Please show your support for American Labor...

[JeffreyWilliamson]

I'm posting this after thinking about a reply I posted in the Labor forum.

I'm thinking that while there have been a lot of threads here that have been debated recently, I haven't seen one where we, regardless of small disagreements, show our support for Labor. That has made our Union member posters feel like we don't support them, when we really do.

I usually buy American, and support our domestic companies, but have found myself on a tighter budget lately and have been forced to cut corners, as I'm sure many of us have. I want to show those DUers that are Labor members that, while I have to make some compromises these days, I support them morally and appreciate all that they represent and that they do for people like me.

Please join me in supporting them by kicking/recommending this thread.

[Odin2005]

1. K&R!

[Stinky The Clown]

3. In this thread, I wish to be known as "SonUvaTeamster"

[TahitiNut]

17. OK... then I'll be "ReutherPal"

:dunce:

[Kalyke]

28. I'll be "USADriver"

[flpab]

51. Union house here!

We know the crap that Unions are put through. My husband was out on strike for 147 days last year. NASA really wanted to break the Unions at Kennedy space Center.

We loved that our Obama stuff was Union made and made in the USA!!

[senseandsensibility]

2. Certainly

Labor did not cause the economic mess that we are in now, yet we are being asked to foot the bill. Someone has to speak up for the workers.

[BlooInBloo]

4. Some might argue that giving brazillions of $ to the *executives* does not in fact help the worker.

[JeffreyWilliamson]

6. It may indeed not...

But this thread isn't about that. It's about supporting our fellow posters who are Labor members. Not in what the corporate execs they are forced to work under want, but what they themselves represent.

[Joe Fields]

5. always glad to show my support. k&r!

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

7. K&R

[Upfront]

8. k&R

[Cerridwen]

9. Add me to the list. K & R n/t

[Greyhound]

10. I'm always behind the workers. K&R

:kick: & R

[gristy]

11. Union labor rocks

When you want it done right, hire union.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. kick

[hendo]

13. I buy foreign

then again, foreign autos are built in the US now. So really, I am supporting American workers.
:)

[lumberjack_jeff]

26. But you are not supporting "labor". n/t

[hendo]

35. Im not?

how so? thats news to me. Anytime you buy anything, you are supporting the people who made it.

[lumberjack_jeff]

38. "Anytime?" Thousands of chinese inmates thank you for your support.

When you buy a car from the big three, you are supporting organized labor. Buy a Japanese brand and you are not.

[hendo]

41. what? you cant be serious

the big 3 manufacture cars in Mexico.

And Chinese inmates, wtf? have you ever been to China? I have been to multiple manufacturing plants in China and they are far from inmates.

You do realize that there are Japanese cars built in the US, right? And employees at Toyota are far more valued than the employees at any of the big 3 companies.

Once the big 3 build something that I will actually drive, then I will think about getting a car from them.

[lumberjack_jeff]

42. You cannot support labor (as opposed to "workers") by purchasing from non-union businesses.

Labor (the noun) is by definition, organized.

You may be supporting workers, but you are not supporting, or supportive of, labor.

Shop at Wal-mart - you can support lots of workers there. Some of 'em even earn enough from your "support" to eat.

[hendo]

64. Im still wondering

how you think Chinese workers cannot afford to eat. I have met a few thousand Chinese manufacturing workers, and by Chinese standards they are doing very well.

As for me, I support workers. I buy fair trade.

I repeat from earlier though. When the big 3 start making a good automobile I will buy from them. Until then I am going to by a "foriegn" car.

I used to drive Jeeps, but the new Jeeps aren't nearly as good as the old ones.

[Two Americas]

72. excuse me

No one is particularly interested in your personal consumer habits and elaborate justifications and rationalizations for them. You are arguing an anti-Labor point of view, and this thread is for acknowledging out union brothers and sisters and expressing our support for organized Labor.

"By Chinese standards they are doing very well" is a management point of view, and anti-Labor point of view. There is no "by Chinese standards" for management, for capital. They operate globally. There is no excuse for expecting Labor to be held to a different, and discriminatory standard. Exploitation of workers in China is an abomination, and the trickle down global prosperity through the free market doctrine has been completely discredited, as well as thoroughly rejected by the American voting public, not to mention contradictory to the ideals of organized Labor.

