Michael Barone: Tuesday's Biggest Loser: The Union Agenda

The Wall Street Journal ^ | November 5, 2009 | Michael Barone

[Huck]

My disgust isn’t merely political. That’s part of it, I guess. I certainly wouldn’t be a member of such a group. But my disdain mostly just comes from my first hand experience of the union worker’s “work ethic.” It’s all about benefits, time off, entitlements, etc. The whole mindset runs contrary to what any enterprising, self-respecting person would adopt.

[battletank]

I’m not gonna spit on anybody, but my experiences with union workers are exactly the same as yours. If they worked as hard doing their job as they do trying to get out of working, they might get some respect. They end up crushing their companies, lose their jobs and then cry to the government for more handouts.

[Huck]

Well, I don’t “literally” spit on them. :-)

[Huck]

If they worked as hard doing their job as they do trying to get out of working, they might get some respect

But then, complaining about a union worker for loafing is like complaining about a thief for stealing.

[Maine Mariner]

You are right, no small coincidence.

My point is there are many conservatives, and some FREEPERS that belong to unions. At various times unions have supported Republicans, especially Nixon in 1972.

If I was a conservative faculty member at a large university, I might very well want a union to safeguard my position in the face of far left-wing colleagues and administrators (many of whom are more left than the faculty).

[battletank]

HA! True!

And I don’t mean to suggest I don’t WANT to spit on the 7 workers standing around balancing on their shovels while 1 digs a hole and traffic is backed up for 10 miles.

[SES1066]

I only have a problem with public employee unions.

Way back when, I remember that the idea was that there were two employment paths;
1) Work in the private sector where you had to work hard, got competitive wages and had chances for personal success.
2) Work in the public sector where there was easier bureaucratic work, wages and success were less than the private sector but you got good benefits and vacation&holidays.

Now what do we see? Public sector wages are almost uniformly higher for the same work, pension and benefits are enormously better, job security is almost a given and life is still easier than the private sector. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

Robert Heinlein - "Notebooks of Lazarus Long" / "Time Enough for Love" (1973) - In a mature society, “civil servant” is semantically equal to “civil master.”

[USS Alaska]

I hate unions. And not just the corrupt bosses. I hate the union workers too. I hate the union worker mentality. I have no respect at all for union workers. They are entitlement-seeking, do-the-minimum, loafers. I spit on all of them.

I know several union guys that are hard working and good people. They are steam fitters and plumbers and do not fit your description.

[Little Ray]

You shouldn’t hate them. They have done some good things. Do you like the 5 day work week? Thank a union. Not too long ago (only a little before my time) work was a 10 hour day, six days a week. Unions had the largest part in changing that.

That said, they have mostly out-lived their usefulness. They need to go somewhere else that needs their help, like the People’s Republic of China.

[Huck]

You shouldn’t hate them. They have done some good things. Do you like the 5 day work week? Thank a union.

I'm self-employed. 5 day work week?? lol!!

Not too long ago (only a little before my time) work was a 10 hour day, six days a week. Unions had the largest part in changing that.

That changed? I must have missed the memo. This is exactly what I'm talking about. To a motivated, self-supporting, inspired business person, all that stuff you mentioned is bullcrap. I work 10 hours or more on a regular basis. I'm constantly improving what I do, because I love it and because the marketplace demands it. I work 6 days a week all time time. I like to say it's as the Lord intended. The whole 40 hr week, 5 days a week, paid sick time paid this paid that is union entitlement thinking. Makes me wanna puke.

[Little Ray]

I am glad you are self-employed. Someday, I'm sure you're gonna be rich and employing more people to make even more money and create lots of leisure time for yourself; you deserve it. The world wouldn't turn without people like you.
But some people, like you are leaders and others, like me, are followers. We can't all be entrepreneurs.

[jaydubya2]

Do you beleive in the right of a group of employees to collectively bargin a contract with their employer?

I don't see how that is anti-enterprising, perhaps just the opposite.

[Danae]

“Maybe around the country union members will start asking their leaders what they have gotten for all the money they’ve spent on politics.”

There was once a time when Unions were a great benefit to workers. That has not been true since about the 1960’s. Today, it is obvious, Unions are out to take over businesses, and become the ones that run them rather than their owners and share holders. Thats not right. The Thuggery that was present in Union history still exists today, the biggest difference is that the Unions are neither wanted nor are they NEEDED in a modern day economy.

I think it’s time that Unions took their place in history. Now a days they are doing as much harm as good, and for certain, they aren’t representing their members wishes. They represent their own. The peons trapped in their systems opinions are completely irrelevant to them. And it shows.

[Huck]

Well just to show I’m fair, I hate corporations too. Just as bad as government, and for all the same reasons. Thanks for your compliments. That’s very nice of you. It’s just been my experience that unions (and corporations) are dens of bullcrap. Small businesses are more honest. I’ve always preferred working for small business people, and now I prefer being one. Good luck to you.

[Danae]

Absolutely Employees have the right to collectively Bargan. Thing is, the Unions as they stand today are forcing things on business that makes it impossible for the businesses to compete. Whats better, Unions who are out to take over business, or a non-existent business that has dies and laid off all its employees? Or worse yet, been taken over by the federal Government?

There needs to be a balance, and right now, for those people forced into unions, there isn’t one. The money they earn is taken from them, and the union boses decide how to spend it. To the tune of millions of dollars into the pockets of the DNC.

[Huck]

Do you beleive in the right of a group of employees to collectively bargin a contract with their employer?

Only if an employer has a right to not hire organized labor.

[Huck]

It’s funny how when unions do it, it’s called “collective bargaining”, but when businesses do it, it’s called “collusion.” Something’s rotten in Denmark.

[jaydubya2]

I agree with your comments. That’s why this union member is agaisnt card check, and for Right to Work provisions. Union membership should not be a mandate for employment.

[Wpin]

“I have never understood how union state’s are premitted to discriminate against their non-union populations in favor of union employ. To me it is simply anti-constitutional to allow any government to discriminate in favor of a select group (who pays for the privlidge) with respect to employment contracts. If you are talking about civil rights, and equality, how do you get to unionism?”

You are correct of course, but since when does American constitution and democracy matter to democrats?

[CPT Clay]

Amen