[gas0linealley]

Do you think that working conditions, that are now enjoyed in the US, just... happened? A study of history will reveal that they were fought for, by organized labor.

Your reasoning reminds me of a man who hired a security guard to stop the thievery that was going on at his property. The thievery stopped, so he fired the guard.

[television is just wrong]

oh, come on, it is getting late, I'm, not in the mood to argue.
Whatever.

[SoCal Pubbie]

"Do you think that working conditions, that are now enjoyed in the US, just... happened? A study of history will reveal that they were fought for, by organized labor."

WRONG! Please cite any proof of your statement so I can shot it down.

[SoCal Pubbie]

I'll save you the trouble. Aside from the 8 hour work day, which unions fought for since the early 1800's in Britain, few if any "benefits" were the result of unions.

The 40 hour work week and the concept of a minimum wage began with Henry Ford. Overtime pay was a creation of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as was the elimination of child labor. Medical coverage began as a way for employers to circumvent government wage regulations during WWII.

Now, some credit can go for unions demanding paid holidays, however even non union employees almost universally get normal paid holidays. Unions are more know for demanding company killing clauses like trying to keep firemen on locomotives long after diesels were introduced, and the firebox was long gone.