Growing up, my mom worked in management for a company that is now Verizon. She wasn't in on any negotiations. But, if there was a strike, she worked extra hours. Josh's dad was in a union for that same company.
She always had a lot of respect for unions. She always taught my brother and me that unions were a good thing. The more money in the workforce, the better the economy. She always talked about how necessary those safety protections, healthcare, paid time off, and other protections are. She said, "we all do better when unions are strong!"
Josh's dad doesn't talk about what it was like being in a union. During his 30 years with the company negotiations happened ten times. Six times they went on strike. All but one were short. That one lasted for seven weeks. He never liked going on strike. He lined up small side jobs like being a magician and clown to cushion the financial blow. But, in general, he says he liked the union and was mostly happy with being a part of it.
The labor movement in the United States grew out of the need to protect the common interest of workers. For those in the industrial sector, organized labor unions fought for better wages, reasonable hours and safer working conditions. The labor movement led efforts to stop child labor, give health benefits and provide aid to workers who were injured or retired. (history.com link below)
http://www.history.com/topics/labor
But, for decades unions have been weakening. In recent years Republican lawmakers have been making a push for "right-to-work" laws. These laws mean employees are no longer required to join unions. The main reason is clear. Unions tend to support Democratic candidates. Most corporations support Republican candidates.
It's why the new tax law is so corporate friendly. Corporations don't like unions because it means they have to pay the employees more, provide health care, and are regulated to provide reasonable working conditions and hours.
But, as unions weakened the pay gap between the rich and poor has grown. Businesses make money when they have customers. But, when you don't make enough money to live off of, you don't have extra money. Leading to less customers and the need for layoffs. A stronger economy comes when you pay your employees fairly.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/08/01/why-are-unions-in-the-u-s-so-weak/?utm_term=.1aecf050967b
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/11/us/union-power-analysis/index.html
Still, the fact remains that full-time workers who belong to unions make more money than those who don't: On average, union members make about $200 more per week than their counterparts. This figure is influenced by lots of factors, including differences in average salary in regions with low levels of unionization. But even bearing that in mind, research shows that in "right to work" states, where employees cannot be required to pay union dues as a condition of their employment, workers get paid less than the rest of the country. That was true even when business grew in "right to work" states, indicating that weakening unions might help business owners, but it doesn't do much for workers. (The Atlantic link below)
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/07/are-shrinking-unions-making-workers-poorer/278048/
When Josh worked at the grocery store he was in a union. His dues were $8 a week. It didn't change our financial situation. We barely noticed. It's not fun to be forced to strike and not receive a paycheck. It's not fun to have to pay dues with each paycheck. It is fun to have reasonable healthcare, It is fun to have a bigger paycheck, vacation days, and safer working conditions.
Personally, I think unions are a wonderful thing. They aren't perfect. But, they have done a lot of good. In a way, we are trying to accomplish what unions did without having unions. A $15 minimum wage is like when unions push for living wages for their members. Affordable or universal healthcare is like the healthcare unions push for on behalf of their members. Paid maternity leave is something else unions fight for. We want what unions have to offer without the paying dues and striking part. But, paying dues and striking get the attention of the managers unions are negotiating with! We aren't succeeding much because we aren't effecting the corporate ability to do business like unions can.
http://time.com/4525227/unions-economy-inequality-election/
With labor unions seeing their influence wane, more than 200 organizations have sprouted nationwide to help low-wage workers. But nearly all these groups say they are hampered by a lack of dependable funding because, unlike unions, they cannot rely on a steady flow of dues. (New York Times, link below)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/09/business/economy/fast-food-labor.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fus
Below is a link - all the labor unions and their websites
http://www.thelaborsite.com/uniondirectory1.cfm
No comments:
Post a Comment