Making Unions Matter Again

[hubrat]

"The ability of unions to expand their ranks doesn't lie in labor law reform; it lies in the potential for Americans in large numbers to see unions as relevant. "
Jane McAlevey

Good read:

http://www.thenation.com/article/156811/making-unions-matter-again

Sound off?

 

[packageguy]

i know union matters, if it was not for unions we would
be working for peanuts, you don't have to hide behind union,
just come to work do your job. We should all stick together,
the way it use to be. They pick on one they pick on all of us.

 

[Anonymous 10]

When is the next Ron Carey going to come forward?

 

[moreluck]

Barney Miller just isn't the same without him !!

 

[hubrat]

From the standpoint that unions can be extremely helpful to workers and corporations, and therefore to the American economy. I just have the mamby-pamby wish that they had a better reputation. A lotta people still think they are all about organized crime.

 

[TheKid]

"...if we do not hang together we will surely all hang seperately."

 

[804brown]

When is the next Ron Carey going to come forward?

There will never be another Ron Carey. But his spirit and legacy rests in all of us who want to improve working conditions, increase salaries and stand up for the little guy. Or as Ron Carey once put it: The Forgotten Teamster! I think Sandy Pope has what it takes to carry that torch for The Forgotten Teamster. Sadly, Hoffa, the son of a great leader, has no clue!

 

[hubrat]

I emailed this link to the Pres. of our local. I hope he's not p'od. Some of it is pretty strong stuff. I definitely think we could work on our p.r. with the rest of the country. I am thankful for the union. It would be really cool if we Teamsters could help straighten some stuff out for our country.

 

[whiskey]

I emailed this link to the Pres. of our local. I hope he's not p'od. Some of it is pretty strong stuff. I definitely think we could work on our p.r. with the rest of the country. I am thankful for the union. It would be really cool if we Teamsters could help straighten some stuff out for our country.

These are challenging times for everyone. But rest assured, some of the minds in charge of the direction of the Teamsters, are absolutely brilliant. And I have all the faith in the world in them. Everyone in leadership does not have to possess genius. Again, I say, we have more than our share of great minds.

 

[bbsam]

If you want the union to matter again, I have a little unsolicited advice: change the tone. Bring something to the table for business. Convince a company like Fedex that they would be better served by union workers. Convince the company and the potential union members that the union will act in the interest of fairness for both sides. Although convincing the companies of this has slim to no chance of winning over the company, the employees of the company may well start seeing the prospect of unionization in a more favorable light.

 

[UPSSOCKS]

From the standpoint that unions can be extremely helpful to workers and corporations, and therefore to the American economy. I just have the mamby-pamby wish that they had a better reputation. A lotta people still think they are all about organized crime.

The only people that think the union is about organized crime are the uneducated or young kids. Look at your BA's, cheap suit, greasy hair (or no hair), maybe they stink a little. Organized crime conduct themselves in a better manner. The only organized crime going on is the stealing of your union dues....

 

[UPSSOCKS]

These are challenging times for everyone. But rest assured, some of the minds in charge of the direction of the Teamsters, are absolutely brilliant. And I have all the faith in the world in them. Everyone in leadership does not have to possess genius. Again, I say, we have more than our share of great minds.

Brilliant Minds? Running a Union? Were you drinking Whiskey when you wrote this. The minds in charge of the direction of the Teamsters are destroying everything past members worked for. Your Hypnotized, but everyone needs to have faith in something... Just keep sending your dues.. Brilliant Minds, now that's funny, I don't care who you are....

 

[hubrat]

The only people that think the union is about organized crime are the uneducated or young kids. Look at your BA's, cheap suit, greasy hair (or no hair), maybe they stink a little. Organized crime conduct themselves in a better manner. The only organized crime going on is the stealing of your union dues....

Brilliant Minds? Running a Union? Were you drinking Whiskey when you wrote this. The minds in charge of the direction of the Teamsters are destroying everything past members worked for. Your Hypnotized, but everyone needs to have faith in something... Just keep sending your dues.. Brilliant Minds, now that's funny, I don't care who you are....

There are some really decent people in leadership positions in our local. They are not all about taking our dues and providing nothing in return. My hunch is this is true nationwide. Doesn't mean they don't need to learn and change with the times. As members who have an interest in the continued/increased success of the Teamsters, we owe it to ourselves to help improve the organization.

