Afl-cio

[muggsy]

I received a letter today from the AFL-CIO telling me that I should support the president. I wrote back telling them to stick it up their ash, only I misspelled ash. Damn typos.

[jocko]

good man, its ass not ash. sound like the pres has made a bck dooor dealwith the unions again.. on health care.

[knkali]

Muggs, Why would they send you a letter in the first place? I don't get that. Where/are you a "union" employee?

[muggsy]

I'm retired. At various times in my working career I was with the IAM, USW, and UAW. I had no use for any of them.

[knkali]

Those are some big hitters esp back in the day. Why the dislike?

[muggsy]

Those are some big hitters esp back in the day. Why the dislike?

Unions practice socialism. Unions were started by socialists. I have no use for socialism or socialists. All three companies that I worked for were pushed into bankruptcy by the union and their "work rules". The unions protected the worst employees, because they knew that they could count on their support. Employees were paid the same wage regardless of how much they produced. Advancement was based solely on seniority. Unions support socialist democrat politicians. Some of pour unions were formed to keep blacks out of the workplace. There are a lot of reasons that I dislike unions.

[Bawanna]

Unions practice socialism. Unions were started by socialists. I have no use for socialism or socialists. All three companies that I worked for were pushed into bankruptcy by the union and their "work rules". The unions protected the worst employees, because they knew that they could count on their support. Employees were paid the same wage regardless of how much they produced. Advancement was based solely on seniority. Unions support socialist democrat politicians. Some of pour unions were formed to keep blacks out of the workplace. There are a lot of reasons that I dislike unions.

Exactly. The union has done nothing but take my money and hold me back. Many believe that the union will save their job even if they do nothing. Non union workers have just as much protection.

I'm only union because I have to be.

My wife works here part time, she's required to pay into the union even though she can't draw anything out. Yet we have volunteers doing the same work that are costing a person a job, namely my wife, who don't have to. Course they are free so the brass loves them.

[Longitude Zero]

At one time in the past unions served a valuable purpose. Not so today.

[Chief Joseph]

At one time in the past unions served a valuable purpose. Not so today.

They may have served a valuable purpose in the past, now they are enemies to a free America and our entire way of life. In short, they've become absolute evil.

[ltxi]

At one time in the past unions served a valuable purpose. Not so today.

x2...they certainly did and they no longer do.

[knkali]

How could they be good then bad? What changed?

[Planedude]

They have their uses and if run correctly can do some good. Our company is incredibly successful, but demands the same concession's from it's workforce as companies in bankruptcy.
The need to be cheaper, efficient and uninsured applies only to the rank and file. Executive pay and bennies is NOT on the table or any matter for discussions.

Useful? One recent case won by our union went like this. A thirty three year employee was pulled into her managers office and told to take a seat. Seems the company believed she had received an offensive email then failed to report it and may have forward it to others.
The lady was confused and asked to see the email in question.
The company did not have a copy.
Ummmm who, she asked, did she forward this mail to, maybe they can explain it?
The company said they did not know for sure if she forward it, but they thought she would have.
Geee boss, based on what do you make such an assumptions she asked?
"Experience" was his reply without any elaboration. With that she was fired, with company destroying her retirement.
During the unions investigation what came out was interesting. Seems the company had a number of the email (but no copy of) that seemed to have been forward to the lady's company email account. After some more snooping it came out that the questionable email was sent to her account from her BOSS, who had not even been talked to much less fired.
Soooooo... The company finally had to discipline the boss "terminating" his employment four weeks after his subordinate was fired. Six weeks later the company brought him back, quietly and with full back pay placing him in a supervisory position in a different department.
So with no real proof that the mail was sent to the union employee, except for a number in their system and no ideal if she saw it, or deleted it as junk without opening it, did ruin a woman's life just cause they could. Although this unidentified email went out as a mass mailing from the woman's supervisor, only one person was perused and fired for the "offensive" mail that all involved understand she did not create.
Sound personal? Well, it was.
After a year of dragging their feet the company finally was placed in front of the arbitrator. The Union was able to get the employee fully reinstated with back pay. While this was a just victory, the damage to the ladies life after a whole year out of work, has been tremendous.
Without a union here, a nice lady who's only problem in life was between her managers ears, would have been forever lost.
Sometimes unions win one for all the right reasons. Think unions are all bad if you want but I'll take note of the good I've seen done.

[deadeye]

I saw a union do good once. Mine - Mill (AFL - CIO). After calling a strike that lasted 6 weeks and not being able to pay our strike benefits because it took all the money to negotiate they settled for 2/3 of what we asked for before the strike. They negotiated in Las Vegas and had a GOOD time.

[dkmatthews]

I have only one question: if unions are so wonderful, why would they need to make membership MANDATORY?

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 4

[O'Dell]

They have their uses and if run correctly can do some good. Our company is incredibly successful, but demands the same concession's from it's workforce as companies in bankruptcy.
The need to be cheaper, efficient and uninsured applies only to the rank and file. Executive pay and bennies is NOT on the table or any matter for discussions.