[Snotcicles]

78. Something tells me, they never will build something you will drive. No matter how good it is. nt

[JVS]

52. Then maybe the UAW should organize those plants.

[lumberjack_jeff]

54. Perhaps. Sadly, I think that would give some DU'ers an excuse to avoid those brands. n/t

I often think that some DU'ers have a fairly superficial commitment to labor.

[amborin]

75. hard enough trying to organize smyrna, tennessee

[JVS]

82. Well organizing Detroit was no picnic either, so it just needs to be done.

Any organization that wants to be taken seriously as the United Auto Workers has to face the times and not restrict itself to being the Big 3 Auto Workers.

The people making the other cars are auto workers too and should be represented by the union.

[amborin]

92. most of the auto industry for us markets is in the us....we need to organize here

in the south

where all the transplants are using cheap us labor

[needledriver]

33. For me, an auto "Made in America"

means made in America by UAW workers. That includes "foreign" vehicles like the Toyota Tacoma or Mitsubishi Eclipse or Mazda B-series pickups, but does NOT include good ol' Murican names like Chrysler PT Cruiser (Mexico), Saturn Vue (Mexico) Chevrolet HHR (Mexico). When it came time to trade in my US made Vue for a new Mexico made Vue, I demurred, and got a Jeep Patriot instead.

29 MPG, too!

[Snotcicles]

79. Don't forget the Mazda 6, built in FlatRock MI. nt

[Elwood P Dowd]

14. I am waiting for the DUers who worship fake free trade deals and outsourcing

to post. We really have some very sophisticated republicans masquerading as progressive dems that have been posting on this board for years. The mods have been giving them a pass. I won't name names, but check out this thread . . . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4575533

[Raksha]

60. Yeah, I noticed!

Re We really have some very sophisticated republicans masquerading as progressive dems that have been posting on this board for years.

I spent quite a bit of time on that thread yesterday, and couldn't believe so-called "Democrats" were spouting the neoliberal party line like that. Sounded like a bunch of libertarians! I felt like telling 'em, "Hey, Free Republic's THAT way!"

[gorfle]

87. it just depends.

to post. We really have some very sophisticated republicans masquerading as progressive dems that have been posting on this board for years.

Well, I guess there are different shades of progressives. Some people are farther to the left than others. I'm for social programs and national health care, but I'm pretty anti-union. I feel like Unions did a great service getting the labor laws we have in place today but now they just serve as extortion muscle to get corporations to pay more for labor services than they would pay in a free market, thus making the products they produce more expensive than they need to be.

In my view, labor obligations are what got the Big 3 in the state they are right now. Particularly with the benefits they have to pay retirees.

Now don't get me wrong - I think the Big 3 made those commitments to workers over the years in exchange for their working, and so I think they should have to sell everything down to the pencils before they are allowed to disregard their obligations to such workers. But I doubt the Big 3 would have made those commitments if it weren't for Union extortion forcing them to do so, and now the weight of those obligations (coupled with the fact that no one wants or can afford what they are making) is dragging them under.

When I buy something, I don't care who made it. I'm interested in two things: price and quality. I'll happily buy Union-made products - as long as they win on price and quality. But I'm not going to artificially pay more just for the heck of it.

[OhioChick]

15. K&R

:kick:

[FrenchieCat]

16. K & R

[roguevalley]

18. K & R FOREVER!

[Kitty Herder]

19. K&R

[shoppertunist]

20. While I kick this, here's my favorite history of the American labor movement...

http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2005/10/28/sakaisettlersocr.pdf

:)

[ColbertWatcher]

22. Here's a link to my favorite ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_General_Strike

[ColbertWatcher]

21. Kick and rec for people who work for a living and the unions that support them.

I think taking down bad corporations like Wal-Mart will go a long way toward bringing back unions in this country.

