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    Unions--For or against?

    The unions are a hot topic at the moment, so lets chat about it. If you can tell me exactly what the unions have done for/to you, please do. For or Against?

    +3  Views: 3200 Answers: 14 Posted: 13 years ago
    gary

    the unions are a necessary evil. ask yourself, how many hours a day do you work? do you have a 40hr work week? do you get health benefits? these actions a but a few and the unions got them for all of us.

    slackeribew

    along with unemployment medicare workman comp.overtime pay etc. start breaking down unions will all be working for peanuts.

    walterwithgod

    the union killing this country,wake-up and smell the coffee

    14 Answers

    I don't know how i feel about union's,after 25 years in the printing field i was able to get into a union shop,which only took up 3 of those 25 year's,then they shut down,so now at 56 year's old i'am out of work.We were more than willing to give back,but it was too late.It was the best job i've ever had but had don't pay the bills,been out of work since june and i'am very depressed and don't know what to do.And to beat all i left a good job to take this union job. So are union's good or bad,i don't know i just want to get back to work somewhere,this shit is killing me.

    Cross

    I hear you on that! I have been out of work for about one year now. If it wasn't for my saving every penny that I could while working, I would be out on the streets right now. Now that money is running low, the econemy is running rampant, and jobs being sent to other countries because of the cheap labor, I have to really set my eye on possibly moving to a location that I can afford. That means moving out of this state and into a cheaper one. I won't mind working for an illegal aliens pay, just as long as I can bring home some cash.

    Well growing up as a child my Dad was a coal miner when Unions really meant something. Today they do not stand for and stand up for like they used to, but I do believe in Unions and believe they should once again be what they used to be and stand for the working man so to speak and their rights.

    Cross

    Thank you for your answer! Do you believe that before all the trouble started happening financially with this country, unions did damage, or good?

    walterwithgod

    the union is the worst thing for this country,why is it that i lost my job because i did not want to be a member of the union,also the union using the money for the democrat,i thougth i leaved in a free country,but when they try to force me to be a member then i know that U.S.A. is no longer a great country

    I guess I'll put my two cents into this so here goes Unions are not just about wages Unions at one time were to protect their members from shady employers who exploited their workers , made them work in unsafe conditions, 60 hr. weeks were the normal work week, Bad working conditions were the industry standard , a piece of equipment meant more to the employer than a worker did, equipment had to be purchased ,workers were not. Unions were to protect their members from bad employers not just more wages better working conditions and better work rules. Remember this when Unions are not around see how good of a employer you will have to work for

    Cross

    People outside of the unions also are protected, don't forget that! I am glad that you brought up such important points. This country used to be in that condition, and it looks like we are about to head there again. Thank you for your answer.

    NRHJIM

    Companies outside the union have a habit of giving non union workers comparable wages to that of union workers. These companies will threaten their non-union workers if they go union,also. Unions not only help union workers, but also non-union workers due to this practice.

    unions not only benefit those in the union but also set rates for nonunion members by setting a higher pay scale,without unions we all would be woking for 5.00hr

    matheneyg

    When you work in a non union Co. they can just walk in tell you they have just cut your wages and benifits if you have any and there is not a dam thing you can do about it. hit the road if you don't like it. I worked at 3 different companies that did exactly that.

    Here is what they have done for my family. They sent their jobs overseas. They have closed more manufactoring plants in AMERICA than an ATOMIC bomb would have. Our non payment of paroll taxes ( because we are not working ) along with our DICTATORSHIP's inability to control spending has broken AMERICA. And we as a whole are doing nothing about it. So, The unions and China now run AMERICA. It was fun while it lasted. We just need some more Kenyan's in our Dictatorship.

    Cross

    Waltereithgod, I totally agree with that. As for Sammy C, what you have just said is exactly what I have been saying for quite some time. Thank you for your responce.

    walterwithgod

    we have to get rid off all the union,and figth to bring back all the job from the forening country to USA

    So sad, but yes the government is broke because we have been giving tax breaks to large corporations that take jobs overseas and also people, like CEO's of these large companies, who make 700X as much as the average middle class American person. Blaming it on the Unions is outrageous.


    It is really carefully crafted spin that people are buying into, but the average everyday American is not getting rich anywhere here in the US. Don't fall for this nonsense. Unions aren't what they once were, but don't buy into corporate America spin story either. In Wisconsin they now want to end Unions, and the right to bargain on a collective basis. What comes next, the right to peacefully protest?

