madshark

I did belong to a union. The ILA, International Longshoreman's Union. Let me tell you how great they were. First, they were completely segregated. There was a white union hall and a black union hall. How's that for inclusion?

They required that twice the number of workers be on a job than was required to do the job. If unloading a grain ship required 8 people in the hold, 16 were hired. This was allegedly for "safety". We then did what was aclled double barrelling. Basically, 8 people would work, then the next 8 would work. You could double barrel based on each pallet of bags going out. Or by time. An hour on, an hour off. Some foremen would double barrel half a day on half a day off. Very often they just let us leave during the half day off. On the half day off you could go back to the union hall and get hired on another ship. I often found myself getting paid on one dock for driving cars off a ship and paid on another dock unloading grain, at the same time. Or I would be paid for being on a ship working, when I was actually on the beach in Galveston.

When I was 17 or 18, I thought this was great. When I grew up, I realized the negative impact on the economy all the waste, fraud and abuse unions encourage is. We have very strong labor laws. Today, unions are not necessary. They are hurting America and American workers. All the unions are today is money laundering operations for the democrat party.

Each State should pass a right to work law, and let the unions stand or fall based on merit.

madshark

No, no, no. After the union drove Hostess out of business, some Mexican pastry company bought them. We now have Twinkies, again. And a bunch of Mexicans now have the jobs Americans used to do. Thank you unions. That is what unions are good for, today. Driving manufacturing jobs out of the country.

madshark

And do you believe James Hoffa Jr. gives a damn about the "little guys"? If you do, you are delusional.

rickdri

Labor Unions have good points and bad points. The bad points outweigh the good points. I think most people stopped liking the unions when government allowed employees to unionize. These unions have held hard working taxpayers up for billions upon billions of dollars coming right out of the tax payers pockets. They watched as these people kept getting better and better deals from corrupt politicians as their own taxes continued to rise. All the while they watched their own paychecks shrank due to over taxation and the dollar losing more and more of its value. Who wouldn't be upset in those circumstances?
A union could be a good thing again. That is if the corruption of the mob and the politicians were left out. That's something that would not happen though as too many thugs in the unions would make sure that it didn't.

GOP poison

Follow the money. There was a time when the middle class ruled... No more. Due to the abolition of unions and the demands for a living wage now the top 1% controls over 80% of the wealth of this once great nation. Unions made it possible for people to have good jobs and good standards of living. If you are anti union you are anti worker....period.

rickdri

So you support the corruption of the unions. Ok. If you read my post you would see that I think unions are a good idea. Only if you keep the corrupt politicians and the mob out. How can you support all of that corruption?

Raylan Wolfe Loc: earth

20 Reasons Are Good for America

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/09/12/20-reasons-to-thank-labor-unions/

Don DeHoff

An individual or a group of people, get together, mortgage their houses, beg and borrow money, and open a business, with most of them working very extended hours.They have calculated what the costs are going to be, including labor and they go out and hire people at the rate of "X" dollars and hour----then an "outside" union person comes along or a small group of the hired people, none of whom has any money or other "risks" in the company, demand wage increases. This is not the 1860s and later, where there was child labor and unsafe working conditions. I maintain every company should encourage and sponsor a "workers committee", who meets regularly with management on how to improve all facets of the company, including wages, but with no right to strike. Any and all unsolvable issues should be settled in court. On the "other side of the coin", I do suggest "profit sharing" and voting stock shares for the employees should be part of the "equation.

Flyinhoss Loc: Texas

Actually Mr. Ed, I disagree that unions were ever good for workers. It was technology that improved production and provided the "cause & effect" for better wages and working conditions, without which no business could survive the ever increasing demand of coercive unions. Your other points are dead on.

abob

I think you have your statement backwards. If you are for unions , you want what you do not earn. Start your own business if you are not happy with the money you make working for someone else.

biggies

Wow, cant believe how stupid some people , the unions gave this country a middle glass, and without them we will lose, we have got to start standing up to these companies
That manufacture goods offshore, we need to boycott them. The Japanese and the Korean build there cars hear and make profits why can't GM and Ford. Companies like apple and nike manufacture all there products offshore, I say f#%# them let them that shit off shore suport the american companies that suport the american worker or we will lose the middle class.the greed in

the american corporation must be checked from time to time. Wemust also stop the tax breaks

biggies

Wow, cant believe how stupid some people , the unions gave this country a middle glass, and without them we will lose, we have got to start standing up to these companies
That manufacture goods offshore, we need to boycott them. The Japanese and the Korean build there cars hear and make profits why can't GM and Ford. Companies like apple and nike manufacture all there products offshore, I say f#%# them let them that shit off shore suport the american companies that suport the american worker or we will lose the middle class.the greed in

the american corporation must be checked from time to time. Wemust also stop the tax breaks

madshark

The Japanese and Korea s are building their cars in right to work States. They are using non union labor. They are also not subject to the ridiculous union contracts. That's how they build a better product, for less. Gm was given to the unions and is no longer an American company.

Flyinhoss Loc: Texas

Yep! I can't believe how stupid some people are, either. They have been so brainwashed or intimidated by union goons, they have come to believe that corporations should not choose to go off shore, in order to compete and survive. Unions have driven labor cost in this country to absurd levels. I bought a GM vehicle and was surprised to discover that it was assembled in Mexico and contained parts made in China. Wake up and examine "CAUSE & EFFECT". If there is any hope for our country, unions need to go the way of the dinosaur... EXTINCT!

Don DeHoff

Come on, it is the "people" in our free enterprise system that makes the working middle-class, not the unions. Keep in mind the unions compose but a very small percentage of the working middle class and virtually none of the farmers, ranchers and "self- employed" people. Also, why do you want to "check" the corporations "from time to time"?---the laws of supply and demand, and profit margins will do that for you.