Labor Unions Prolonged the Depression

The Wall Street Journal ^ | October 28 | Mark Mix

[willowsdale]

If the mislabeled "Employee Free Choice Act," becomes law, it will likely have a similar effect on the economy as the original Wagner Act, transforming what could have been a recovery into a lengthy, deep recession, or worse.

The bill would greatly facilitate organization in workplaces by effectively eliminating secret ballot elections, allowing unions to become exclusive bargaining agents when a majority of the workers sign a card indicating they want a union -- before they've heard a word from their employer about the potential downside of unionization.

[willowsdale]

The U.S. Supreme Court's surprise April 1937 decision to uphold the Wagner Act was a principal cause of the "depression within a depression" that commenced in August that year. Will Barack Obama and Congressional Big Labor Democrats repeat this sorry history?

[anniegetyourgun]

They will - in a heartbeat. It’s called union vote support payoff.

[scooby321]

yes and the only jobs will be government jobs.

Its will be that sucking sound Perot was talking about during Nafta goodbye jobs and US becomes a protectionist country again = not a depression but a Great Depression

[tcostell]

I think we can count on that yeah. We already have a version of the law on the books in New Jersey. Imagine Paulie Walnuts as a union delegate trying to 'persuade' people to vote the right way.

Shameful.

[pnh102]

I disagree with this. FDR had enacted plenty of other socialist and communist economic policies that did more to prolong the Great Depression. Simply blaming labor unions overlooks the other bad policies that FDR had enacted into law.

The only reason labor unions became so popular during the 1930s was because of bad working conditions and abusive management that was prevalent in most employers back during those times. The labor unions of old helped to eliminate these problems.

Unfortunately, labor unions today have gone too far in an anti-employer direction, and are now killing jobs more than they are helping employees.

[truthingod]

All one has to do is check the current economy of Michigan. Labor unions here have destroyed the economy of the state. The massive job losses are a result of unions demanding automakers dance to their tune or else. High wages, demands for premium health care and job security have destroyed the auto industry in Michigan. The sad part is these same unions are still calling the shots by telling their out of work members to vote for Obama. I can see why—he will deliver what they can’t—a cheap check in the mail.

[madinmadtown]

Also Unions were popular because the workers they originally represented were not well-educated, perhaps illiterate, and the perception was that the Union would give them a more even playing field. The reality of today is that most union members are teachers and government employees who are well-educated. The notion that today's Union members are the same as the union members of yesteryear is preposterous!!!!

[Peter Horry]

“Unfortunately, labor unions today have gone too far in an anti-employer direction, and are now killing jobs more than they are helping employees”
The labor unions, like the civil rights movement, can not move beyond the battles that formed them. They have both been seduced by greed and power, much like what they fought. If they had recognized their successes and built on them the people they claim to represent would be much better off.