A Labor Of Unions...
I know, it SHOULD be a labor of love, but with the current state of affairs, I think you'll more than get the gist of this soon enough.
Labor unions are powerful organizations...that's a FACT (Jack)!
And the ORIGINAL intent of them WAS in fact, to protect the working class for several kinds of sh*t that came at those working class men and women.
As such, they did pretty damn well straight away. They righted a LOT of wrongs against workers, and that was a GOOD thing.
They even provided pension plans for their workers in addition to the Social Security program to help them after they retire.
And on the surface, ALL of this looks REAL good.
But underneath, this labor behemoth has become drunk with power of the decades to the point of controlling a large part of our federal government.
That's not very close to that "original intent" of what a (labor) union used to be all about.
Think about this...only NINE PERCENT of workers are in a UNION.
That leaves NINETY-ONE PERCENT of the workers free to control their OWN destiny when it comes to retirement.
THESE people can decide where to place their money, and how to invest in their future.
The other 9% wind up costing everyone else, especially the other union workers in an unsustainable "pyramid scheme".
When you allow people to retire at close to (or sometimes even exceeding) their original wages, all that moolah's gotta be comin' from SOMEWHERE.
Let's say ONE person retires from the police force at gets near 80% of their pay AS a pension due to "the formula" system (years in the job plus their age, as most agencies tend to do these days). Who pays for that since the person retired is NO LONGER paying into this "system"?
Why that would be another TEN officers (give or take). I'm rounding off, as the actual numbers tend to fluctuate given pay scales in various cites, counties, etc.
And WHO will pay for THOSE TEN officers when THEY retire...???
If you said the NEXT 100 OFFICERS...give yourself a gold star!
You can easily see how this becomes a study in exponentially, with NO hope of sustainability.
This is why we see unions tapping city coffers to PAY for this...and as a result, why many cities have a lot of cobwebs in their treasuries when they should have some money for such things like infrastructure repair and upgrades, public works, and such.
And it's all done through negotiations at contract time, or as they say..."collective bargaining".
That's also why taxes keep going UP, and rarely if ever drop.
Now, one can argue that it's the responsibility of a city (and it's populace) to pay for all this.
I really don't think so.
The general public doesn't mind one bit if it has to pay the SALARY of a firefighter, police officer or even the public officials...the "civil servants" it elects.
What the citizens DO take issue with, is having to pay (sometimes grossly inflated) ALL the pensions for those who have retired from public service.
Look at all those in the federal government to see the writing on the wall.
Senators and Presidential secretaries get outlandish pension package "deals", and they're not even in a union.
Are they deserving of that, considering all the "perks" they get AS a federal official?
Not hardly. They SHOULD have been saving as they went along...as the REST of us who put them into office attempt to do.
Now consider all those in the auto industry, who make about $25 an HOUR (plus)...which in many cases is a crapload MORE than the average police officer OR firefighter!
Here the person is, sticking seats into the pickups along the assembly line for years, while that police officer is putting THEIR LIFE on the line every single day, not knowing if that next "innocent" traffic stop will wind up as a running gun battle...or worse. Ditto for firefighters. They walk into a burning structure, NOT knowing if the next step they take might be their last, because the floor gave way, or the ceiling collapsed.
Hardly seems "equitable" if we're JUST talking about UNIONS here, right?
Why would the private sector demand MORE pay for less work, or less possibility of injurious situations, while the public servant places themselves in harms' way daily for LESS pay and benefits?
And why would EITHER faction do so in such an unsustainable manner as I mentioned above?
What I find REALLY incredulous about these unions, is that they always seem to come up with MILLIONS to blow on political candidates.
When they SHOULD be blowing it on their union MEMBERS.
The "fat cats" in charge of these unions always seem to get the best and the most, while the proverbial carrot dangled now and again to the "rank and file" seems to keep those people quiet. It's just such an insidious device to control people...it amazes me.
My thought is that unions have accomplished what they ORIGINALLY set out to do, namely make the workplace safe, place decent wages in the pockets of the workers, and prevent abusive labor practices, like the sweatshops, unjust child labor, and the coal miners of PA...to name a few.
What these same unions have done though, is go way too far past that intent.
They demanded such high wages for it's memberships, that businesses have fled ELSEWHERE to manufacture the items that USED to made HERE...in the damn United States of America. President Clinton added quite a few nails in THAT coffin when he passed NAFTA.
This nation used to be at the "top of the heap" when it came to invention and manufacturing...
Not so these days...not even close.
And that's a damn shame...for every worker here.
Between the ever-increasing wages and high cost of pensions, this nation finds itself in some deep sh*t...and it's getting deeper with every generation.
Could we do without unions...?
I believe so.
Should we do without them?
Perhaps.
But it's not like a light bulb, where you can flip a switch and turn it the hell off.
This beast isn't going anywhere any time soon.
They have been given too much power, and since they've had this "taste" for so long, they are not ready to relinquish it.
The agencies and companies I have worked for that were NOT union-led were some of the BEST places I worked at.
Conversely, the union shops were not the best games in town...and if my father were alive, he'd second that claim...loudly!