 

[PT Stewie]

According to "Fortune" magazine, the average annual salary of a FedEx driver (courier) is $37,351, as of April 2010. On GlassDoor.com, eight anonymous FedEx couriers reported an average hourly wage of $19.85.​

Read more: How much does a FedEx driver make? | Answerbag http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1987949#ixzz19hMpAceT

No union= substandard wages not to mention benefits ?​

 

[wkmac]

Hubrat,

IMO, one way to make unions matter again if you will is for unions and it's members to find it's roots and bring those traditions forward into the current age. But it also raises another question and that is, what do you mean for a union to matter in your mind? What would you need to see happen for you to believe that goal was accomplished?

It's a great question and one long needed to be asked but the answer IMO isn't in the obvious place most people tend to look.

 

[hubrat]

... it also raises another question and that is, what do you mean for a union to matter in your mind? What would you need to see happen for you to believe that goal was accomplished?

It's a great question and one long needed to be asked but the answer IMO isn't in the obvious place most people tend to look.

"What could unions have been doing, and what should they be doing, to change the equation in 2012 and also in future union elections? Creating a real fight over the state of the working and middle classes by picking up on issues where unions can make an immediate difference in people's lives. The ability of unions to expand their ranks doesn't lie in labor law reform; it lies in the potential for Americans in large numbers to see unions as relevant. With just over 7 percent of the private-sector workforce in unions, it's not hard to see why union leaders are preoccupied with their very survival. But after seventy years of unsuccessful attempts at technocratic legislative, legal and regulatory approaches to expanding unions, there is no time like now to try mass social movement unionism.

Workers can't pay rent, pay the mortgage, get a credit card, find a job, buy clothes or schoolbooks for their kids or retire. They face increased divorce rates as family tensions rise, and they have lost their sense of dignity. They don't care about labor law reform, and they don't care about unions (at least in their current form). They are in despair, and unanswered despair quickly becomes either fertilizer for the fearmongers or the reason to not bother showing up at the polls. Either decision is a disaster likely to be repeated unless unions reset, and fast."

From the article in the op:
http://www.thenation.com/article/156811/making-unions-matter-again

 

[wkmac]

Workers can't pay rent, pay the mortgage, get a credit card, find a job, buy clothes or schoolbooks for their kids or retire. They face increased divorce rates as family tensions rise, and they have lost their sense of dignity. They don't care about labor law reform, and they don't care about unions (at least in their current form). They are in despair, and unanswered despair quickly becomes either fertilizer for the fearmongers or the reason to not bother showing up at the polls. Either decision is a disaster likely to be repeated unless unions reset, and fast."

Hubrat,

Go to my original response and in the post drag you cursor over the part highlighted in red that sez, "it's roots" and then click on the buried link. Compare exactly what you said in your post I quoted with what you read. This IMO goes directly to the heart of what you are talking about and one way unions can become relevant.

 

[bbsam]

If you want the union to matter again, I have a little unsolicited advice: change the tone. Bring something to the table for business. Convince a company like Fedex that they would be better served by union workers. Convince the company and the potential union members that the union will act in the interest of fairness for both sides. Although convincing the companies of this has slim to no chance of winning over the company, the employees of the company may well start seeing the prospect of unionization in a more favorable light.

Yeah! What I said!

 

[tieguy]

"What could unions have been doing, and what should they be doing, to change the equation in 2012 and also in future union elections? Creating a real fight over the state of the working and middle classes by picking up on issues where unions can make an immediate difference in people's lives. The ability of unions to expand their ranks doesn't lie in labor law reform; it lies in the potential for Americans in large numbers to see unions as relevant. With just over 7 percent of the private-sector workforce in unions, it's not hard to see why union leaders are preoccupied with their very survival. But after seventy years of unsuccessful attempts at technocratic legislative, legal and regulatory approaches to expanding unions, there is no time like now to try mass social movement unionism.

Workers can't pay rent, pay the mortgage, get a credit card, find a job, buy clothes or schoolbooks for their kids or retire. They face increased divorce rates as family tensions rise, and they have lost their sense of dignity. They don't care about labor law reform, and they don't care about unions (at least in their current form). They are in despair, and unanswered despair quickly becomes either fertilizer for the fearmongers or the reason to not bother showing up at the polls. Either decision is a disaster likely to be repeated unless unions reset, and fast."

From the article in the op:
http://www.thenation.com/article/156811/making-unions-matter-again

the last numbers I saw showed approximately 12.4 percent of the workforce being unionized. The majority of workers do not feel the need for a union or the percentage would be much higher.

 

[PT Stewie]

the last numbers I saw showed approximately 12.4 percent of the workforce being unionized. The majority of workers do not feel the need for a union or the percentage would be much higher.

So the million dollar question is "How would the brown company treat it's union workforce if they were not in a collective bargaining unit such as the IBT ?"