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Comment Archives: Stories: News+Opinion: Public Policy LTD.
Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
@regroce,,those multiple indiscretions took place long before DHS took over the screening,and yes the local knew about them as they do many others committed by members, the local knows of crimes committed on SPA property by members. To say otherwise is either blatant dishonesty or ignorance of the facts.
Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
the only "propaganda" on this page seems to come from you, gfryesc. You're typing from some handbook, but that doesn't give you any references, apparently. "intimidation!!!!" - but any example on record? idontthinkso -- "tyranny of public ballot!!!!" -- that's a dead giveaway that you don't know what you're talking about. "Forcing to join!!!!" never happens ... and your GM bailout to UAW reference...were you under a rock for the past few decades? Did you know that GM employees fund their own retirement accounts? And that GMC was the operator and controller of those retirement accounts? And that GM actually took the money from those retirement accounts and spent it elsewhere --- and never paid it back? So you think it's wrong that GM had to pay back the money it technically stole? But that's what you want to complain about it.......desperate, misinformed and misinforming argument.
Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
Anthony, at that time the law said the most SPA and the union could do was a license check, and because Dept of Homeland Security was supposed to be over the screening. That was DHS' fault, not the unions.
Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
Here is a good example of Union concern for safety..... in 2005
William E. "Bill" Hughes, 42, was killed Feb. 12 when he was hit by a container-hauling truck while directing traffic at the Wando Welch Terminal of the Port of Charleston.
On Wednesday, Archie Porcher of Cainhoy was charged with reckless homicide. He is accused of making a U-turn while driving the truck and running over Hughes.
Porcher has at least 24 convictions for moving violations in South Carolina, along with an armed robbery conviction and several drug convictions, according to court records. His driver's license has been suspended since June because of a conviction for possession of LSD and cocaine.
"Everybody is surprised about it," said Keith Pitts, a longshoreman who witnessed the accident. "This fellow has an offense list long enough to make anybody want to think twice about working with somebody like that.
"It's not like it's something where we want to get on a bandwagon and hate on this man, but he shouldn't have even been allowed on the docks."
Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
Excellent post IP. Keep up the good work.
Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
Mat draws no distinction between public and private sector unions, rendering this column as little more than pro union propaganda.
Most people, when given all the relevant information, will support a private sector union's right to organize. The same is not true of public sector unions.
A union's only real power in negotiating for benefits is to call for a strike or a work slowdown. Because of that, it is imperative to deny public servants the right to unionize. The taxpayers should not be held hostage by public servants who derive their income through tax receipts. Should taxpayers be held hostage for potable water and sanitation in the event of a CPW strike? Should taxpayers be held hostage for EMS, police and fire protection in the event of a strike? A plurality will answer "no" to both questions.
The issue with Charleston County's bus troubles stems from the fact that a private contractor is doing what should be a public work. We could fix this problem tomorrow.
Step one: Fire the private contractor.
Step two: As a temporary measure, find a few hundred unemployed drivers at the unemployment office who can pass the DMV requirements. Tell them they get to keep their unemployment benefits as is and are excused from seeking work while helping out the county, plus they get an extra ten dollars an hour, tax free, for each hour they drive the bus. For every week of service driving the buses, they get a one week extension of unemployment benefits, up to whatever the current maximum number of weeks is.
Step three: Re-define the position of "bus driver". With all the concern about school shootings and hiring police officers to guard schools, we should create a new class of public servant: the school bus driving, armed guard resource officer. After the kids are delivered, the drivers park their buses and provide security for school facilities until it is time to take the children home. The children will have an armed guard driving their bus to and from school (might have been handy in Alabama), and the same person, who is already familiar with those children, will be watching over the school facilities during normal school operations. Mayor Riley has proposed almost 4 million in new spending to create police patrols for this very purpose.
Step four: Do not let these newly defined public servants organize against the interests of the taxpayers.
Even the progressive's greatest champion of unions, FDR, recognized that public sector unions were a bad idea:
http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/aboutfdr/…
People don't "hate" unions. They hate the tactics employed by unions - especially when those tactics hold the public's interests hostage to union demands.
People hate it when public school teachers, who derive their salaries from taxation, hold parents hostage to procure day care for children who should be in school.
People hate it when public sanitation workers, who derive their salaries from taxation, hold citizens hostage with unmoved garbage and debris.
People hate it when public air traffic controllers, who derive their salaries from taxation, hold travelers hostage by shutting down commercial airline travel.
People hate it when state subsidized utility companies hold hurricane Sandy victims hostage - because they won't let non union utility workers (from right to work states) help restore the power grid after a disaster.
And some people really hate it when only one side of the "union" argument is presented.
Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
"Thugs, thugs, thugs! The unions are full of 'em! THUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGSSSSS! Thugs."
A union is still needed whenever you have management that thinks of the worker as an obstacle. Run a company well, like Honda's assembly plants for instance, and quality is promoted by all members of the chain in concert. Run a company like your workers are your worst nightmare, and sure enough, they become it.