[BrklynLiberal]

23. K&R

[Pastiche423]

24. K&R!

[Waiting For Everyman]

25. A big K&R !

I'd boycott everything not American-made if there was a practical way to do so. I drive a Chevy and would like another one next - obviously I want our car industry saved. I want our tariffs back, our manufacturing back, and offshoring stopped along with H1B visas. I'm done with the whole global lie entirely. I want our sold-off assets back. I want the multi-national corporations untangled and confined to borders where they're accountable for what they do - maybe we can't legislate that, but we can certainly make it too expensive for them to do, tax-wise.

Labor is what stands between us, and the Corporatists finishing us off entirely. You bet I'm for 'em! And I'm for the "card" law they're pushing for now.

My parents were both career school teachers, and I remember how much our family changed when they were unionized in the early 1960's. For the first time, they didn't have to take out loans each summer when they were not paid at all, and work until Christmas paying it back.

[Raksha]

61. Very well said!

Re Labor is what stands between us, and the Corporatists finishing us off entirely.

[amandabeech]

74. You said it so well! I drive a Taurus that was mostly made in the U.S.A.

I'm thrilled when I can find anything other than food made here!

Sometimes I go to thrift shops because at least the stuff has already been imported and I won't cause any new ones!

My Mom was a teacher and I, too, remember what it was like when the NEA got a contract--better wages and great benefits.

My Swedish bachelor part-time farmer uncle is a UAW retiree from GM. I sure hope that he continues to get at least a Medi-Gap plan and that his pension isn't cut too much. He and my Mom live in Michigan, and a lot of people are hurting there and in surrounding states.

I myself worked as a union-side labor lawyer for 2.5 years. I realized that I'm just not the type to go to court, and had to leave, but my heart's still there!

[Kalyke]

27. K and R

[we can do it]

29. I Am Totally Here For the American Workers

[sonias]

30. Unions -The Folks That Brought You the Weekend

One of my favorite bumper stickers because it's true. If you leave it to the capitalist robber barons we'll all be slaves.

I stand with my brothers and sisters in labor unions.

:fistbump:


Sonia

[madokie]

31. Well I'm going to kick this baby

and I've already rec'ed it. Upon my return from the service back in late '70 I went to work at one of the only local manufacturing plants that was hiring and worked there for a few months. During that time I and my co-workmate became interested and worked our asses off in bringing in the union. We finally do get a vote to unionize on a friday and it passed handily and then when we came in to work monday morning the company was no more. Loaded up and moved, all the equipment, raw materials and finished products and left. They warned us that they would do just that but stub, my co-hort, and I didn't believe them, I do now. I did and I think he too, felt bad for a long time because we caused a lot of people to loose their jobs. No one that we worked with blamed us, that I'm aware of and in fact most showed us respect because we were trying to help. misguided but help we tried. The company relocated across the state line and continued to operate for years, non union.

[Mabus]

32. I support American Workers and Unions

:kick: and :thumbsup:

[whathehell]

34. "Unions: The anti-theft device for working people"

I'm the child of Union parents and I support American Labor a thousand percent"

[yardwork]

36. k&r for labor!

[Laelth]

37. k&r

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth

[mirrera]

39. k & R

[Hubert Flottz]

40. I nominate Bob Corker for "Rat Of The Week"

UBC&J since 1973

[earth mom]

43. Huge K & R!

:kick:

[cascadiance]

44. I'm wanting to buy a hybrid car in a year or two...

... to replace the guzzler I have now. I was thinking of a Prius, but if the auto industry would REALLY get its act together, and not only restore its priorities right and build the right car, but do a damn good job quality-wise as well building certain cars that are the "next generation" of hybrids, electric, etc. cars, that sort of "greenifying" the automobile landscape could really help our economy, as I think there would be a huge movement by many of us to "buy American" this time to not only help the planet with reducing carbon emissions, but help the auto industry and the economy, and help ourselves hopefully with a really well-built car. Having a well-built American car would also help the consumer collectively, not having a lot of expenses associated with a poorly built car that either they have to foot the bill on, or the auto industry has to foot the bill on with warranties.

If the auto industry would really solicit a lot of help from the outside in doing it right the next two years to make a real killer car for us to buy, I think that would really make a difference again. I think there are many of us that feel if we have expertise or any sort of valuable opinions of what would make a great car for us, that we'd be very happy to spend time giving our input to the industry, and hopefully if they're good at listening, we'll be able to bring it back a few years from now.

