Maybe we need to hire Uma Thurman.
A little history on unions. Back in the days when the Industrial Revolution took hold in Britain and worked its way across the big pond to the United States a new breed of workers emerged as some powerful people. The French called them the bourgeoisie or the nouveaux riche. Owners of factories, the entrepreneurs of the time, found ways of making it rich. Some would say this came at the expense of others while some would say it came for the necessity of economic revival. In either case, many factories made their people work in dangerous conditions in which limbs may have been mamed, long-termed illnesses could be traced back to, and even sudden deaths, and all for low wages and long hours. So in order to help free the worker, the proletariat, from such atrocities unions were created to change the conditions; strength in numbers. A great idea. The power of the union got the worker better conditions, labor laws, and higher wages.
A little history on unions. Back in the days when the Industrial Revolution took hold in Britain and worked its way across the big pond to the United States a new breed of workers emerged as some powerful people. The French called them the bourgeoisie or the nouveaux riche. Owners of factories, the entrepreneurs of the time, found ways of making it rich. Some would say this came at the expense of others while some would say it came for the necessity of economic revival. In either case, many factories made their people work in dangerous conditions in which limbs may have been mamed, long-termed illnesses could be traced back to, and even sudden deaths, and all for low wages and long hours. So in order to help free the worker, the proletariat, from such atrocities unions were created to change the conditions; strength in numbers. A great idea. The power of the union got the worker better conditions, labor laws, and higher wages.
But along came a problem. Unions didn't know where to stop. The unionized proletariat over the decades demanded for more and more. Owners were forced to give into the demands. The worker (keep in mind this is NOT referring to all workers) in general became protected and even lazy. http://ideasoftim.blogspot.com/2009/09/50-mooch-84-40-crowd.html If they didn't get what they wanted, they went on strike. Bad workers were protected by senioirty or tenure. If anyone crossed the picket lines they became targets for violent acts and discrimination. They were called scabs.
What happened because of this? Companies moved across the seas for cheaper labor and less arguments. All of your computer questions about the American company Microsoft are being handled by those in India. Ford Mustang is being made in Mexico. Levi Straus jeans are made in Indonesia. The union had pushed for so much that companies got up and ran, both sides became pinheads. The companies that choose to stay still have to pay the highest wages in the world to their workers. But they did stay. These are true patriots!
And now this has spilled over into the public worker sector, espcially police, fire departments and teachers. Ohio and Wisconsin are leading the way. Ohio's bill is called SB5 or Senate Bill #5, which is over 260 pages long and over 9000 lines, (http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/BillText129/129_SB_5_PS_N.html) and would take away the worker's right to negotiate the hard-fought-for safe working conditions, higher wages, and labor laws. And base everything on merit. How can you measure the fireman? "How many people did you save in a fire lately? None? You're fired!" Same with police officers and yes, even teachers. If everything was on an even playing field and the work was actually safe for everyone then maybe it would be okay to do something like this. But this allows management to pick and choose their favorites over others.
The governor claims it would help with the budget and has nothing to do with taking power away form the union. But in reality the only thing it really will do is destroy families. Pay cuts will happen without power to negotiate, even if one side would be willing to give up everything to help. Houses will go into foreclosure and the economy will get worse.
So, the union may have gotten too much power over the years, but what the worker has earned should not be taken away from them, whether they got it by power of the union or not. A good friend posted the following on his site and reminds us all about all government control:
- "We must close union offices, confiscate their money and put their leaders in prison. We must reduce workers' salaries and take away their right to strike." - Adolf Hitler, May 2, 1933
Kind of odd how the GOP was mad at the DEMs for pushing an unwanted healthcare yet are pushing this unwanted bill. Shame on them.
