Republicans Not Alone in Attacking Unions

wkmac

Well-Known Member
The Democrats Attack Unions Nationwide

The Democrats in these states have sought to distance themselves from the Republican governors of Wisconsin and Ohio, who have specifically attacked the collective bargaining rights of unions. The above Democrats all hide their anti-union attacks behind a "deep respect for collective bargaining;" akin to a thief who will steal your car but, out of respect, will not target your deceased Grandma's diamond earrings.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
If this becomes the predominant mindset of unions, I think they will end up in historical "could have beens". As ugly as pragmatism can be, without choosing between the "lesser of two evils" in the two party system the clout of unions will dissipate into "paper tiger" ferocity.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Unions are nothing more than a criminal enterprise engaging in violent shakedowns..........

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Union activists aren’t backing off demands to work at a new Washington state grain terminal after hundreds of Longshore workers stormed the facility, overwhelmed guards and dumped grain.

U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton issued a preliminary injunction to restrict union activity, saying there was no defense for the aggressive tactics used in recent days.

Workers have been battling for the right to work at the new terminal in Longview. Protesters twice blocked the pathway of a train carrying grain to the terminal at the Port of Longview on Wednesday, and on Thursday hundreds of carried out the aggressive raid, police said.

Scott Mason, president of the ILWU Local 23 in Tacoma, said some of his members have joined in the Longview effort, but he doesn’t believe they were involved in illegal activity. He blamed the company for provoking the response and warned that more activity could be coming.

Leighton said he felt like a paper tiger because the International Longshore and Warehouse Union clearly ignored a temporary restraining order he issued last week with similar limits. He scheduled a hearing for next Thursday to determine whether the union should be held in civil contempt.

“The regard for the law is absent here,” the judge said. “Somebody is going to be hurt seriously.”

Six guards were trapped for a couple of hours after at least 500 Longshoremen broke down gates about 4:30 a.m. Thursday and smashed windows in the guard shack, Longview Police Chief Jim Duscha said. He initially referred to the guards as “hostages,” but later retracted that after the guards clarified no one had threatened them.

“The guards absolutely could not get out,” Duscha said. “They feared for their lives because of the size of the crowd and the hostility of the crowd.”

Most of the protesters returned to their union hall after cutting train brake lines and spilling grain from a car at the EGT terminal, Duscha said. They also pushed a private security vehicle into a ditch.

The union believes it has the right to work at the facility, but the company has hired a contractor that’s staffing a workforce of laborers from another union, the Portland-based Operating Engineers Local 701. Representatives of the engineers union did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
House GOP Bill Will Block NLRB From Suing Boeing, AFL-CIO Top Goon Trumka Calls It “Sleazy” And Pandering To a “Radical Ideology”…

Judging by Trumka’s response I’d say the GOP is on the right path.
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans, angry over the government’s labor dispute with Boeing Co., are taking up a bill that would prohibit the National Labor Relations Board from ordering any company to close plants or relocate workers, even if a company flouts labor laws.

The measure would undercut a high-profile lawsuit filed in April that accuses Boeing of violating labor laws by opening a new production line for its 787 airplane in right-to-work South Carolina. The board says Boeing is punishing unionized Washington state workers for past strikes.

Boeing has vigorously denied the allegations, claiming the move was an economic decision. Business groups claim the board has overstepped its bounds, and say no agency should have the right to dictate where a company can or cannot create jobs.
 

The Other Side

Well-Known Troll
Troll
House GOP Bill Will Block NLRB From Suing Boeing, AFL-CIO Top Goon Trumka Calls It “Sleazy” And Pandering To a “Radical Ideology”…

Judging by Trumka’s response I’d say the GOP is on the right path.
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans, angry over the government’s labor dispute with Boeing Co., are taking up a bill that would prohibit the National Labor Relations Board from ordering any company to close plants or relocate workers, even if a company flouts labor laws.

The measure would undercut a high-profile lawsuit filed in April that accuses Boeing of violating labor laws by opening a new production line for its 787 airplane in right-to-work South Carolina. The board says Boeing is punishing unionized Washington state workers for past strikes.