[rhett o rick]

45. It's not fair or reasonable to ask struggling Americans to pay more and buy American.

I support American when I can, and never go to WalMart. But, what we need to do as a society is get our government, and it is our government to set tariffs or whatever to protect American goods and American workers.

Those of you with a chip on your shoulder, and I don't blame you, please read my post before you fly off the handle.

I am a union supporter.

[barbtries]

46. will do

and i do.

[Geek_Girl]

47. K&R

I'm hoping to get my old job back and join my old union. I'm currently contracting but have seen some strong movement in recent weeks that my company will be hiring direct employees instead of using contractors. When I do get hired back I plan on joining back up and participating more than I did.

As for the Bailout I'm somewhat on the fence. I hate to see people loose their, jobs pensions ect... and I think in the end congress should do everything they can so those folks aren't hurting.

I'm hoping in the coming years we will see a strong global labor movement.

[sampsonblk]

48. K&R - I support them morally and appreciate all that they represent

nt

[ozymandius]

49. Always read the label.

k&r

[pleah]

50. K&R Where would we be without them?

:toast:

[senseandsensibility]

53. kick

:kick:

[AzDar]

55. K & R ...

:kick:

[unkachuck]

56. K&R....n/t

[Oldtimeralso]

57. K & R n/t

[Bozita]

58. K&R

[Raksha]

59. I'll always support unions and American workers...

I'm from a blue-collar union family and it's in my blood, part of my heritage. It's a matter of principle too.

[dwilso40641]

62. K&R

from this Union House!

[WillyT]

63. Big K & R !!!

:kick:

[defendandprotect]

65. K&R --but got here late --

[LeahD]

66. K & R!!!

[LeahD]

67. Too late here too.

Guess I should have tried to recommend before I kicked.

[madmom]

68. Very pro union household here!

[Ken Burch]

69. Union member here!

InlandBoatmen's Union Of The Pacific, Alaska Region(ILWU).

Solidarity!

[hay rick]

70. kick

[illuminaughty]

71. Absolutely. I'm sick of them faulting the Unions

in the current crisis in the auto industry. They are trying to destroy what is left of Labor in this country.

[Two Americas]

73. hear hear

K and R.

[amborin]

76. big union fan here!

[12string]

77. Union Labor

It doesn't matter where you work,what your field,or even if you work for a non union employer,you can thank organized labor for any benefits,safety protocol,and whatever your wages they would be less if it wasn't for hard fought union contracts.

[TomClash]

Brothers, Sisters, Comrades and Friends

Recommended.

[Lifetimedem]

80. K&R

[Norrin Radd]

81. kick

Would recommend, but it isn't working.

[cpamomfromtexas]

83. YES we support you!

A union made sure I had a great childhood,

Daughter, wife, and sister of 3 union members...

[proReality]

84. We love union workers. n/t

[MilesColtrane]

85. For this thread, call me "MCAFofM".

[H2O Man]

86. Definitely.

I try to "buy American." When possible, I buy "local" products.

[Alcibiades]

88. Be American, buy American

I've been a proud union member in the past, and would love to be again in the future.

Good-paying unionized jobs were the key to the development of the American middle class and the prosperity that went with it. Until our unions are strong again, America cannot be strong.

I go out of my way to buy American-made products, and still look for the union label. Anyone who calls themselves a progressive should do likewise.

[Kajsa]

89. Support and a

big :kick: from me.

:)

[Bluenorthwest]

90. Union member since age 19

And that's been awhile.

[BoneDaddy]

91. Kick

KICKKICK

[valerief]

93. Unless we're born to the ruling/investor class, aren't we all labor? Don't we

all have work for a living?

[Common Sense Party]

94. That's what I thought. I was going to post "we are ALL labor."

I'm not Union, never will be, but I sure do labor for my paycheck.

[valerief]

97. Yeah, I guess if they mean union, it should be clearer. I'm all for unions, but

I'll never get to work for one either.

[Idealism]

95. We are all Labor workers :)

[Marrah_G]

96. You got it !

[jetphixer]

98. Retired Union here

Retired Member of Professional airways system specialists (PASS)