[gas0linealley]

You've not really answered any of the facts. Again, of all the benefits that supposedly we owe thanks to the Unions for, perhaps we can give a nod to the eight hour work day, and that's about it.

You stated your agenda in your first post to me:

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

Workers in the United States, and around the world, have demonstrated their willingness to risk their lives to improve their working conditions. To say that all they achieved was an eight hour day is disrespectful and displays an ignorance of history.

You can get an education here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_labor_issues_and_events

Regarding your experience, I quoted you on that, will you now disagree with your own statement?

[SoCal Pubbie]

My agenda is and always will be the truth.

I don't deny that workers have risked their lives to improve working conditions. Nonetheless, of the major benefits enjoyed by almost all workers everywhere in America, the only ones that can be demonstrated to have arisen directly from Union pressure are shorter working hours, and perhaps paid holidays. You've supplied no evidence to the contrary. The link you provided backs that up.

My experience includes a lot of contact with Unions and their personnel. My father was a member of the United Auto Workers for 38 years. I've worked with Teamsters, Carpenters, Electricians, Riggers, and Decorators all over the country. I've gotten along great with most of them. I've tipped a few with many of them. I've also had my knee caps threatened just for doing my job.

The care not to argue about Unions per se. I do care, as I've stated, about the truth. And the truth is that no more than a third of this country's work force has ever been Unionized, and today that number has shrunk to little over ten percent. Lots of factors, including the Progressive Movement, church groups, The Great Depression and the New Deal, WWI and WWII, socialist pressures, and that crazy thing called The Free Market have combined to change attitudes about labor and the rules that govern it.

And that's the truth.