Reply #24: AMEN Don!!!

[ikojo]

Why is it that people think unions (remember only 13% of the American workforce is in a union) have too much power? I am one who believes there is NOT enough unionization in the US.

Notice that with decreased unionization you have:
-a greater disparity in wealth
-longer work days for less pay
-an assault on overtime pay--while the French and German governments may try to take away some of the perks enjoyed by their workers, the power of the unions and strong class consciousness cause people to bring those countries to a halt when this happens. In the US people figure it's par for the course and as long as they can watch their TV and pay for cable everything is fine.
-more and more people doing without health insurance and thus inadequate access to health care in this the wealthiest country on the planet.

Just for the record I am among the 87% of the American workforce not in a union but I thank my union brothers and sisters as well as their forebears for the following:
-the weekend
-paid vacations
-company provided health insurance (yeah I am one of the fortunate ones who has insurance provided by the employer)
-overtime pay while it still exists

What many don't realize is that many of the above "perks" were provided by corporate America to non union employees as a way to forestall union organizing. They would tell their employees that they did not need a union because all a union would do is take your money. Why unionize, asks corporate America, when "we" already give you vacations and such?

I think unions need to do a much better job educating their members on WHY unions came into existence. They do a woeful job of that. Workers need to know that the battle between owners and employees is millenia old and the best solution and armor in that battle is a union.