Comments on: Yes, America Is O-V-E-R Unions http://melissablogs.com/2008/12/15/yes-america-is-o-v-e-r-unions/ Information Pollination Wed, 23 May 2012 20:14:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Yes, Virginia, unions used to be good http://melissablogs.com/2008/12/15/yes-america-is-o-v-e-r-unions/comment-page-1/#comment-12137 Yes, Virginia, unions used to be good Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:36:16 +0000 http://www.melissaclouthier.com/?p=11915#comment-12137 [...] But that day has long since gone. [...] [...] But that day has long since gone. [...]

]]> By: Trish http://melissablogs.com/2008/12/15/yes-america-is-o-v-e-r-unions/comment-page-1/#comment-12121 Trish Wed, 17 Dec 2008 05:19:15 +0000 http://www.melissaclouthier.com/?p=11915#comment-12121 Chalmers-- Not all the rank and file support the union leadership. There are many companies that are require an employee to join a union in order to work there. The auto companies are a case in point. Employees have a legal right to "core membership," in which case they pay only the portion of their dues that directly supports labor-related union activities, and not lobbying efforts, but they still must pay to support the union. That said, American auto workers are ridiculously overpaid. Chalmers–
Not all the rank and file support the union leadership. There are many companies that are require an employee to join a union in order to work there. The auto companies are a case in point. Employees have a legal right to “core membership,” in which case they pay only the portion of their dues that directly supports labor-related union activities, and not lobbying efforts, but they still must pay to support the union.
That said, American auto workers are ridiculously overpaid.

]]> By: TX CHL Instructor http://melissablogs.com/2008/12/15/yes-america-is-o-v-e-r-unions/comment-page-1/#comment-12091 TX CHL Instructor Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:08:56 +0000 http://www.melissaclouthier.com/?p=11915#comment-12091 Union leaders have a powerful incentive to keep union members unhappy. Think about it: happy workers don't need unions. As for a SAG strike, if it hadn't made the radio news, I wouldn't have known about it, and I probably won't notice if it happens. I noticed back in February that the hour or so a month of TV that I was watching was costing about $30. Since my 2-year contract was up, and $30/hour is a bit steep for patronizing the electronic mind-suck, I pulled the plug (the electronic mind-suck company immediately offered a $15/hour package, which is still about $14.95 too high). Now, I use my TV to watch DVDs (again, about once a month) and nothing else. TV, much like printed newspaper, has become nothing more than an irrelevant time-sink, and I don't have time or inclination to factor myself in with the mouth-breathing epsilon-minuses. Union leaders have a powerful incentive to keep union members unhappy. Think about it: happy workers don’t need unions.

As for a SAG strike, if it hadn’t made the radio news, I wouldn’t have known about it, and I probably won’t notice if it happens. I noticed back in February that the hour or so a month of TV that I was watching was costing about $30. Since my 2-year contract was up, and $30/hour is a bit steep for patronizing the electronic mind-suck, I pulled the plug (the electronic mind-suck company immediately offered a $15/hour package, which is still about $14.95 too high).

Now, I use my TV to watch DVDs (again, about once a month) and nothing else. TV, much like printed newspaper, has become nothing more than an irrelevant time-sink, and I don’t have time or inclination to factor myself in with the mouth-breathing epsilon-minuses.

]]> By: Chalmers http://melissablogs.com/2008/12/15/yes-america-is-o-v-e-r-unions/comment-page-1/#comment-12082 Chalmers Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:38:09 +0000 http://www.melissaclouthier.com/?p=11915#comment-12082 Wow, it is like fallacious argument central here today... :-) First, line workers are overpaid, period. If they weren't, the jobs would not be leaving. The market will not bear their compensation. Second, auto executives are over compensated because they are destroying value, not because of their paycheck. With as much as the executives make, it is still a drop in the bucket compared to the over payment of UAW folks (pay + benefits). Third, it absolutely IS the fault of the worker. They are the ones supporting the leadership with their dues and their votes. When it comes to poor workmanship, who is to blame? I would say the engineers that design and the line workers that assemble. The leadership did not TURN anything into a greedy machine. The leadership is greedy, the workers are greedy, thus the Union is greedy. Fourth, the Union leadership are scumbags. Always have been, always will be. The "big" three need to pull on their big boy pants and break the UAW. Then they will need to break the Teamsters (since they always move in next). Or, they could declare bankruptcy, they could just shut down all manufacturing in the US, cancel those pensions and the "free" health benefits and start over... I would go with the latter. Wow, it is like fallacious argument central here today… :-)

First, line workers are overpaid, period. If they weren’t, the jobs would not be leaving. The market will not bear their compensation.

