The Heritage Foundation - Leadership for America

March 26, 2009 Ozzy6900, CT writes:

Unions were supposed to be the tower of “The Democratic Process” in that the majority vote ruled. Now, it seems that if the majority vote is not in line with the Union, the majority needs to be corrected until it is! Unions no longer stand for representing the worker as they once did, they now stand for power and control.

Unions feel that they can tell a company what to do and how to run their business. This is why many companies would rather pick up and move rather than let a Union come into their shop. Workers are brainwashed by Unions into thinking that the company that they work for and pays their wages, is a tyrant or a dictatorial monster. Then the Union takes their dues from the worker’s pay check and goes their merry way.

The worker rarely sees or hears from the Union until contract time. Then the Union becomes visible and vocal, stirring up anxiety of contract negotiations and strike possibilities. The Union has rallies and rah-rah meetings all telling the employee how bad the company is and how the company wants to take away their “rights”.

From first hand knowledge as both a forced Union member and an officer, I can attest to the degrading of the Union over the last thirty years. What was once a caring entity is now a power hungry animal that pushes its way around and doesn’t care one bit for the employee! Bonuses? Wealth? Look at the leaders of the Unions out there! You think AIG is bad? Union officials rape their members every paycheck and claim to do everything for the worker. Vacations in the Caribbean, payouts to the Democrats and lobbying in Washington DC does nothing for the worker, it only helps the strength of the Union. The worker is on his/her own.

March 26, 2009 Michael Pilcher writes:

Labor unions have outlived their usefulness over 60 years ago. Their only purpose today is to line the pockets of the union “leaders” and the democrat party. They supress employee initiative andambition, because no matter how good a person is at their job, wages and benefits will always be geared to the lowest level of incompetence in the union. Because of labor contracts (agreed to willingly by Detroit) American auto industry is no longer a manufacturing facility, but rather a retirement home and medical center for over a million people who do no work, and incidentally happen to produce some cars that they lose money on no matter what they charge the consumer. How long is America going to put up with this?

March 26, 2009 ra,ohio writes:

The two comments above are right on.

The unions are one leg of a socialistic platform being built before our very eyes.

The obama said today that “we” need devices in our houses that can determine when we can use our appliances, a “smart grid”, and he said installing these devices would provide jobs to electricians across the country.

I already have an electrical supply line, a phone line and a cable line connected to our house.
We determine when we are cold, or hot, or when we want to watch TV, or use the computer, or wash the dishes, dammit.

American’s will defend our beliefs against these money grabbing hypocrites when they come to your door and demand that you conform to their policies.

March 26, 2009 Spiritof76, New Hampshire writes:

Unions today have turned into cancer cells eating away American jobs, American productivity and American wealth creation. They have to be either surgically removed from American labor market or with enough Chemo-therapy diminish them to negligent presence.

March 29, 2009 bavarianborn, ohio writes:

As a union member twenty years ago, I witnessed reduced benefits each contract vote. Never seeing any improvement to the previous one. The union ultimately forced me out of my job when a senior member was allowed to “bump” my hours when business slowed down. Since then, I have sworn to never work for another union again. Life was good working for the non-union companies. Benefits were better, pay was better, and the grapevine was relatively free of exploitation and entitlement rhetoric. Not to mention, MORALE was higher!
After twenty years, I had to break the non-union oath. The recession had me starting ‘09 off as unemployed. The first job available after two months is union represented. I accept the position, to keep my family in our home. Within two weeks, I was taken aback at the almost criminal status that unions have become. The benefits are almost non-existent, dues had just been raised, and information from the grapevine revealed that after a brief tenure, you are welcomed into the union by paying an “initiation fee!!!” for the privelage of having this job. The amount of the fee deducted from my pay would have been enough to jeopardize our home. So, I began to look for a second job. Thanks to God, an offer from a non-union company with career growth potential was accepted.
What I learned from this is: 1) Unions are worse than ever; deteriorating to a legal semblance of an extorsion ring. 2) The separation between the blue and white collar workers becomes a moat with crocodiles and the drawbridge rusting shut with a union present. 3) Next time, I will remain on unemployment OR keep ALL of the money I earn sans taxes.

( wonder if the “initiation fee” was required to be remitted as cash in an unmarked envelope ??? )

Thank God I dodged that bullet!!!