Big labor mobilizing Tea Party alternative

[LineDoggie]

I always wanted to be a teamster. So lazy and surly.

Bravo! Episode #130

Ze Goggles, Zay do Nothing...........

[LineDoggie]

And under Reagan and Bush one thre were no more rabbits. In fact they were considered extinct until 2004. Shortly after Obama's DNC speech the first one was sighted. The population has been increasing ever since. Rabbits will destroy America.

Since your not an American, nor live here you can be excused for being ignorant about this.


Carter was famously attacked by a Rabbit


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_C...abbit_incident

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...-killer-rabbit

http://www.cowineco.com/stuff/conten...bbit_story.jpg

[seraosha]

Big corps funding an astro-turf political movement.

Cool, free country.
But I guess we'll just have to see if the apathy of the betrayed democrats can be revitalized by more of the same old change.


And as a side note, my dad was a member of PATCO, and didn't strike...but almost everyone we knew did and they lost their jobs...we had death threats, people screaming and throwing things at our house, midnight door-bell ditches and mystery phone calls that frightened my brother and I, as the union members would call when my dad was at work. I remember the family talk where he explained a few things to us, in terms we could grasp...that the airtraffic controllers were like sailors in the Navy, and while they were civilians, they had an important job to do, and if they didn't do it it was like being derelict in your duty and endangering our country and a lot of lives. And that President Reagan had to put the country before the air traffic controllers, and that my dad would put his job, his family, and the people he didn't even know before what was fair, and important to just him and his fellow controllers.

So yeah...unions can suck a fat babies **** as far as I'm concerned, all they did was get a lot of good folks fired, made the country unsafe, and threaten my family.

And I'm not seeing a whole lot of difference after all these decades.

[Ordie]

Why is your union involved in politics at all?

We have the Constitutional right to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

[Ordie]

That's the problem Ordie, they shouldn't have to. Companies can't stay competative with each other and small companies don't have a chance with expectations like that. People should get pay raises on their merits and not who has bigger representation. If you don't like your wages, get another job. And on the other side of the coin employers shouldn't have to ask "pretty please" to the union everytime they want to fire some useless ****bag.

Companies can stay competitive and be unionized as well. Take a look at Costco, UPS, and Southwest Airlines.

Again, its up to the management and employees to determine merit pay, profit sharing, performance bonuses within the contract.

There is no right or wrong way to draft a contract. We chose not to focus on work rules because it limits the employees ability to grow, produce and evolve with technology.

As for wages, we opted for set salaries with 40 hours of time off in lieu of overtime. This allows the employer predictability with budgeting.

Anything is possible.

[Mein Teil]

Big corps funding an astro-turf political movement.

Yeah, and I think it'scute how they accuse the Tea Party of being funded and orchestraded by big corporations and a behind the scenes Republican political machine, What the hell do they think Big unions are? Lol They're the real astro-terf!

[Ordie]

Do you get it now Ordie? Small unions are just one step above what used to be simple organized arbitration. No politics, no closed shops, and huge list to "allow" someone to be terminated. They tend to get bloated fairly quickly and I'm surprised yours hasn't after 10yrs. Unions either get fatter on red tape or are "weak" overall. Sometimes both.

We're a small Local within a large union.
As long as we focus the needs of our members, we're okay.
I know other Locals that will defend contracts over jobs, or defend lost causes and seek dues increases for arbitration for these cases.

I know how it feels being in a large union. I was in SEIU Local with a membership of over 1000. I never knew about the meetings, news, or got a copy of my contract.

[HK in AK]

Since the majority of our local never been in a union before, we don't know any different.
When we attend national conventions, people are shocked how progressive we are in not having a union hall, non-pay volunteer officers, a budget surplus, transparency, independent political actions, and a lean and flexible contract.

Maybe your model will be the future when the economy is rebuilt! I compliment you for the method.......It seems to me that it is one of the best solutions to collective bargaining.

[Jobu]

My union has fought just to keep us from having pay cuts every year since the bubble burst. If It weren't for the unions the lawmakers here would have walked all over us. But they wanted to give their employees a raise.

Why shouldn't you have pay cuts like everyone else?

[Ordie]

And I'm not seeing a whole lot of difference after all these decades.

I beg to differ, but perhaps my case its the exception. Perhaps one day other locals will take our example.

As for crossing the picket, that is a cardinal sin amongst unions.
We would tell the AFL-CIO riot act about crossing pickets. Then we would exchange private e-mails and coordinate a 'lunch gathering' off site. In this electronic age, there's no one to know you crossed the picket.

[Jobu]

What's wrong in having a robust middle class, with real living wages and benefits?

Is the work being done worth a "living wage and benefits?"

[Ordie]

Why shouldn't you have pay cuts like everyone else?

Balance, parity and security should be the key in any concessions.

If the management leads by example and cuts its own wages, benefits and profit bonuses, then the employees will be more open to concessions as well.

[Ordie]

Is the work being done worth a "living wage and benefits?"

What does it take to get a living wage today?

[Mein Teil]

Is the work being done worth a "living wage and benefits?"

You see in their world a living wage and benefits is their right just like in Europe. It doesn't matter if you're worth your salt or not or even weather your employer can afford you or not, it's a right just like breathing air.

[Jobu]

What does it take to get a living wage today?

I'd say first you need to be a skilled worker. Some kid who dropped out of high school and is sweeping floors is probably not worth a "middle class" salary with benefits.