Unions are the friends of the little guy right? Well not really

coachisright.com ^ | DECEMBER 2ND, 2012 | Derrick Hollenbeck, staff writer

[jmaroneps37]

As if California and America have not been damaged enough by greedy unions who don’t give a damn about the rest of us, a small union in the Port of Los Angeles has ground the economy of Southern California to a halt.

A strike by a union of about 800 members has effectively closed the port which is the busiest import/export hub in the country.

As a result the Port of Los Angeles is suffering a loss of $ 1 BILLION DOLLARS A DAY! The strike has spread to “600,000 truckers, dockworkers, trading companies and others depend for their livelihoods.”…

“As usual the issue separating the union and management is the union’s insistence upon continuing its extortionist policy of “featherbedding” by which temporary thieves come to the docks, don’t do any work and still get paid for being “on the job.”

Since there has not been a contract between the parties for 21 ½ years, it is very clear that the rank and file members are happy with conditions on the Los Angeles docks, so why the problem? These “featherbedding” jobs are not being filled by them.

They have jobs that they like and want to keep. The push for extortion is being made to recoup some of the money the union laid out to purchase Barack Obama.

As is the case with most “blue collar” unions, the International Long shore and Warehouse Union, gave millions of dollars to Democrats (99% to 1% to Republicans) and they don’t have enough actual workers to extort to get back their outlay anytime soon.

They need to force management to play make believe with them – they want management to make believe “featherbedding” ‘workers’ actually exist so the union can collect union dues from these phantoms….

[jmaroneps37]

Union thugs will look for opportunities to extort companies without regard for the rank and file who will lose their job when their corporate victims go under.

[Oldexpat]

The expansion of the Panama Canal will cut down the traffic of containers on the W. Coast. Shifting cargoes to non-union ports of Houston and NO.

[mountainlion]

I paid dues over 10 year but did not consider myself a “Union Man” I did not vote for John the traitor Kerry when told to. I kept the stamps and threw away the cards they wanted me to mail to my representatives. I worked behind the scenes to help the people. I took a lot of carp form anti union thugs also.

[gusty]

Many decades ago my father, a roofing contractor, was talking to a friend who was a union official. My dad said, “if you guys get your way, little guys like me would be out of business.” The union official responded, “ exactly, we do not want hundreds of firms that we have to negotiate with, just a very few to negotiate with. It makes our job easier.”

[Qout]

More jobs for the Canucks of Prince Rupert. The unemployment rate in British Columbia is 6.7%.

[Huskrrrr]

Toyota closed it’s bay area NUMMI plant a couple of years ago. One of my friends who was layed off is leaving CA and moving to a right to work state. Of course he continues to vote Dem.

[9YearLurker]

Getting rid of unions—which would only require getting rid of the special powers we’ve given them through federal law—could be the best single thing to be done for our country, as it would immediately get their influence out of politics (and of course give the economy a boost).

[Uncle Chip]

If people knew what Longshoremen @ the Port of Long Beach make annually they would be stunned. It must be in excess of $250,000/yr by now.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Everything you need to know about union workers can be learned from the bumper of their “pickem up truck”. They have an “I’m the NRA and I vote” bumper sticker on one side and an Obama/Biden bumper sticker on the other.

[crazydad]

Just like the punks at Wal-mart on Black Friday, they don’t care about the Employees? They care about the Dollars. More Union dues and more political power. Unions are punks!

[EricT.]

Of course he continues to vote Dem.

Tell him to stay in CA then. We don't need him screwing things up for the rest of us.

[melsec]

I used to be a Union Rep. For about 5 years I served my guys loyally and got for them what was a fair deal with the bosses.

1) then the workers start taking advantage, through lying, of some of the conditions they were given to the detriment of the company and to their other workers.
2) the union would send us their newspapers and I find out they are supporting all sorts of left-wing things like abortion etc that I have never agrred to, with my Union dues.
3) Finally the Union in a larger workplace agreement screwed over my guys to get the agreement through (some of my guys deserved it though) but I did not.

Make a complaint or have a conversation about what you disagree with and you get the “better not say too much look”.

That was the end of my association with Unions. In my current company I get a better deal just talking to the boss directly - the ones that don’t get a better deal either do not ask for it or don’t deserve it - fine by me!

[GeronL]

and this is why unions are called extortion rackets

[GeronL]

comments?

I’m sure it will be interesting

[DoughtyOne]

I dont' think SnarkyBog would disagree with much I'll say here.

I have at times wished there could be an employee union without the negative connotations.  Sadly, that's never going to happen.  It will always escalate over time to the point, you'd have just the same type of union activity you have now.

Isn't it interesting, that neither unions or the big four (socialism, communism, marxism, or islam) can exist without the tacit threat of destruction or violence?  

Unions are established via threat.  "We are forming a group, and you will not be able to hire anyone outside this group.  You will meet our demands, or we will close your business.  Sign here..." 

