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Submitted by: AndrewG
Something must be done! Impeach the 5 Supreme Court justices for the politically-motivated Citizens United decision to accelerate corruption of our Democracy to benefit the Republican party. Willful Judicial malfeasance.
You are right they voted down Prop 2, but you are wrong about their feelins about unions. A no vote did not mean they wanted to become a right to work state--which by the way has driven down wages, benefits, safe working conditions in what is it--7 out of the ten states that have it. Freedom of choice you say, well the unions should also have freedome of choice--they bargain for their own members and those free loaders bargain for their own--that would be real freedom. Like your 40 hour week, like your paid vacations, like safe working conditions, like it when you get represented if you have a problem with management--thank a union. However, for your freedome of choice--do it on your own. I am for a two teir sysem of pay--that should solve the problem. And this is an almost perbatem law written up by ALEC--check it out and if you think they are for you--well you need to rethink that And back to that voting down the proposition--there were so many ballet proposals it was overwhelming. And I would also like to state if the voters were so for this, why did the legislators do this without hearings, putting a money part to it so it would be much harder to repeal--yeah, sure--they did it because they knew that it would not be popular. And hope the right to work law hits you right where it will hurt--your billfold.
The World Bank, known for being notoriously conservative, released a report in February stating labor unions are good for the economy.
Information gathered from over a thousand studies on the effects of labor unions and collective bargaining on the performance of national economies showed that workers who were members of trade unions earn higher wages, received more training and worked fewer hours.
High rates of unionization also lessens inequality of earnings, especially for women and minority groups. Their report sited: Unions and Collective Bargaining: Economic Effects in a Global Environment.
The study also found that countries fare better economically if large numbers of workers belong to trade unions.More specifically the study shows that high unionization rates are associated with lower unemployment and inflation, higher productivity, and speedier adjustments to economic shocks.
The World Bank's Managing Director stated "Good industrial relationships between labor and business lead to an economy that is stable and productive."
The middle class better get a clue right that unions are not the bad guys. The misinformation that has been fed to the public about unions was intentional and the misinformed have bought it lock, stock and barrel.
Politicians do what they were hired to do. There are people who COULD have voted against them, but maybe didn't, or perhaps there are not enough to defeat them. We need to do something about it. There is an easier way to participate between elections and hold politicians accountable for implementing solutions that benefit all of us. www.at10us.com
Sure Romney did shoot himself (and his party...Formerly my party..pre1982) in the proverbial A$$et$. But Obama is just as bad if sneakier about his lies. BOTH parties want to gut the constitution. Obama signed the NDDA which is the most treasonous law since the mis-named "Patriot" Act.
The biggest problem that we have as a nation is that our 4th estate (the media) that is SUPPOSED to alert us when politicians lie and cheat has been owned by just 6 mega-corporations for the past 10+years. If you are a real investigative reporter, How do you tell the nation that what your boss is doing is wrong and even criminal...Short answer..you DON'T if you want to have a job to go to.
Bottom line: It is past time for a new Constitutional convention along the lines of the Contract for America proposed by Van Jones. Congress (ALL of them with VERY few exceptions) is trying to gut the Constitution and our rights, and they're doing it with the full faith and credit of ALEC...See ALECexposed.org... If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention!
I agree... I really dont think that corporations would supply the benefits of a job had it not been for unions. Only when it's all gone will people wake up & regret what had happened... These Corps are using their money to persuade & buy off state republican legislators & Governors to do their bidding...this has been going on for awhile now..They've learned that politics has consequences @ the local & state levels...it's been past time for Democrats to awaken to this situation & fight back
Well, facts do tend to lean left. So in that regard, you are correct.
So, in fact, Time has decided to no longer be a news magazine but rather a repeater of whatever is said by politicians? I am a Newsweek subscriber and am disappointed by their decision to no longer have print issues. I'm not interested in more online stuff than I get now. I had planned to, instead, subscribe to Time. I guess I can forget that now. I'm not interested in repetition. I wanted some analysis and facts. What a society we are becoming!
Unions stifle growth. If an employee doesn't like what the employer offers, the employee is free to leave. How hard is that to understand?
One fact is for sure. People believe what they want to believe and hear only the things that affirm their beliefs.
The CMD writers and this website is left leaning and far from neutral in my opinion.
REGARDLESS of where you stand on any pending legislation, there is no valid MORAL argument for allowing elected legislators who have been VOTED OUT of office by their constituents to vote on proposed legislation in a "lame duck" session. These people weren't "laid off", they were FIRED, and should at BEST, be given their "severance" pay, made to hand in their keys, and sent home, as in the "private sector". The exceptions should be for voluntary retirement or election to a higher office by their constituents.
If they ran for re-election, but lost, the legislative body to which they HAD belonged could then proceed, even if that body consisted of fewer members, OR the proposed legislation could be "tabled" until the swearing in of replacement members.
After all, if an employee is FIRED in the private sector, even the highest paid CEO's with "golden parachutes", they are escorted to the door by security and their security passes are immediately revoked.
Doesn't the public deserve the same security measures?
Someday, hopefully, the middle class will realize that it owes its existence to organized labor and that the only answer to stopping the downhill slide of the middle class is to rebuild the unions into a unified force able to withstand the assault by the corporate moguls like the Koch Brothers and their sinister organization A.L.E.C. So far A.L.E.C. is winning and so many middle class people are shooting themselves in the foot by criticizing unions.