I used to think that unions were old hat and then I got a job as a non-union factory manager... this century and everything... and it all suddenly made perfect sense. No running water, no break area, dodgy safety equipment, job aids and training aids were nearly non-existent. Production goals were also at the whim of the weather and yet no allowances were made for it.
And don't even start with the coal mines comparison. How many folks need to die under Massey Energy's watch before it is clear to all that while we aren't in "the company store" era, workers aren't out of the woods and their value is trivial in such cases.
Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
I always love the argument "unions had uses back in the old days, when workers were constantly abused, but we don't need them anymore because we have legal protections and the like." That's like saying, "well, crime is down, so we should abolish the police department."
Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
That's great anecdotal evidence. It's like saying "hey, I saw this poor person buying butterfingers and magazines with their EBT card once, so therefore let's end all social programs forever."
Unions have their problems. No doubt. But the conservative solution to nearly every problem is "Oh, there's a fly in this room. Let's destroy the room with a flamethrower to get rid of it."
Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
@TruthrUs has it right. I am also a former union member and while I benefited greatly from the stranglehold my union held in the industry I always felt bad about it. The union caused my employers to waste so much money and the crazy rules were off the charts. New employees were always shocked when they learned what they had gotten themselves into but after a short while just kept their mouths shut and enjoyed the perks.
One example, I was working a job and we had a fan blowing on us to keep cool on a hot day. At one point the fan needed to be moved because we had worked our way out of its reach. A new employee almost got his head bitten off because he tried to move the fan a few inches. He didn't realize that there was a union electrician there whose job would be threatened by him moving that fan. The electrician really didn't do much else the whole day.
That kind of thing went on all day, every day. And don't even get me started on what the guys would do if they got wind of someone working outside the union. Thuggery is too nice a description. It's no wonder people have a negative impression of unions today.
Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
We, as a nation of the middle-class are creating our own end. Soon there will be nothing but owners and thier serfs who believe they will become the next owner before fertilizer.
Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
"We're no longer in the coal miners safety era or Upton Sinclair's Jungle."
Incorrect. There are still egregious health and safety violations within the coal industry in this nation.
But, to play your game, we are no longer in the era of needing guns to catch our dinner and ward off mass invaders, so let's get rid of them.
Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
Mat, it is what you do not talk about that turns people against unions. Lack of accountability for ones actions. Thug behavior, intimidation, destruction of property. As a former union member I have seen both sides. The Unions need to clean up their act and get back to basic reasonableness.
Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
union membership is in a nosedive. Even public sector unions are in decline, and these are the worst, even FDR understood the inherent conflict of interest of Unions electing government officials that they then sit across from and 'negotiate' (with the representative supposedly taking the taxpayer's side). Moreover, if I don't like your Union, I can go with your competitor or be your competition. Where's government's competition?
Seriously, this article is some serious propaganda. What about Union thug violence and intimidation? What about the tyranny of public ballot Card Check? What about not forcing a worker to join a Union as a condition of employment should he not chose to? That's a novel idea, Pro-Choice. And what about the constant government bailouts of choice Union base voters? This GM 'bailout', which is really just a UAW bailout, boils down to autoworkers in Southern States being forced to bailout their competition in Detroit. It's that simple.
We're no longer in the coal miners safety era or Upton Sinclair's Jungle. The Union problem is easy: people can unionize should they choose (and opt out if they don't), they can strike when they feel they must... BUT THE EMPLOYER CAN FIRE STRIKING WORKERS IF HE CAN FIND WORKERS THAT WANT TO WORK! It's garbage that employers can't offset the Union's strike power. The government has totally overstepped itself.
Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
Unions function just like any other "entitlement" program; the lack of incentive to do better for yourself.
Re: “The GOP cares less about the Americans who died in Benghazi than the 2016 presidential race”
Pro-tip: If you are going to call the other side "unintellectual" make sure to use spell check. The US doesn't have Embassadors. Also, know the difference between you're and your. "Would have ran" is improper tense agreement. Is "champin" a word or do you mean "chomping"? Jesus-fucking-Christ, ya'll is ignorint! I might think this was a joke designed to drive liberals crazy, except I know that Republicans are incapable of making jokes that don't involve denigrating someone's race, gender, or sexual orientation. Seriously people, try harder.
Re: “Charter, magnet, and private schools harm public education”
like every child should get to go to college, or must go to college with the Government's (tax payers ) help. Soon we have all Chief's and no Indians, like now. College Grads in the thousands can't get a job with their Degree, they are working at Burger King.. My My..
Re: “The GOP cares less about the Americans who died in Benghazi than the 2016 presidential race”
The most dangerous man in america , is in the white house.
Re: “The GOP cares less about the Americans who died in Benghazi than the 2016 presidential race”
mat loves to see and read his own post, I think that is why he like to write his take on life. mat, we all know you are liberal, are you unsure of yourself ?
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Re: “An irrational hatred of unions hurts all American workers”
I was born 3 miles north of Detroit and saw what unions and entitlement do. I hope the girls at your wine club enjoy your prose and that you get laid with that bleeding heart blather if it was your goal. Everyone with a brain or a sense of global economics knows you're full of shit.