Of course the big promise up front, is that normal people will wind up with abnormally high standards of living.  Never-mind about the part where the business can't compete, can't sell it's merchandise to the public, and it has to close down.  Once you're in a union, try bucking the union policy.  If you happen to understand where the employer is coming from when he says he can barely compete as it is, and can't give up any more, you're viewed to be an enemy of the other union employees.  And then it can get very ugly.

Contrastingly, Capitalism exists through mutual respect and agreement.

The business owner makes an offer.  The employee accepts the offer.  If at some point either should be dissatisfied with the workplace relationship, the relationship can be broken.  Employees can leave without cause.  The employer can terminate without cause.  Employers aren't going to bother breaking your legs, burning your home down, or anything of this type, because they can terminate the relationship, just like you can.

You can leave and take a job for more money.  The employer can let you go and hire someone who will work for the same salary or less.

If you go no farther than this, you know enough to make a valid accurate decision regarding unions.  And yet, there's more.

1. unions make big promises
2. unions make big threats
3. unions make unreasoned demands
4. unions can and do cause detrimental pressures on businesses
5. unions control the employee
6. unions can institute clandestine violence against it's members
7. unions can call strikes, when many of it's members would rather not
8. unions can make demands, when many members disagree on point
9. unions can and do support causes, when many members disagree
10. unions can and do spread their money around in ways the average union employee doesn't know
11. unions stick together, even across the boundaries of like jobs, or like interests
12. unions frequently ask other unions to go out on strike in sympathy with a union during a dispute
13. unions can and do make the most absurd demands because they can, and they get these demands
14. unions have no compunction to take their own members into consideration as they do this stuff
15. unions can participate and actually devise large protests against sound government policy
16. unions combine the above tactics to do what is in the single or combined union leaderships best interest
17. unions, it is my opinion that the massive A.N.S.W.E.R. rallies held in the United States, A.C.O.R.N., and literally hundreds of other (union related or not) entities, are merely fronts for union activity.  It is further my opinion, that many of the people on the street participating in these activities are getting monetary, college credit, or other forms of perks or payment for their participation.  In some instances, that may include a provision that people participate or lose certain perks they have already been receiving.

This isn't to say that everything is perfect under the Capitalist model.  I do think things happen under the Capitalist model that are wrong.  It's the extremes that bother me.  Capitalism works best within closed or relatively equal societies.  When you start trying to implement it between two different nations with totally different living standards, Capitalist policies can and do be come very corrosive, destructive.  Trade for materials works best when dealing with this type of unbalanced relationship.

That's my take on it.

[GeronL]

and it gets to the point where they think they work for the union and not the company. As if the union has any jobs at all except for the highflying union executives living off the back of the working man

[snarkybob]

“I have at times wished there could be an employee union without the negative connotations. Sadly, that’s never going to happen. It will always escalate over time to the point, you’d have just the same type of union activity you have now.”

I do agree with that. I’d like to see more guilds and less institutionalized unions. I support workers rights, but as you pointed out too many union bosses don’t even support their workers. Workers get sold out to mobsters, politicians, and even management. But the rot is at the top.

“Contrastingly, Capitalism exists through mutual respect and agreement.”

I disagree with this statement. At least I disagree that Capitalism works that way now.
Capitalism in these modern times (at least Capitalism on a large scale) seems to be as much about buying influence and loopholes and croynism as about honest investment and return. Again I think the rot is at the top.
Ethics and good faith have been abandoned by both groups.

[DoughtyOne]

That’s true. I agree.

[DoughtyOne]

I have at times wished there could be an employee union without the negative connotations. Sadly, that’s never going to happen. It will always escalate over time to the point, you’d have just the same type of union activity you have now.

I do agree with that. I’d like to see more guilds and less institutionalized unions. I support workers rights, but as you pointed out too many union bosses don’t even support their workers. Workers get sold out to mobsters, politicians, and even management. But the rot is at the top.

I'm not sure that works out as planned.  I suspect these would morph over time to become problematic as well.  I am not prepared to trash the idea with the consideration that a working model might crop up that would undercut the unions at the knees though.

Contrastingly, Capitalism exists through mutual respect and agreement.

I disagree with this statement. At least I disagree that Capitalism works that way now.

Okay, then from your comments it seems you do support the concept if sound principles are adhered to.

I would liken this to us supporting Conservatism, but thinking the Republican leadership has abandoned it.  We don't toss out Conservatism.  We search for better leaders/administrators.

Capitalism in these modern times (at least Capitalism on a large scale) seems to be as much about buying influence and loopholes and croynism as about honest investment and return. Again I think the rot is at the top.
Ethics and good faith have been abandoned by both groups.

I'm not going to categorically disagree with this.  I still believe that with Capitalism you have a platform that is sound.  Parts of Capitalism still works quite well.  And if you think about it, with all the governmental and union attacks upon it, it proves to be a very resilient game plan.  That alone speaks very well of it.  Our job is to see that it is unencumbered.

With Socialism, there is no sound footing to build upon.  It's corrosive from top to bottom.

Our society will never be perfect.  We strive to get it there, and realize we are only human.  People push for the wrong things, and we push back.

Take care.