathan Jones (Johnson, Madigan, Peck, Boland & Stewart)
Neil MacBride (Business Software Alliance)
Jeff Peck (Johnson, Madigan, Peck, Boland & Stewart)
Chris Putala (Earthlink)
Marty Russo (Cassidy & Associates)

Take a good look at the names, see where the people come from. No politician is perfect you know.

[asdjrocky]

13. And showing me a campaign add will convince me?

Come on, this is DU, you gotta do better than that. I guess if he says it, it must be true, right. You're only getting this sharp of treatment because of the way you came of in your original reply.

[lisainmilo]

15. This post is about the American Worker vs. Corporations

Corporate greed has run this country into the ground.......there is absolutely no denying that, ALL the democratic candidates are speaking about CHANGE? ............no denying that


The difference is will you choose a candidate for the people by the corporations or will you choose a candidate for the people, by the people?


It's not a difficult decision for me, I obviously choose the Peoples President....John Edwards over corporate greed.

[Froward69]

18. ok

Who is funded more by Hedge funds. corporations and Unions discriminate against the small business man. that is I. Joe says it best Himself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAnl7ybDwBg

[JohnLocke]

20. "Unions discriminate against the small business man"

Sure...

[Froward69]

22. when I

Do the Job for less, with higher quality. without paying Union dues. they sure as shit call me a scab.

[bread_and_roses]

23. Could you clarify this a bit? Are you lauding scabs? Or agreeing

that "unions discriminate against small business" owners?

Can you elaborate? Are you anti-union? Or think unions useless or irrelevant? I am not saying you take those positions, understand, simply asking, as that is how I read your posts, but they are cryptic enough to easily misinterpret.

[Froward69]

24. I am Independent

I work for myself. I live in a right to work state. I work as hard or as slow as I feel like. my business is multi family/Commercial Building maintenance. I have crossed picket lines to work as a private contractor. the price was negotiated by myself and the employer. I was labeled a scab as I was unaware of the strike at the time of the faxed contract.

when I went through my divorce I applied for multiple different Jobs to alleviate my financial woes. specifically two I'll address here. UPS and Fed EX. loading/Unloading airplanes... same job different Union ethic. although both paid the same. UPS being Union all of the union dues were allocated up front. If by some miracle, I were to be able to afford to make it to work on no take home pay. ( At UPS as most income went to Union dues straight away.) I could still be fired after the performance evaluation whilst all I did was work for the union Dues. (the union would not reimburse me the dues I just paid.) That is the first 30 days of work all I would have done was work for union dues.

now at Fed Ex I would have been paid the same and yet be able to pay the impending bills as soon as I received that first paycheck. still be subject to the 30 day performance eval. but much further ahead in those personal bills as well as gas to get to work without those union dues.

I am not anti union as long as the union respects the business and realizes the existence of the Union DEPENDS upon the success of the business. not the other way around. Demands that place the business in peril are not sustainable. however safe work places and flexible contracts to insure the success of the business, are imperative.

That question lingers. would a Union prefer a business to go bankrupt honoring a contract that is not flexible? without the business, the union has no basis for existence.

[Omaha Steve]

28. You live in a right to work state, cross picket lines and paid dues???

"I have crossed picket lines to work as a private contractor" Lines is plural meaning more than once. You didn't learn from the first contract you faxed and kept doing the same stupid mistake over and over?

Ya right. IF you get fired after a bad evaluation, I guess you aren't the hard worker you claim to be. I doubt you ever belonged to a union. You are talking about a hypothetical, but don't have your facts right. I'm shocked. Just shocked.

How about all the companies that go bankrupt that don't have a union? Answer that one. Bad management should not be blamed on a union. Also unions reduce work comp costs from education. Happy workers produce better because they want to continue to EARN a higher living standard. Why do minimum wage jobs have high turnover? Because there is no reason to perform more than a minimum effort either.

Unions are the backbone of the democratic party. Ask Joe Bidden. He has said on video several times he would not have been elected to his first or following terms as a US Senator IF NOT FOR UNIONS. Look it up. I heard him say it a few months ago in person. I bought his book and got the autograph and phone photos to prove it.