Boeing has vigorously denied the allegations, claiming the move was an economic decision. Business groups claim the board has overstepped its bounds, and say no agency should have the right to dictate where a company can or cannot create jobs.

Just more stand up comedy from the most hated congress in history (10% approval rating for republican controlled house).. This bill, which will only manage to get air time on FOX for a couple of days will die on the floor of the senate and kicked under a chair for eternity.

Peace.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Just more stand up comedy from the most hated congress in history (10% approval rating for republican controlled house).. This bill, which will only manage to get air time on FOX for a couple of days will die on the floor of the senate and kicked under a chair for eternity.

Peace.
Speaking of 10%....it's real close to that percentage that is the pecent of union workers in the whole country!
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Just more stand up comedy from the most hated congress in history (10% approval rating for republican controlled house).. This bill, which will only manage to get air time on FOX for a couple of days will die on the floor of the senate and kicked under a chair for eternity.

Peace.
Kicked under the chair will be Obama's marvelous jobs bill!
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
House Passes GOP Bill To Strip Obama’s Pro-Union NLRB Of Power To Relocate Or Close A Workplace…
Fantastic.
WASHINGTON — In their latest effort to aid the Boeing Company, House Republicans took the extraordinary step on Thursday of voting to strip the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) of much of its power.
The bill, entitled the Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act, would bar the federal labor board from ordering a company to close or relocate a workplace, even if that company has violated labor law. Thursday’s House vote fell along party lines, with 238 Republicans for the bill and 186 Democrats against it.
The bill is designed expressly to thwart acontroversial complaint brought by the NLRB against Boeing that has put the future of a South Carolina Boeing plant into limbo.
 
House Passes GOP Bill To Strip Obama’s Pro-Union NLRB Of Power To Relocate Or Close A Workplace…

Fantastic.
WASHINGTON — In their latest effort to aid the Boeing Company, House Republicans took the extraordinary step on Thursday of voting to strip the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) of much of its power.
The bill, entitled the Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act, would bar the federal labor board from ordering a company to close or relocate a workplace, even if that company has violated labor law. Thursday’s House vote fell along party lines, with 238 Republicans for the bill and 186 Democrats against it.
The bill is designed expressly to thwart acontroversial complaint brought by the NLRB against Boeing that has put the future of a South Carolina Boeing plant into limbo.
0bama will never sign that bill even if it makes it through the senate. We can call this a waste of time and tax payer money.
 

UnconTROLLed

perfection
Passage of this bill would not be good for unions
The NLRB, minimum wage, RTW laws etc -ideally, are all unnecessary.

It wouldn't be good for Hoffa perhaps - however if many of these handcuffs were removed, maybe we would get some decent representation from the union instead of being sold down the river.

As far as gen membership, I disagree. They could work for us or WE could just say no, thanks.
 
The NLRB, minimum wage, RTW laws etc -ideally, are all unnecessary.

It wouldn't be good for Hoffa perhaps - however if many of these handcuffs were removed, maybe we would get some decent representation from the union instead of being sold down the river.

As far as gen membership, I disagree. They could work for us or WE could just say no, thanks.

How do you figure the NRLB etc. are unnecessary?

What handcuffs are you referring to and how do they keep teamsters from getting the representation from the union?

What is your assessment if what this bill is intended to accomplish?
 

UnconTROLLed

perfection
How do you figure the NRLB etc. are unnecessary?

What handcuffs are you referring to and how do they keep teamsters from getting the representation from the union?

What is your assessment if what this bill is intended to accomplish?
I have always had mixed feelings about some of these issues but my stance has become more clear.

The bill itself will be shot down, correct.

The NLRB has it's advantages within the scope of the current free market system and mixed economy, where companies will run rampant on the worker and vice-versa. However in an ideal setting (in my eyes, heh heh) , there is no use as labor should be able to make their own decisions and take action when necessary, without gov't intervention.

My opinion is that closed shops allow the union to run how it sees fit and offers less incentive for union representatives and organizers to effectively address concerns of it's membership. When joining a union is optional, only then will said union fully represent it's members, as doing otherwise would cause more fallout and less dues paying membership.

Again, I have mixed feelings on at least some of these issues and am open minded to both sides of the argument.
 
Top