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Monday, September 3, 2012

Labor Day - Think Union & Thank Unions

Today – you should be thanking Labor Unions for everything that they have brought to the American workplace.

Part of my college education was paid for with a Teamsters scholarship - so you could call me a union brat.
My dad busted his a$$ for 35 years as a truck driver and the Teamsters were always there for him and the other drivers fighting for safer working conditions, negotiating hours behind the wheel times, and appropriate pay and benefits.  If it was up to my dad's employer he would have been on the road 24/7, with no safety protection for loads and unloads and making pennies on the hour - I know, I watched how the union worked on his behalf for most of those 35 years.

During my work life I have worked under the banners of CWA, IAM, and AFSCME.  When I was in a union shop - I knew I had a decent wage for what I did; I had the right to file a complaint; there were set rules and regulations; and there was equity in wage schedules.  For the past fourteen years I have worked in non-union shops and the workers get screwed everytime - the rules change on the whim of the manager, we have no voice (shut up or get out) and there is no wage schedule equity in the workplace.

A million years ago I worked for a manufacturing company at a time when the factory workers were unionized and the office workers were not.  The office workers had almost no benefits and crappy pay.  I started a union movement and because of my actions – the office workers got the same benefits as the union and the pay became more reasonable / acceptable.  The office workers didn’t unionize because management gave them what they deserved – what the factory union members already had.

Your employer only gives you benefits because they do not want you to unionize.
Because of this ALL Working Americans have benefited from the labor unions.

If the threat of unionization is no longer a reality in the United States your employer can take away the following benefits with no worries.  Your loss - their gain!
Vacation
Sick Time
Health Insurance Benefits
Dental Insurance Benefits
Vision Benefits
Five Day Work Week
Paid Holidays
Time Off on Holidays
Bereavement Leave
Paid overtime
A decent wage, higher than the minimum wage
The minimum wage
Safe working conditions
Child Labor Laws
Unemployment insurance
Workers compensation
And much, much more.

Your wages are livable and you have benefits because of the unions. 
Corporate America is only concerned with profits
– and that philosophy equates to low wages and long hours. 

Right now the corporate run Republican party is trying to destroy worker protections.
The are trying to dismantle
The National Labor Relations Board
The Department of Labor.
As a favor to their corporate donors.

ALEC legislators at the state and federal level are pushing for right to work for less laws – as a gift to their corporate profit sector members.

The Republicans want you to believe a series of LIES that the Republicans have constructed as payola to their Corporate financiers. 
In relation to the rest of the developed countries – trade union membership in the United States – SUCKS!  Republican politicians want the people of America to believe that unions in America are an anomoly across the globe - that is a LIE!

Trade union membership is NOT considered a bad thing in other parts of the world.. 
Trade union membership is only downgraded in United States because corporations buy off politicans to destroy unions - to lower wages and decrease benefits.

Look at these countries - these are countries that house the largest multi-national companies in the world.  Large multi-national companies are use to having a unionized labor force - in countries where the public and the politicans support unions.  Even small and medium size busineesses in those countries flourish - with union workers.

Do you see China, Mexico, Taiwan, India or the Phillipines listed there - NO!
Do you want to make a dollar a day for the work you do?

As the number of union members decreases so does middle class income in the United States.


A decrease in union participation -  destroys everyone's wages!!!
If you care about the survival of the middle class – you need to start caring about unions!!!!

The Republicans want you to believe the LIE that union wages are too high -   
What the Republicans have done is sold you a LIE –

Unions don't negotiate for "too much pay" - they fight for appropriate pay, equitable pay and benefits for the goods and services the worker provides and what the company can afford to pay!

Unions do not want to put businesses out of business.  If union contracts demanded too much and the business had to close - the union members would be out of a job.  Unions work with the business to create wage and benefit fairness and equity.

The Republicans are selling you a LIE - becausetheycan.
They've made you believe that you don't deserve a better work environment, a more equitable work environment, a work environment where you have a voice and a vote, better pay and benefits.
Republican LIES have convinced you that you don't deserve better in the workplace. 
The Republican LIES have convinced you that you should have no voice and no rights in the workplace.
The Republican LIES have convinced you to be happy with less.

If it was up to them:
Corporate America would not and will not give you livable wages and benefits willingly. 
Corporate America focuses on satisfying the stockholder – not the workers.
Unions have been fighting for decades to protect the American worker
– it doesn’t matter if you belong to a union or not
– you are reaping the benefits from the dedicated and on-going work of unions on behalf of the American worker.

Unions work to stop the "race to the bottom" by employers who cut wages and benefits in favor of bigger profits.


If the unions go away
your livable wage and your benefits will eventually go away!

If your benefits were taken away – would you just sit back and do nothing?
I thought not.

So TODAY is the day you should choose to unionize
– before the Republicans succeed in turning the United States into a third world country.

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