You know nothing about unions and are just a hater looking for anything to back up your hater position. We all lose in Michigan because of haters like you!
To try to solve the growing gap between the rich and everyone else, @10 (www.at10us.com), is taking submissions for strategies to make society more equitable. Submissions are due January 15th, registered users will vote after that, and results will be publicized in early February. Join us as we solve America's toughest problems.
This is disgusting how they have charitable status can anyone in Washington justify this or say they did not now.
It does make some valid points about Union activities though. I wouldn't really want to be a part of a union that supported something I didn't and I understand that.
The article cherry-picks when it states that Nevada and Iowa have relatively high unionization rates. 20 of the 25 least unionized states have RTW laws. Less than 11 percent of the work force in each of those 25 states are members of unions. Of the 25 most unionized states, 3 have RTW laws, Nevada (15th), Indiana (22nd) and Iowa (24th). Nevada and Iowa don't exactly have large workforces either, Nevada has the 17th smallest workforce and Iowa has the 22nd smallest workforce.
Indiana is probably the lone exception as it has the 15th largest workforce. Interesting enough, 8 of the 25 largest workforce states have under 7 percent unionization and all 8 of them have RTW laws.
None of that means Right-To-Work kills unions, although it would seem that would be the effect since union dues are no longer required, less people would pay them to the point that it wouldn't make sense to have a union. Short term, this will probably have little effect on wages/annual salaries but it remains to be seen what happens long term.
Perhaps it's true that unions today don't actually do what their supposed to do which is represent the workforce in salary/benefits negotiations however the need for workforce representation remains necessary.
Without workforce organization/representation there is nothing stopping employers from paying minimum salaries and benefits in order to maximize profits.
The article makes a better case that we should have union regulation laws instead of anti-union laws. If unions were regulated and had limitations on what percentages they could spend on non-representation activities then that would likely be favorable to everyone.
at the next nc mining and energy meeting Dec. 19th : Bill Ritter, Director, Center for the New Energy Economy and Former Governor for the State of Colorado
He is TOTAL PRO FRACK !
Michigan voters already made it clear they don't want the unions. This was done in Prop 2 during general election. That is why Gov could go ahead with this bill. Prop 2 says, “No existing or future law of the state or its political subdivisions shall abridge, impair or limit” unions’ ability to “negotiate in good faith regarding wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment…” In other words, government unions will no longer be governed by elected officials, the taxpayers, or even the laws of the state; those would all be subordinated to a collective bargaining agreement. This bill is about freedom of choice. If you remember, this is what country was founded on, but apparently the liberals don't care about that. Thank you.
America sees the effect of a century of labor unions in Michigan--GM in collapse (overpriced and underperforming cars), skyrocketing crime and murder rates, ghost-town neighborhoods demolished--a state in total free fall. Yeah, labor unions have been such a positive influence! Don't blame the GOP, either, because these actions all began happening in the last 40 years. And how does it make sense that someone who doesn't join a union should be required to pay dues anyway? You accuse the GOP of being Stalinist because they don't support unions, but isn't forcing someone to do something against their will and that may not be in line with their political views is, at its core, totalitarian? In other words, tyrannical--just like Stalin and Hitler.
I am a conscientious buyer and I look for the union label--then I put the item back on the shelf and keep looking for a non-union version, even if I have to resort to foreign-made. I will never willingly or knowingly buy union-made. Never.
What have Unions done for America?
1) 1937: Unions gave us the 40-hour work week. (1 point)
2) Fair Wages And Relative Income Equality (yet folks still aren't making enough to survive--even in Michigan.) (-1/2 point)
3) 1938: The end of child labor. Unions helped, but they didn't do it singlehandedly. (1/3 of a point, since two non-union groups also participated.)
4) 1942: Unions fought for employer-provided health coverage. (1 point)
5) 1993: Medical and family leave act. (1 point)
Total points: 2.83
Wow, what an effective 110 year history unions have had. I think I'll continue to take my chances and keep my money here in the South, where the only people who live in squalor are uneducated or too lazy to find gainful employment (like you can find at any Wal-Mart!)
Long Live Right To Work!
The union is the one truly taking advantage of the collective bargaining arrangement. By Jarrett Skorup | Dec. 10, 2012:
http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/18017
Yes they do, because the union negotiates collectively for all workers at a site. You could always work at a place and not join the union, but you did have to pay for the cost of their negotiating on your behalf. Now, what could be better than getting union perks without paying for them? I'm sure that won't cause any friction on the factory floor.
do the non-union people get representation from the unions when they don't join/pay? if yes, that's not right. if no, then let the choice be made by the person, not the law. also, we've never been a democracy - that governor was elected to represent a bunch of people. like how land-owning white guys were the only ones that counted at first.
Interesting perspective. I'm sure Sly appreciates it. BTW I found your piece at www.MadisonRadio.com which is a slinging ground for Madison radio folks and old timers.
To compete with buying influence is with an organized counter-movement that works BETWEEN elections. We need an easier, more robust way to participate, solve problems, and hold politicians accountable. www.at10us.com
We are no longer a democracy when bills pass without public approval or vote. This was already denied in public vote, reworded by our Dictator (I mean, eh-hem, Governor and his minions) and passed without public polls. Michigan is falling apart, the government is corrupt, what will they do next?