...and Equality for All

There’s a general sense, a question that lingers in the back of most Union members, about their Unions and simply asks if Unions have outlived their purpose. Not because a Union of working men and women isn’t needed, but because Unions have outgrown the interests of the members they represent.. Simply, many members believe their Union is interested in their own power and importance, than those of the individual member.

Understand, being a blue collar Rob the Janitor, my exposure to Unions is long and historied. I’ve served as a steward, as a member of a contract negotiating team, and attended both rally’s and training. Yes, I’m Pro Union and yes, I get ticked when I look at how much I pay in Union dues, especially when I think about what the return is on what I pay out. Yet, for some reason, I volunteer to pay a bit more toward my Unions political fund.

Why? For several reasons. First, I understand the history of the labor movement to some kind of intelligent degree. For instance, I understand the decline in Union membership can be attributed to the move from an industrial Nation to a service orientated Nation, and not because people don’t want to Unionize. A bunch of guys working in a steel plant can form a Union much easier than a a group of women in a hotel, simply because they’ll get together after work for a beer and talk whereas women are headed home to take care of the kids. OK, I know that’s a bit simplistic, but the underlying foundation is there. There’s also the global economy and resulting competition, the fact that small business is responsible for most new job creation, and of course there’s a lot of laws (that Unions have pushed) that have been passed protecting workers.

All said, there’s still a larger, somewhat more unbearable truth in all this, and that’s simply the force of human nature. That without Unions, in this day and age, most workers would be trampled upon, working for extremely low wages, paying for their own healthcare, no benefits, long hours under horrible working conditions because Business owners and Corporations would maximize their profits at the expense of their labor force. That’s human nature, and especially so if they can get away with it. If it wasn’t true, there would be no sweatshops, much less a need to Unionize. Without Unions, our quality of life would be dependent upon the generosity of our employer which is the same thing as saying, we’d have little input into our own existence.

I’ve been around the block a couple of enough times to know what goes on in some work environments that are not Union, especially when someone brings up the idea to Unionize, even if it’s outside the job. The person usually doesn’t have a job when management hears about it. That’s wrong!

More so, it’s wrong that the person doing the firing is doing so to prevent the person from having the same quality of life as the manager has. I’m sorry if you’re so jaded as to believe that a person who works a 40 hour week and wants a decent wage and benefits, is asking too much. And no, it’s not socialism, it’s the American dream.

Yes, I have problems with Unions growing so big, the individual falls by the wayside, that at times power becomes paramount, but Unions are comprised of individual members, and it’s their responsibility to participate and voice their opinion. That’s the difference between a Union and a Corporation. And Unions still do more good than harm, even if only by the threat of their existence. The collective participation of people is the only buffer that allows us a semblance of control in our lives. Without that buffer, I don’t have any doubt that the quality of my life would be a hell of a lot worse.

Which brings me to the Employee Free Choice Act.

Yes, I like the idea of a secret ballot, but the way the laws are now, a group of people that want to bargain in a collective fashion, can’t unless their employee lets them actually vote. The process is filled with intimidation and over all union bashing from the employer and that has to change. Think I’m wrong? Go get a job at Wal Mart and spout the word Union. Bet you won’t be around long enough to get a full weeks pay!