Useful? One recent case won by our union went like this. A thirty three year employee was pulled into her managers office and told to take a seat. Seems the company believed she had received an offensive email then failed to report it and may have forward it to others.
The lady was confused and asked to see the email in question.
The company did not have a copy.
Ummmm who, she asked, did she forward this mail to, maybe they can explain it?
The company said they did not know for sure if she forward it, but they thought she would have.
Geee boss, based on what do you make such an assumptions she asked?
"Experience" was his reply without any elaboration. With that she was fired, with company destroying her retirement.
During the unions investigation what came out was interesting. Seems the company had a number of the email (but no copy of) that seemed to have been forward to the lady's company email account. After some more snooping it came out that the questionable email was sent to her account from her BOSS, who had not even been talked to much less fired.
Soooooo... The company finally had to discipline the boss "terminating" his employment four weeks after his subordinate was fired. Six weeks later the company brought him back, quietly and with full back pay placing him in a supervisory position in a different department.
So with no real proof that the mail was sent to the union employee, except for a number in their system and no ideal if she saw it, or deleted it as junk without opening it, did ruin a woman's life just cause they could. Although this unidentified email went out as a mass mailing from the woman's supervisor, only one person was perused and fired for the "offensive" mail that all involved understand she did not create.
Sound personal? Well, it was.
After a year of dragging their feet the company finally was placed in front of the arbitrator. The Union was able to get the employee fully reinstated with back pay. While this was a just victory, the damage to the ladies life after a whole year out of work, has been tremendous.
Without a union here, a nice lady who's only problem in life was between her managers ears, would have been forever lost.
Sometimes unions win one for all the right reasons. Think unions are all bad if you want but I'll take note of the good I've seen done.

You quote one instance where the union, maybe, was a force for good. Now I'll quote one where that was not the case. Unions were instrumental in getting Obama elected, not once, but twice. He would have NEVER made it without the support of the unions. How many people have suffered and will suffer in the future over that union action?

[Longitude Zero]

you quote one instance where the union, maybe, was a force for good. Now i'll quote one where that was not the case. Unions were instrumental in getting obama elected, not once, but twice. He would have never made it without the support of the unions. How many people have suffered and will suffer in the future over that union action?

Far too many!!!

[knkali]

Labor unions were instrumental in forcing government to establish a minimum wage and the periodic increases of same. This did 2 things:

1) while min wage legislation was to help the unskilled minorities, it actually hurt them. Most minorities at the time were unskilled and poorly educated, when the minimum wage went into effect, it drove wages just high enough that minorities, who generally filled unskilled jobs, were competing with potential workers with more skills and education. This raised minority unemployment and hurt the very people the min wage was trying to protect.

2) the unions pushed for the min wage to lessen the discrepancy in wages between the unskilled/skilled labor so that unions could push for higher wages for their members.

So unions per se are not bad in a truly free market. What is bad is when they have the power to buy legislation and place presidents in office to suit their agenda. If the gov would stay out of union dealings, the market could adjust and the influence of unions be in check.

[dkmatthews]

Labor unions were instrumental in forcing government to establish a minimum wage and the periodic increases of same. This did 2 things:

1) while min wage legislation was to help the unskilled minorities, it actually hurt them. Most minorities at the time were unskilled and poorly educated, when the minimum wage went into effect, it drove wages just high enough that minorities, who generally filled unskilled jobs, were competing with potential workers with more skills and education. This raised minority unemployment and hurt the very people the min wage was trying to protect.

2) the unions pushed for the min wage to lessen the discrepancy in wages between the unskilled/skilled labor so that unions could push for higher wages for their members.

So unions per se are not bad in a truly free market. What is bad is when they have the power to buy legislation and place presidents in office to suit their agenda. If the gov would stay out of union dealings, the market could adjust and the influence of unions be in check.

Okay, I'll repeat my question. If unions are so great, why would they ever need to make membership MANDATORY? People should be jumping at the chance to be in a union, right? Having people clamoring to get in would give the unions more negotiating power, right?

So, make membership optional and eliminate the mandatory payroll deductions to the unions. Then we'll see how long the unions last...

[berettabone]

At one time............in the auto union, steelworkers union..............didn't do a thing for me, except take some of my hard earned cash. People who didn't want to be in a union were harassed and blackballed until they joined. If unions were so good, why did people have to be forced to join? Sounds like the Affordable Health Care Act, which is an oxymoron.

[Armybrat]

The unions had a purpose at one time, but now some of them are as corrupt as the robber barons they once fought.....or worse.

[muggsy]

The unions are far more corrupt than the "robber barons" they once fought. No robber baron ever forced anyone to work for them.

[Armybrat]

That's what I said with "or worse".

[knkali]

Okay, I'll repeat my question. If unions are so great, why would they ever need to make membership MANDATORY? People should be jumping at the chance to be in a union, right? Having people clamoring to get in would give the unions more negotiating power, right?

So, make membership optional and eliminate the mandatory payroll deductions to the unions. Then we'll see how long the unions last...

You quoted me. I am not pro union. However, when they join together and use their money toward political might, they are influential. That is all I was saying. Unions will get strong again. It will take time but the pendulum will swing the other way in the future. Esp as socialism gets stronger in this country.

[Slotback]

At one time in the past unions served a valuable purpose. Not so today.

Yep.

[muggsy]

You quoted me. I am not pro union. However, when they join together and use their money toward political might, they are influential. That is all I was saying. Unions will get strong again. It will take time but the pendulum will swing the other way in the future. Esp as socialism gets stronger in this country.

The unions promote socialism and contribute funds to socialist democrat candidates. I hope the population comes to it's senses, long before the unions get stronger. No government employee should be allowed to join a union. They work for us.

[Longitude Zero]

You quoted me. I am not pro union. However, when they join together and use their money toward political might, they are influential. That is all I was saying. Unions will get strong again. It will take time but the pendulum will swing the other way in the future. Esp as socialism gets stronger in this country.

I hope the nation never sinks to a level of despotism to make this a reality.