Unless you have seriously considered leaving UPS and looked for other work, no one here probably has any idea how hard it is to find a job that pays more than $15/hour. All of you complaining about moochers, you could live on less than $600/wk??? Which would be closer to $500/week. I would have a tough time. It would be doable, but I would not be putting a dime in savings, nothing in retirement, plus my daughters would be accruing substantial college debt. We would be living hand to mouth.
I hear conservatives blab nonstop about how if we 'work hard' we will be rewarded with a good living. That is not always the case. Preloaders work their cans off, all of us here know they are not making a good living. Many, I would even say that most, are never going to be a FT UPSer. Lots of hard work for not so much reward. I use to milk cows. That is some hard work and long hours and almost no days off. I did not make anything close to a reasonable living.
Do not believe for one second that most people that are collecting unemployment do not want to work. Most want nothing more than to go back to work, pay their bills, get some nice things and go on a vacation every now and then. If you think otherwise, you should seek treatment to end your addiction to mind altering drugs.
If politicians truly wanted a stronger middle class, they would make it easier to organize. It is a fact that union workers make more than their non union competitors. If you subscribe to trickle down, a strong middle class, means strong spending, which means a strong economy. From what I read though, it sounds like trickle down really only works for millionaires or business owners, not workers and certainly not the middle class.
Deregulation is responsible for the loss of hundreds of thousands of strong middle class jobs. Who promoted deregulation and resists any type of reregulation??? The same people that do not want to see a middle class.