Unions want a safe work place. We don't want kids on the work site or office. Unions want a comfortable retirement. Decent affordable health care, etc... We promote workers as equals regardless of sex,sexual preference, race, etc... The same job earns the same wage. That is equality. You have probably heard this somewhere before. Oh ya, all the democratic presidential candidates use this old fashioned rhetoric.

OK. Bring it on!!!!

OS

[Froward69]

29. No I applied to both

UPS and FedEx. I would have taken the FedEx job Before the UPS job if I hadn't landed a contract with Fuller real estate. made my lawyer Bill and am living happily ever after. I am not knocking the need for nor the political clout unions provide. I am only questioning the desire for some unions to acquire ALL of the revenue from a new Hire. seems otiose.
The same Job Does not earn the same wage. its the Immigrant argument. A Union plumber is always more expensive than an Independent. or a printer... It goes back to the dues part as well as the price fixing I mentioned earlier.

hell here in Colorado at the Pepsi center where the National convention will be held. it is not a union workplace. that simple fact has become a threat from Unions as to holding the convention here. as it is a nice place that pays decently. yet is not union. The threat being pickets, Strikes and union organizers. Rushing into the state.

Is simply not being Union, a reason to strike and picket? Should someone who wishes not to join the Union be forced to? or forced to pay dues?
the answer to all is NO.

and yet in some places one cannot work if one does not join.

I am sure you defer.

[Omaha Steve]

30. Your still missing a few points

Can you even guess why Fed Ex pays comparable to UPS????

"and yet in some places one cannot work if one does not join" So it is OK the UNION is forced to negotiate for the non member that it doesn't collect dues from in a right to work state? It HAS to provide a lawyer, negotiating team, etc... The union shop also usually makes more $ per hour and benefits. Just what is so fair about that?

The union contract provides for seniority, equal pay for equal education and time worked etc... You just don't seem to understand US law. I'm the chief steward of my local. I have to know state & federal law. I don't get paid for it. I have to go to class at my expense etc... Twice in my life I have been fired illegally. TWICE I have been reinstated with back pay benefits etc. including June of this year because a union backed me up. My first case from 1980 is online: http://www.nlrb.gov/shared_files/Board%20Decisions/261/261-38.pdf My case this year was settled before going to arbitration, so there is no online link. It cost my local over $5,000 for a member that pays $480 a year. ALL FOR ONE!

I remember just 10 days ago a union pulled the pickets so Oprah and Obama could appear in a non union auditorium. Just three weeks ago SAG pulled pickets so Liz Taylor could raise funds for aids research. Both stories happened and are in the labor forum.

"The same Job Does not earn the same wage. its the Immigrant argument." IF he or she works in a union shop, they get the same pay. It is called a contract. How many years does a plumber study to pass his certification. Even a master plumber starts as an apprentice at low pay. And the union movement is all for signing up people with non native american names. You know the Irish that couldn't find work in the US 100 years ago. The Chinese. Long list. My grandmothers sir name was Rose. Native Cherokee. My father was looked down on because he was 1/2 native in Southern Indiana. A union allowed him to make a decent living on a third grade education.

New hires don't get all the income upfront or ever. Can you post anything to back you up on that?

You don't mind crossing a picket line but point fingers at Immigrants for working for less? Very strange indeed.

[Omaha Steve]

31. Another mistake I missed last night

Colorado is NOT a right to work state.

http://www.nrtw.org/rtws.htm

[bread_and_roses]

27. workers who cross picket lines ARE scabs - why should they be called anything else?

should they be called something else if they are working for "small" as opposed to "big" businesses? Why? The act is the same, with the same effect.

I didn't realize that it was you who said that unions "discriminate" against small business. I don't see any back up for that assertion, since I don't see how being called a scab for the act of crossing a picket line = discrimination. Just how do they discriminate?

[asdjrocky]

26. Hi there!

You never answered my question about BofA. In fact, all you showed me was a silly little campaign video. But I see you don't believe in Unions, so that doesn't surprise me.

Oh well, at least you support a candidate that has become irrelevant.

Good luck.

[Zorra]

21. Kucinich is my candidate, and John Edwards is my 2nd choice by far.

JE is saying a lot of the right things, and if Kucinich can't get enough support I fervently hope John Edwards does.

These two are not afraid to buck the status quo and effect genuine productive change.