Posted on 11/11/2008 10:05:04 AM PST by St. Louis Conservative
The advent of a new administration could mean a renewed political debate over a central aspect of life for most Americans — the workplace.
Barack Obama has embraced a pro-union agenda that would strengthen the labor movement. And union leaders, who spent more than a quarter-billion dollars and enlisted more than a quarter-million volunteers to win working class swing voters, expect Democrats in both the White House and Congress to make good on their campaign promises.
"We have more votes in the Senate, we have more votes in the House, and we have a mobilized electorate and union movement that are going to demand change," AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Rich Trumka said.
Still reeling from eight years of what they regard as the most anti-union administration in U.S. history, labor has a list of priorities, including changes in the National Labor Relations Board, in the corporate tax code and in free-trade agreements.
Labor's agenda also includes a controversial measure that would make it easier for unions to organize a workplace. The Employee Free Choice Act would allow a union to be formed if half the employees simply signed a petition, without the need for a lengthy secret ballot election process. Most congressional Democrats support it while most Republicans oppose the measure, which passed the House last year but stalled in the Senate.
Corporate groups, small-business owners and many conservatives strongly oppose many of the changes, saying they would give labor too much power while damaging an already struggling economy.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
Ya think?
I’m going way out on a limb by saying this article MAY be correct.
I predict that union elections will be lost by the unions in increasing numbers. I used to be a union member and this law would cause me to:
1. Vote to keep a union out of the workplace to begin with.
2. Vote to decertify an existing union.
This law, assuming it passes, will not be a win for the unions, but a defeat.
I certainly hope you’re right, but I’m not convinced that you are.
I still can’t get that the unions spent over 250 million dollars without an upraising from members who would want that money in their pensions. I do find it funny that when they strike that they only get like 15 bucks a day.
And when the ‘fights’ get nasty enough, guess what? The businesses will pack up and move to another, more friendly climate where labor costs less and profits can be made.
Long live the St. Louis Globe Democrat.
Long live the St. Louis Sun.
duh alert
A lot of union people wanted change. They asked for it, voted for it, and now they got it, and if they don't like it, tough cookies, they are stuck with it.
I'm waiting to hear from my husband's old union, ALPA, on how they were had. ALPA supported Obama.
Welcome to ObamaNation!
The union may increase wages temporarily or see membership increase slightly, but in the long run jobs will go elsewhere. It will happen faster now than ever before. Will Toyota keep assembly plants in the U.S if the new rules take place? No? Small towns like Princeton, IN will be killed.
The only caveat is the government workers. Up will go the taxes to support their hearts' desires.
I am predicting that on Jan 20-—IF the Supremes don’t ask NObama for his valid birth certificate-—
NObama will sign an executive order:
Declaring a freeze in wages.
Declaring a freeze in prices.
Declaring a freeze in LAYOFF/FIRING.
Declaring a freeze in ALL benefits- most assuredly health benefits.
If YOU or ANYONE you know is a small business owner- I am begging you to pay attention to me:
Cut your company back to the BARE BONES—and I mean BARE BONES. If you started as a Mom+Pop business, cut back to that. If you have DIRECT family members working for you- carefully evaluate their roles. Let them buy a SMALL amount of stock for a small amount of price- with the caveat of you being able to purchase all stock back with interest in 4 or 8 years—thus turning them into “owners” instead of employees.
Cut back to ONLY what you do best, and what brings you the most solid customers who pay on time, and give you the least amount of grief.
Late payer? GONE...
Late to supply info to get a job done? GONE...
Unreliable about data they provide? GONE...
Any or all of the above, and more that YOU can think of.
No more paid for parking if the company is paying another owner for parking space.
Re-establish the work rules:
No personal phone calls.
No personal use of texting, etc.
No expenditures unless OKed by the top person.
INSTALL A PUNCH CLOCK & TIMECARDS..immediately. The tardy arrivals and early departures are bleeding your productive hours. It is also pissing off the workers who are there timely and don’t try to hustle time here and there.
Who ever is laid off is a wake-up call to the remainders.
Tell them to take time off for doctors and dentists- it it no longer paid time off.
Cut back on the area you rent and sublet to someone if you can. Same if you own the building. Move the business to your home if suitable, and not an issue with local zoning regs.
Cut out all perks- free coffee/cocoa/bottled water, etc.
Cut out Christmas party. Have a pot luck at someone’s house IF you MUST.
Cut out the summer company picnic or make it a pot luck, also.
Put office supplies and postage stamps/meter under lock and key for only a trusted person to control. This alone can bleed a company to death.
NObama is going to try and micromanage YOUR business until it becomes a carcass, and then he will have a “review board” to decide if you are ALLOWED to cut back in the future.
DO IT NOW—DO IT BEFORE DEC 31st.
If the Supremes cast him out- and I am praying they will realize this has all been a hoax, then you can CAREFULLY grow your business again.
As a life-long bookkeeper, I have seen too many times when an owner just couldn’t say the words LAY OFF- and the end result was the entire business went turtle.
Watch NObama declare that will not be allowed, and that there will be a seizure of all assets until company pays an “exit fee” of $50 million or something.
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