College students today have no idea what is meant by “collective bargaining.” In my American studies classes I would explain the idea by using an example from the class. I’d note that if one student came up after class and said the reading assignment was too long and impossible to complete by the next class, I would simply tell that student to stop whining and finish the assignment. On the other hand, if all thirty-five students told me the assignment was impossible, and, furthermore, the entire class had decided not to do it, I would be forced to make some adjustments.
The problem for students (or employees) is that the power differential of one student (or employee) to one teacher (or company) is simply too great unless that student (or employee) can bargain as a unit with fellow students (or employees.) Students get that.
Employers get it too, which is why they are so resistant to unions. Imagine a Wal-Mart worker complaining about lousy wages. One worker vs. the largest corporation in America--guess who will win?
Republicans have never really accepted the idea of unions in this country. Of all the industrialized countries, the U.S. has had the most violent struggles to unionize workers. Now less than 10 percent of American workers in private companies are union members. The one area where unions still have some power is in the public sector, and that is what the Republicans have targeted.
It is interesting to note that the governor of Wisconsin is proposing to eliminate automatic withholding for union dues. That has absolutely nothing to do with saving state money and has everything to do with union busting. We will see a concerted effort in every state with a Republican legislature and a Republican governor to not only weaken unions, but also to destroy them.
Pennsylvania will be in this group. I am convinced that one of the reasons Governor Corbett is pushing to privatize state liquor stores is because that workforce is currently unionized. I believe the desire to destroy unions is also behind the drive for school vouchers.
The entire situation in Wisconsin is happening because the republican party wants to destroy all unionism. The downfall of unions started on Aug. 3, 1981. That was the day That Reagan fired the PATCO air traffic controllers. I wished at the time that my union would have said we won't cross the picket line but they felt it wasn't our fight.
ReplyDeleteNow we are starting to see more of the same thing happening. The people of this country need a refresher course in why unions were formed to begin with. The 40 hour work week, safety on the job, child labor laws are just of the few reasons why.
Do people honestly think that all will be fine if the unions are destroyed? Surely we wouldn't go back to the old days. Ha Ha! As the "T" Partiers say, party like it's 1776! The next thing they will work on is the minimum wage, who needs it!
I really do not know why anyone would support a GOP politician. It always comes out how they support business only. At election time they put on a false persona just to get the vote.
ReplyDeleteI know people that are just set against Demo's.
Yet they same people benefit by the programs that have been put in effect by Demo's.
Lots of companies are afraid of unions. They only reason that a lot pay decent salaries is because they do not want to chance any unionization. I have seen this in my years.
Here in Pa our new Governor is pushing hard to privatize the state stores. That is just another back door attempt to get the union out.
It also will benefit business, more campaign more form them for the GOP.