It's a living!

I have found a couple of idiots in the threads who have a rather unique perspective on the reichwing quest to eliminate unions from our employment landscape. They think that unions are holding them back in their quest for more pay and that they, and you and you and you, can better negotiate your wages, all by yourself. Interesting. I wonder who told them that?

One of them reports that she was told by her boss that he wanted to pay her more money but that if he did, he'd be in violation of the union contract. She's never mentioned the union or what type of work she does but, I don't think it involves rocket science or brain surgery. Likely she makes widgets in a factory. She's also very upset that lesser employees than she make as much money as she and get the same raises. The outrage.

Like alot of people who don't belong to unions, she feels that unions were once a viable force in this country and they did some good but, now they just support democrats so, fuck 'em!

Yikes. Unions are supporting democrats AND keeping individuals from getting their due in the lucrative widget-making business.

So, thank you, union men and women of the past for your blood, sweat, tears and collective bargaining but, we don't need you anymore and can do oh-so-much better without you. The bathwater is dirty now, out with the baby! Thanks too for the 40 hour week, 8 hour day, overtime, child labor laws and all the other evils you wrought upon us. These things all *seemed* nice and necessary at the time and we enjoy them now (thanks to you all, admittedly) but we don't need you and your dues (and support of democrats) anymore.

Of course what the widget-making gal is missing here is that ALL of those other perks will go missing too once unions are on life's milk carton. She doesn't realize that and suspects they all would have evolved naturally WITHOUT unions as employers realized that, to keep good workers, good workers should be rewarded. Even OSHA, she said, would exist today, brought into creation by employers concerned for the safety of their employees.

Could you imagine a bunch of fat-cat mine owners sitting around, lighting their Cubans with hundred dollar bills and creating an organization to oversee their safety efforts and fine them tens of thousands of dollars for violating their regulations?

Sheesh. I'm not union. Never have been and likely, never will. But, I do have a dog in this fight. I have friends and relatives who are public and private sector union people and I, as a tradesman, also value the past struggles of the unions and the aforementioned good things they brought us. I know that when the unions are gone, those benefits will be gone too. Without collective bargaining, without the prescence of unions, wages will be whatever employers want to set them at. The same with work hours. Safety costs money. Fuck safety.

And fuck the widget-maker if she thinks she's special. There's 300+ million people who all feel they are special. Sans her union- sans ALL unions- when she asks for a raise she'll GET a cut in pay. If she doesn't like it, she can lump it. With a labor pool over 300 million, her boss will have no trouble getting someone to take her job at HIS price. Eight dollars? Five? Two? Who knows?
I'm sure corporations salivating (masturbating?) at the prospect. It might get ridiculous at first, bordering on slavery or indentured servitude but, it will even out. I promise you won't be making what you used to, no matter what you do for a living.

"....do for a living...." Those words will soon be literal in our country. You will be taking what your given because....you ARE working for a living. Without unions, there will be no recourse. No one will have your back.

The republicans/teapublicans are already trying to also get rid of unemployment insurance, workmens compensation, the minimum wage- anything that *smacks of socialism* and might inhibit corporate profits.... As if that weren't insane enough, it's more insane that ordinary working people would support them in this. That's like wanting to make love but going to a prison to do it. Oh- you'll get fucked for sure. you just won't have any control over where, when and how much.

Forget what the unions have fought for while you give it away. That you are willing to give it away shows how weak, foolish and ignorant you are. This is America. From the ashes of this insanity, brave men and women will one day rise up against the oppression. It will take blood, sweat and tears. People will die. But in a few generations, these brave men and women will prevail. All will benefit from their struggle and we'll have what our brothers and sisters had back in the 20th century, what the fucking pussies of the 21st willingly gave away. Their chidren's children will have all this too....

Or, we could fucking fight to keep what we have....now? Ya think?