We hate Unions, but don't take it personally. It's just not hip.

[Neshanic]

You see, the anti-union crowd here just can't help it. They were running around in training pants as Reagan told the air traffic controllers to take a powder. Then they had the blue sky promises of technology and the information society saving everyone as they grew up, andwere fed on the daily propoganda of unions being so confining, strict, rigid, and above all freedomless. This freedom thing does not go over well with the kids wacking away on the dot com frenzy and working till midnight in Photoshop with the stench of old pizza filling the rooms. This is what it is all about. Freedom to be worked till all hours of the night and day, weekend included, because it's the freedom thing. The boss always paid for your work and value to the company, andif that did not work out, Hell there are a zillionother joints to work at and we got soda machines that don't take money!

Well it kinda sucks now, and unions are still seen as backwards early 20th century oddities, not well versed for our new way of work. Work that can be done at all hours ofthe day and night and is expected, the luxury of getting another gig right away gone, having decent rights and hours are the way of the Dodo now, as people line up 500 deep for jobs at In-N-Out.

You really can't blame them. They have no clue of the workers killed and maimed while doing "work", and the riots that occured so they could live and work as humans should. The republicans did a number on them, and it took 20 years, but they did it. They made Unions the evil,and the owners the benevolent.

That is why we have the bizzare disconnect with anti-union people on the board. They just have the wrong upbringing and knowledge of unions.

Oh, and my take on the Car free for all. No money,UNLESS they fire management, and take care of the union workers. But since firing private jet management is a non starter, then we really have no options.

[Romulox]

1. I have to LOL at some of these anti-union vultures whining about H1Bs.

I can tell you right now, we need a large increase in the number of H1Bs.

Out of work autoworkers can't be expected to pay the inflated salaries of these hipsters. :eyes:

[JDPriestly]

2. You are spot on. Unions are the center, the heart, of the liberal and progressive movements.

And with them is anti-trust law. And right now, the U.S. is suffering primarily because of a weak union movement and weak enforcement of anti-trust law. Up with unions and down with mega-corporations.

[xchrom]

3. there is no more important institution than in this country

than a union.

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. Agree!

:thumbsup:

[CTyankee]

11. Unions are getting stronger here in CT. A coalition of unions, prochoice and progay folks

defeated our ballot question on calling a Constitutional Convention (to take away union rights, gay rights to marriage, weaken choice).

Our strong unions are ones whose jobs cannot be outsourced: SIEU and AFSME. My husband is a municipal employee and AFSME member. We have great retirement and health care benefits!

Also the teachers union. As long as we have public schools here we can have that union.

Has anybody noticed that the people who can afford to retire are teachers and government employees? Everybody else works like a dog...

On edit: here in New Haven, you can add Yale employees to the list of folks who can retire. Yale has a rich benefit package...

[John Q. Citizen]

4. You want to run General Moters without management?

[Neshanic]

8. No, with the entrenched spectacularly stupid and corrupt replaced with new.

[TexasProgresive]

9. It's been with out "Management" for years

Mostly mismanagement.

[louis-t]

5. I've always laughed at the phrase "right to work"

What the hell does that mean?I believe the repugs are lying when they state that UAW workers get $77 an hour incl. benefits. I have a cousin who claims union workers must pay $10 per hour to the union and that the difference in pay is due to union dues.:crazy:

[PVnRT]

Anti-union? Care to post some examples?

I see plenty of people who don't like the Big Three, and maybe a couple of low-post trolls stirring shit, but I've hardly seen anti-union sentiment.

Unless, of course, you buy into the with-us-or-against-us garbage, like during the run-up to the Iraq war.

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. The general sentiment is pro-union, but there have been many,

many posts that lay a lot of our problems at the feet of the unions - mostly, I suspect, kids from "right to work" states expounding on opinions they got from Dad. They are generally posted by people who know nothing of unions, and all they've heard is rigged elections, Mafia, Hoffa, corrupt bosses, etc., and not context for it all.

Believe me, they're here.

[ContinentalOp]

7. WTF are you talking about? I never see any union bashing here.

Have any links?

[county worker]

10. As a member of SEIU

I have a defined benefit retirement plan, paid health care, a medical savings account, 12 days vacation each year, 12 regular holidays and a floating holiday. I’ve had 3 raises so far this year.

I make well over the median income.

When I was growing up this was the case for most workers until the union busting began.

If you want to live better, join a union.

Every industry and every employer has an industry group advising them how to take advantage of the worker and the worker has no group supporting him/her in this battle unless he/she is organized.

Unions are the only way to level the playing field.