On Unionism

There are people in this country who have demonized unions since unions first became any kind of faction.  Mostly these were people in industry and commerce who didn’t want to deal collectively with their employees and others who saw the unions as organizations that might actually cut into their profits and force them to install safe working conditions. Hmmmm.  Are you listening coal and oil industry?

Unions helped to make this country great in the last century, but they have been vilified by certain interests.  Sure there have been some union officials who I wouldn’t vote for for Dog catcher, but hell there are a lot of them on the board of directors for many major corporations too.  I am not making excuses or excusing misbehavior on either side. But I am saying that throwing the baby out with the bathwater seems to be what we have done in the last 30 years, since a certain President began a war on the unions.

What have the unions done for us?  They have given voice to the “little” guy, as a famous BP quote goes.  In a world where money translates as power and influence, Union money has leveled the playing field and allowed the common worker to be able to meet with and negotiate with executives and other management types who wouldn’t pass the time of day with them if they had their way.  Get real, people, most of you, like me, will never be in the catbird seat.  Why do you listen to the union bashers and corporate apologists when you know in your heart that your best interests are in having large unions with the ability to speak for you when it comes to safety, pay, benefits and other things that you are not able or allowed to negotiate for yourselves.  It’s not a matter of skills or ability, it’s a matter of access and leverage.  One person asking for health care benefits is a voice crying in the wilderness, but 100,000 people asking for it is a force to be reckoned with.

Unions are people.  They are what you make them and they do what you, their members allow them to do.  If the union isn’t doing what you want or need it to do, get your fellow members together and make it. I’m tired of the fools and idiots who rant and rave about not getting what they need but won’t organize themselves to get .  Get together, organize a union and make yourself heard!