He was a union man his whole working life, and his pension didn't amount to spit after he passed and mom got her "check"...!
Seems he died just shy of the retirement "age"...
So, what DID happen to all of Dad's "money" he pumped into the union?
Well, Mom certainly DIDN'T get it. I know that for a fact. She lived off of Dad's SSI (and my frequent "gifts") until she passed.
(As a widow, you have the option of your SSI or your spouse's - whatever will pay more)
Would it not be better for everyone if we (as workers) were permitted to DECIDE FOR OURSELVES where to put money gleaned from "the weekly insult" (read paycheck), instead of a bunch of power-hungry strangers?
Would we ever trust the care of our children to such people?
Well, that's what we're doing...placing their future in the hands of these union leaders (and they would so love to fundamentally transform this nation).
In today's economy, with ALL the job LOSSES, and failed "stimulus plans", (like this NEXT debacle which will cost $60 BILLION), the working man and woman is taking it on the chin repeatedly, and sooner or later, hitting the canvas is gonna seem a whole lot more comfortable than getting the hell back up only to be smacked on the chin again.
President Obama is lauding this latest fiasco (the $60 billion dollar plan I just mentioned), which WILL produce jobs to repair our crumbling infrastructure across the country (much like FDR did with his mess). That sounds good, doesn't it?
Well, what happens when those infrastructure projects are all COMPLETED? Can You say...LAYOFFS?
And it will be an en masse one to boot!
We'll more than likely wind up with HIGHER unemployment than we "enjoy" now...
There is nothing LONG-TERM about this recovery program...it's all just another band-aid on that compound fractured leg bone.
But, I'm sure the UNIONS will get some money out of this...no doubt about it, in fact.
Here's some links if you want to bone up on some of the history behind labor unions and the labor movement in America:
http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/Eco_Unionization.htm
I know, it SHOULD be a labor of love, but with the current state of affairs, I think you'll more than get the gist of this soon enough.Labor unions are powerful organizations...that's a FACT (Jack)!
And the ORIGINAL intent of them WAS in fact, to protect the working class for several kinds of sh*t that came at those working class men and women.
As such, they did pretty damn well straight away. They righted a LOT of wrongs against workers, and that was a GOOD thing.
They even provided pension plans for their workers in addition to the Social Security program to help them after they retire.
And on the surface, ALL of this looks REAL good.But underneath, this labor behemoth has become drunk with power of the decades to the point of controlling a large part of our federal government.
That's not very close to that "original intent" of what a (labor) union used to be all about.
Think about this...only NINE PERCENT of workers are in a UNION.
That leaves NINETY-ONE PERCENT of the workers free to control their OWN destiny when it comes to retirement.
THESE people can decide where to place their money, and how to invest in their future.
The other 9% wind up costing everyone else, especially the other union workers in an unsustainable "pyramid scheme".When you allow people to retire at close to (or sometimes even exceeding) their original wages, all that moolah's gotta be comin' from SOMEWHERE.
Let's say ONE person retires from the police force at gets near 80% of their pay AS a pension due to "the formula" system (years in the job plus their age, as most agencies tend to do these days). Who pays for that since the person retired is NO LONGER paying into this "system"?
Why that would be another TEN officers (give or take). I'm rounding off, as the actual numbers tend to fluctuate given pay scales in various cites, counties, etc.
And WHO will pay for THOSE TEN officers when THEY retire...???
If you said the NEXT 100 OFFICERS...give yourself a gold star!
You can easily see how this becomes a study in exponentially, with NO hope of sustainability.
This is why we see unions tapping city coffers to PAY for this...and as a result, why many cities have a lot of cobwebs in their treasuries when they should have some money for such things like infrastructure repair and upgrades, public works, and such.
And it's all done through negotiations at contract time, or as they say..."collective bargaining".That's also why taxes keep going UP, and rarely if ever drop.
Now, one can argue that it's the responsibility of a city (and it's populace) to pay for all this.
I really don't think so.
The general public doesn't mind one bit if it has to pay the SALARY of a firefighter, police officer or even the public officials...the "civil servants" it elects.
What the citizens DO take issue with, is having to pay (sometimes grossly inflated) ALL the pensions for those who have retired from public service.
Look at all those in the federal government to see the writing on the wall.
Senators and Presidential secretaries get outlandish pension package "deals", and they're not even in a union.
Are they deserving of that, considering all the "perks" they get AS a federal official?
Not hardly. They SHOULD have been saving as they went along...as the REST of us who put them into office attempt to do.
Now consider all those in the auto industry, who make about $25 an HOUR (plus)...which in many cases is a crapload MORE than the average police officer OR firefighter!
Here the person is, sticking seats into the pickups along the assembly line for years, while that police officer is putting THEIR LIFE on the line every single day, not knowing if that next "innocent" traffic stop will wind up as a running gun battle...or worse. Ditto for firefighters. They walk into a burning structure, NOT knowing if the next step they take might be their last, because the floor gave way, or the ceiling collapsed.
Hardly seems "equitable" if we're JUST talking about UNIONS here, right?Why would the private sector demand MORE pay for less work, or less possibility of injurious situations, while the public servant places themselves in harms' way daily for LESS pay and benefits?
