Why are so many people anti union in a working nation . Every policeman and fireman is represented by a union?

Question

Why is it this nation has been indoctrinated by politicians and media outlets run and owned by wealth capitalists to disrespect unions and their members .
As with any organization with money corruption is bound to occur .
Just as many state lotteries , highway departments and other state funded programs have had elected and appointed officials commit frauds and mishandle millions of dollars and the unions and the so called moffia run unions are no more immune to scandal then any organization .

Why is it that the working man can never catch a break and must toil for peanuts while executives and ceo's collect the lion's share of the profits .

Answer 1

I don't get it either.

Answer 2

Well, these are multiple questions.

1. Why are people anti-union?
They didn't used to be, it's from several generations of abusers that have ruined the unions. The fathers and grandfathers who really had it bad fought literally with their lives to create the unions for the working man. But the key word here is "working" man. The sons' and grandsons who this priviledge has been passed down to take it for granted and abuse it horribly. They have become (a lot of them) the guys who couldn't hold a job any other way. They count on they cannot be fired without great difficulty and push to the limit. Cause work stoppage, not for a valid reason, but so they can & do anything not to bring in union becuase they lose $$$$ due to their crap (its not just because of the pay scale) and true hard working people who appreciate the unions fear they will lose their security because of the slacker/users.

Dont get me wrong, I am not against the unions, I grew up with all union workers. But that is why is see these guys and cant stand them. They have no respect for what they have or how hard it was to come by. They just use it.

2. As far as corporate america, of course they are going to voice against it. But it is for their own selfish reasons, not the real issues.

3. As far as unions and scandals and mafia. Jimmy Hoffa can tell you about that one. He had no choice but to deal with them, they exist, fact of life. He had a great idea, made it happen by playing the game he new he could not avoid. This happens all over.

4. The working man did catch a break when the unions were born, then they really were working for peanuts. As for corporate America, you can work for a living and get a union job and earn a decent wage or you can go to college and become a white collar worker, an entrapreneur and make as much as you can any way you know how. your choice.

Answer 3

Symptom of greater problems:

1) General Contempt for people who do actual Physical Labor for their job. It's assumed that the blue collar workers are too stupid or lazy to get a better job. Not everyone is willing to sign up for 30 years of student loans for the possibility of a decent salary. By going into an Apprenticeship, tradespeople get paid while learning their Craft. As to the stupid assumption, rigging for crane lifts takes more geometry skills and understanding of physics than most people ever learn (it's actually on par with Engineering level Physics).

2) Ignorance, Sheeple. In general, most people have no clue about Unions. They don't even know the difference between Industry Unions (Teachers, Airline Pilots, Autoworkers etc) and Craft Unions (Ironworkers, Boilermakers, Electricians, etc). In the public eye, all Unions are lumped together and a convenient place to lay blame for all the economic troubles. UAW seems to be a popular target for a lot of people. They simplify the problems of the American Auto Industry down to Unions being the problem; as if it were that simple.

3) The balance in power between Employer and Employee has always been tipped in favor of the Employer. That's why Unions began, to fight for the working man. With the unchecked and unrestricted rise in power of Big Business, this balance has dipped considerably in favor of the Employers. As long is it's more profitable to import products and export jobs, ALL American jobs are at risk.

4) Idiot Consumer Mentality. A frightening majority of people don't realize how their spending affects everyone else. Everyone complains about the all the jobs going overseas, but they still go down to their local Wal-Mart and buy the cheap Made in China lead painted P.O.S. If nobody buys it, the store wouldn't carry it!! Consumers can change things by refusing to buy products not made by American Workers. Bring our factories back. And for crying out loud bring our tech support jobs back! As if it's not frustrating enough during a PC melt down, you get someone on the phone who obviously doesn't understand English!

Answer 4

Because the vast majority are so tired from working 60-80 hours per week, they have energy for little more than turning on the mind-numbing propaganda machine known as a television.

This is how the corporatist want their workers drones to be: tired, ignorant and unable to assert themselves as individuals worthy of earning a living wage, deserving of health care for themselves and their dependents, and entitled to a safe, respectful workplace.

Thus, via tried and true methods of brainwashing, the bone-weary citizen settles in each day for a daily dose of propaganda (called the news, etc.) which tells them repeatedly of the evils of unionization.

*Sigh!* If only sheeple could force themselves to work through the haze of fatigue to read, research, and inform themselves and arm themselves with facts. Then you would see them doing what corporatists fear most--uniting and exerting their power, demanding dignity, a voice and a rightful place on the world stage.

Answer 5

The history of the unions were for the working man, the blue collar man who was often abused by his employer. The unions were needed then and are now for people who do real work, physical work to their health, safety and fair wage.

Unions however are largely not needed for most white collar jobs as that's not what they were started for and not for who they were designed to protect.

I'm all for the union for the working man. But union dues do need to be kept in check as some are really socking it to the workers. As with any system there is corrupt people and actions.

Answer 6

You have a good point there. The wage gap between the front office and the plant floor is growing so wide it's bound to have a negative effect on our society. I think some unions have gone a little overboard with their demands and such but overall I think it's good that the working stiff has a say and some representation.

Answer 7

That's a great question. Why is it a negative thing to fight for a good wage? Heck the minimum wage hasn't been touched in 10 years. So these days you work an hour to buy a gallon of milk.

The United States was founded on a values structure to protect the middle class. The past quarter of a century has systematically dismanteled the opportuntities for the middle class.

Answer 8

The union hierarchy has served to undermine the efforts of the working class at every turn since the early 1980s. I know this first hand. I was a member of UAW in 1979-81 and Teamsters from 1981 to 1985. I will never again work for a union shop. Why pay an organization 2 hours pay per month to do the company's bidding?

Here is one, recent article on this issue. At the bottom of the article are links to more such articles.

UAW conspires with Chrysler to impose agreement
By Jerry White
23 October 2007

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/oct2007/chry-o23.shtml

Were unions to fight aggressively for the interests of labor, we would all be enjoying a living wage, national health care, free college and there would be no G.W. Bush in the White House. It is the union hierarchy conspiring with the corporate interests that has left a large percentage of the working class public confused enough to vote for aggressive right-wing class warriors like Reagan, Bush I and Bush II.

"Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration." Lincoln's First Annual Message to Congress, December 3, 1861

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Answer 9

there has been a right wing (the few) conspiracy to make the great americans vote against their own economic self interest. unions is one example...tax cuts is another....perpetual still another. All these things are things that benefit the wealthy at the expense of the rest, but there are many lower class or middle class americans who want the rich to get richer and to turn the USA into a third world country.

Answer 10

People who choose a union, choose complasency. On the other hand it takes them longer to move up in the rank and file. This is not fair for a person with energy and get up and go. If I'm a strong person and have the skills, its not fair that I don't get a promotion because someone lazy, less qualified, and has been there longer than me get the promotion. Unions can be good, but they definately have their bad sides too. I would never work for a union for those exact reasons. I'm sharp, witty, quick to learn and will never be held back because of time in grade.

Answer 11

Executives and CEO's worked their way into those profitable positions. Every working man in this country "toiling for peanuts" has the opportunity to use his own ingenuity and take advantage of the greatest economic system known to man so that he too can earn the lions share of profit in his chosen endeavor.