    Cross

    How does this effect you?

    walterwithgod

    how mush you think that the union ceo make? up to 500.00 i can do that job for 90.000,i feel sorry for the people on the union,how stupit are you members paying a ceo so mush money when they sit on there ass

    matheneyg

    The guy bashing unions must be sadly misinformed about unions and thats exaxtly what Corp. 's want spin something negative about how unions are destroying this country Bullcrap corporate greed is the culprit plus simple minded people who buy into the unions destroying this country that a big part of the problem

    The unions did allot for the working man, but then they got to strong and ran the jobs over seas, now were hurting, time for the unions to give back.

    Cross

    If you could explain how they ran the jobs over seas, it will help me have a fuller understanding of the type of damage they are doing.

    NRHJIM

    Jobs have been outsourced to overseas due to the lack of import taxes on foreign imports. It's a shame that corporations and their bought and paid for senators and congressmen have so much power over the USA. All they do is take the income away from deserving American people and would be workers. It's pitiful to think that the voters in this country can not see the full picture.

    Headless Man

    By raising the cost of items, through labor cost and material cost that jobs went overseas to save expense and make more for investors. Either that or go out of business.

    matheneyg

    Good statement there nrhjim thats something that has hardly ever been brought up when people blame the unions for all the countries troubles . Congress not the unions was in the pockets of the special interest groups if you want to blame a group blame congress thats where yhis countries troubles started, CONGRESSIONAL CROOKS

    matheneyg

    Unions did not run jobs overseas your government did that by haveing agreements with countries like Mexico sending their cheap made stuff here and not paring duties and tariffs The US Govt. is guilty not unions
    Headless Man

    Can't argue with you there matheneyg.

    First of all, why are unions important? Unions allow groups of workers to collectively bargain for better wages, insurance, safety issues, and for legal representation for unsafe or unhealthy work environments. Without unions, Blacks would still be sitting on the backs of buses, working for less than living wages, and in areas that no white would be caught dead in. Oh come on Mr. Death, that was the civil rights platform of the 60s, which had nothing to do with unions...OH don't you believe it. The real civil rights issues came in the mid 60s through the 80s alright, but it was the 1860-1880s with the railroads and special ladies cars, and Plessy verses Ferguson and all the other court cases that diminished the 14th amendment's protections. Black women sued the various establishments for equal protection. But the unions also jumped on board to protect all workers, not just the "White" workers. They pushed for things like health insurance, fair wages, and education for members and non members alike. Durning the Progressive era, the farmers also took a stand, fighting for the right to organize and to form cooperatives. The court cases and the strikes and the issues were settled with blood. Red blood from bullets and Pinkerton batons and men hired to crack skulls, and it didn't matter what color the skulls were. At the end of the day, union brotherhood united all. Unions and American Values go hand in hand.

    Back in the fifties their were strong unions in America. The economy was the strongest and the America lifestyle the best that it had ever been. Look at it now. Our jobs are overseas and America swimming in debt to foreign countries. China is your new boss.

    Cross

    China will be our new leaders if we don't stop borrowing from them. I wish that I had a joke for this to lighten the mood, but as it stands, I don't. This has completely spun out of control.

    seems to me that though the unions supposed to look after its members ours has sold us down the  river

    Unions are good when you work for a employer who is a BUTT to work for however if the company is one that treats their employees good then there is no need to have a union. Very simple thats what unions are for to represent the employees as one collective group .

    Well if they had been working under a union contract they would have had the right to not work in unsafe conditions and would have had job protection if they would have refused to work while the mine conditions weren't safe and the company would have not been allowed to fire them for not working unsafely hope this helps

    Headless Man

    If a union gave the right to not work in unsafe conditions and would have job protection if they would have refused to work while the mine conditions weren't safe. This would be great but they want to get a big rase every year and better benefits keep everyone working wether they do the job well or not, just pay your dues.

    I do believe this IF THERE HAD OF BEEN A UNION AT THE COAL MINE THAT BLEW UP AND ALL THOSE MINERS WERE KILLED THEY WOULD BE ALIVE TODAY

    Cross

    Can you explain? if it blew up and they died, how could being in the union have chaged that? Once they are dead, they are dead! Unless they were sent to intensive care and died there with no medical coverage when being in the union would have given them the coverage they needed to survive a bit longer. That, or they would have gone on strike before working under unsafe conditions. That may have saved them as well.

    The government is broke, and on the verge of a shutdown. In my opinion, we can not afford to keep the unions at this time, but we may have room for it later if so voted. We first have to put our econemy in the right direction, so that we can have the means to pay the amounts demanded by the unions. All that, if I was for the unions, but unfortunatlly for them I am not. We honestly don't need the unions in my opinion. They do more harm to the econemy than good, expecially now.

    matheneyg

    You are so wrong about your statement its exactly what anti union forces want people to believe, 1st of all wages and benifits are negotiated by collective bargining , that is a give and take affair between the 2 parties involved. If it was not for unions you had better believe your wages would be still at a dollar an hr. and you'd like it or else


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