Second, auto executives are over compensated because they are destroying value, not because of their paycheck. With as much as the executives make, it is still a drop in the bucket compared to the over payment of UAW folks (pay + benefits).

Third, it absolutely IS the fault of the worker. They are the ones supporting the leadership with their dues and their votes. When it comes to poor workmanship, who is to blame? I would say the engineers that design and the line workers that assemble. The leadership did not TURN anything into a greedy machine. The leadership is greedy, the workers are greedy, thus the Union is greedy.

Fourth, the Union leadership are scumbags. Always have been, always will be.

The “big” three need to pull on their big boy pants and break the UAW. Then they will need to break the Teamsters (since they always move in next). Or, they could declare bankruptcy, they could just shut down all manufacturing in the US, cancel those pensions and the “free” health benefits and start over… I would go with the latter.

]]> By: Trish http://melissablogs.com/2008/12/15/yes-america-is-o-v-e-r-unions/comment-page-1/#comment-12076 Trish Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:41:15 +0000 http://www.melissaclouthier.com/?p=11915#comment-12076 BrotherO-- You are so right. It's not the rank and file who are at fault. It's the "leadership." BrotherO–
You are so right. It’s not the rank and file who are at fault. It’s the “leadership.”

]]> By: BrotherO http://melissablogs.com/2008/12/15/yes-america-is-o-v-e-r-unions/comment-page-1/#comment-12073 BrotherO Tue, 16 Dec 2008 03:18:00 +0000 http://www.melissaclouthier.com/?p=11915#comment-12073 I used to be a card-carrying union guy, AFL-CIO. The $ per hour was obscenely great, but the small business owner couldn't afford the huge wage increase (we voted in the union) and cut hours for folks, then eventually sold his business. I do think unions have gotten out of hand. I don't blame the union workers, but I do blame the union hierarchy for turning the unions into greedy machines that don't want to partner with business. I used to be a card-carrying union guy, AFL-CIO. The $ per hour was obscenely great, but the small business owner couldn’t afford the huge wage increase (we voted in the union) and cut hours for folks, then eventually sold his business.

I do think unions have gotten out of hand. I don’t blame the union workers, but I do blame the union hierarchy for turning the unions into greedy machines that don’t want to partner with business.

]]> By: Trish http://melissablogs.com/2008/12/15/yes-america-is-o-v-e-r-unions/comment-page-1/#comment-12068 Trish Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:13:51 +0000 http://www.melissaclouthier.com/?p=11915#comment-12068 I used to work in an unemployment office, and I can tell you unequivocally that American auto workers are ridiculously overpaid. They are also arrogant and mean-spirited. If a teacher is laid off, he or she goes to the unemployment office. The auto workers expect the claimstakers to go to them--and in my experience have at times gotten their way. I used to work in an unemployment office, and I can tell you unequivocally that American auto workers are ridiculously overpaid. They are also arrogant and mean-spirited. If a teacher is laid off, he or she goes to the unemployment office. The auto workers expect the claimstakers to go to them–and in my experience have at times gotten their way.

]]> By: Matt K. http://melissablogs.com/2008/12/15/yes-america-is-o-v-e-r-unions/comment-page-1/#comment-12060 Matt K. Mon, 15 Dec 2008 22:40:27 +0000 http://www.melissaclouthier.com/?p=11915#comment-12060 If accountants, nurses, and teachers make less than auto workers, it's because they are underpaid. If you think assembly line workers are overpaid, look at executive salaries. Talk about rewarding failure. If accountants, nurses, and teachers make less than auto workers, it’s because they are underpaid.

If you think assembly line workers are overpaid, look at executive salaries.

Talk about rewarding failure.

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