And why would EITHER faction do so in such an unsustainable manner as I mentioned above?
What I find REALLY incredulous about these unions, is that they always seem to come up with MILLIONS to blow on political candidates.
When they SHOULD be blowing it on their union MEMBERS.
The "fat cats" in charge of these unions always seem to get the best and the most, while the proverbial carrot dangled now and again to the "rank and file" seems to keep those people quiet. It's just such an insidious device to control people...it amazes me.
My thought is that unions have accomplished what they ORIGINALLY set out to do, namely make the workplace safe, place decent wages in the pockets of the workers, and prevent abusive labor practices, like the sweatshops, unjust child labor, and the coal miners of PA...to name a few.
What these same unions have done though, is go way too far past that intent.
They demanded such high wages for it's memberships, that businesses have fled ELSEWHERE to manufacture the items that USED to made HERE...in the damn United States of America. President Clinton added quite a few nails in THAT coffin when he passed NAFTA.This nation used to be at the "top of the heap" when it came to invention and manufacturing...
Not so these days...not even close.
And that's a damn shame...for every worker here.
Between the ever-increasing wages and high cost of pensions, this nation finds itself in some deep sh*t...and it's getting deeper with every generation.
Could we do without unions...?
I believe so.
Should we do without them?
Perhaps.
But it's not like a light bulb, where you can flip a switch and turn it the hell off.
This beast isn't going anywhere any time soon.
They have been given too much power, and since they've had this "taste" for so long, they are not ready to relinquish it.
The agencies and companies I have worked for that were NOT union-led were some of the BEST places I worked at.
Conversely, the union shops were not the best games in town...and if my father were alive, he'd second that claim...loudly!
He was a union man his whole working life, and his pension didn't amount to spit after he passed and mom got her "check"...!
Seems he died just shy of the retirement "age"...
So, what DID happen to all of Dad's "money" he pumped into the union?
Well, Mom certainly DIDN'T get it. I know that for a fact. She lived off of Dad's SSI (and my frequent "gifts") until she passed.
(As a widow, you have the option of your SSI or your spouse's - whatever will pay more)
Would it not be better for everyone if we (as workers) were permitted to DECIDE FOR OURSELVES where to put money gleaned from "the weekly insult" (read paycheck), instead of a bunch of power-hungry strangers?Would we ever trust the care of our children to such people?
Well, that's what we're doing...placing their future in the hands of these union leaders (and they would so love to fundamentally transform this nation).
In today's economy, with ALL the job LOSSES, and failed "stimulus plans", (like this NEXT debacle which will cost $60 BILLION), the working man and woman is taking it on the chin repeatedly, and sooner or later, hitting the canvas is gonna seem a whole lot more comfortable than getting the hell back up only to be smacked on the chin again.
President Obama is lauding this latest fiasco (the $60 billion dollar plan I just mentioned), which WILL produce jobs to repair our crumbling infrastructure across the country (much like FDR did with his mess). That sounds good, doesn't it?Well, what happens when those infrastructure projects are all COMPLETED? Can You say...LAYOFFS?
And it will be an en masse one to boot!
We'll more than likely wind up with HIGHER unemployment than we "enjoy" now...
There is nothing LONG-TERM about this recovery program...it's all just another band-aid on that compound fractured leg bone.
But, I'm sure the UNIONS will get some money out of this...no doubt about it, in fact.
Here's some links if you want to bone up on some of the history behind labor unions and the labor movement in America:
http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/Eco_Unionization.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_unions_in_the_United_States
And these sites are but the tip of a MUCH larger iceberg.
I could easily turn this post into a SERIES, but I wanted to peak your curiosity.
Now maybe this is all nothing more than tossing good money (YOUR money) after bad...maybe not.
But you have to do your homework on this...see if you come to similar conclusions as I have.
You might agree, or vehemently disagree...but if there is ONE thing you CAN take away from all this...it will get you to THINK.
At least the price is right there...thinking IS STILL FREE.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.
And these sites are but the tip of a MUCH larger iceberg.
I could easily turn this post into a SERIES, but I wanted to peak your curiosity.
Now maybe this is all nothing more than tossing good money (YOUR money) after bad...maybe not.But you have to do your homework on this...see if you come to similar conclusions as I have.
You might agree, or vehemently disagree...but if there is ONE thing you CAN take away from all this...it will get you to THINK.
At least the price is right there...thinking IS STILL FREE.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.
2 comments:
Good post. Despite the good intentions so long ago, I don't agree with the current state of unions. In our state, they do more to discourage employment than anything.
When I was with the police department, I got out of the union after a few years--I just could not sleep comfortably knowing the issues that they were pushing.
Slamdunk:
You I can mark you down in the "(un)satisfied customer" column, then?
;)
Yeah, they're more than outgrown even themselves at this point.
They do chase after things they have NO BUSINESS messing with.
And that does NOT serve the membership ONE bit.
They not only discourage EMPLOYMENT, but they certainly negate any REAL COMPETITION to boot.
And competition is GOOD...for ANY economy.
Thanks for stopping by today.
Much appreciated.
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