I remember an innocent conversation in a Green Bay restaurant I was having with 2 friends some 10 to 15 years ago. We were talking about unions and what they did, "mostly the bad stuff," when a fellow patron walked over and told us in no uncertain terms that we were "full of crap," or words to that effect. "If it weren't for the unions, the work-place in America would indeed be in sorry shape.
Of course the typical reaction on our parts was predictable, the "mind your own business," or the "butt out," or the "take a hike" comes to mind, and the guy was small, so we felt reasonably sure that we could take the load mouth, but he left, possibly to slash our tires, or worse get several of his goon buddies for a little get-together in the parking lot.
I have been a member of 1 union in my lifetime, the Teamsters for several months when I drove for a heating and air-conditioning company. I think the dues were like $20 a week and I wasn't with the company long enough to experience what the union might have meant, and how it could have helped the average worker.
My wife has been a union member probably for close to 30 years of her working life, the last 23 with the city of Green Bay. Early on, "20 or so years ago," we never talked about what her union did for her. In fact, "as I recall," she mostly complained about what the union either did, or didn't do. Candy would go to meetings and at one point was the Secretary of her local.
It's only been the past few years that Candy has "opened up" to me about some of the things that her union has done for the workers, or hasn't done. You first have to understand that the city of Green Bay has more than 10 unions representing some 1200 workers. This division of labor representation has diluted the focus and the message that a particular union might want to get "out."
There is no "solidarity" in Green Bay union representation, but 10 or more voices that reverberate, each voicing their own particular concerns or causes, which "muddies" the waters of negotiation to a point where few win any kind of valuable concessions from management. Over the past 10 years, my wife has not received a raise in pay....."I'll say it again," "over the past 10 years my wife has not received a raise in pay."
There have been 2 or 3% raises, but every time one of these "token" raises was bargained for, health insurance raised on average 2 or 3%, so her wage raise was actually a "wash." All the while supervisors continued with periodic raises in pay several times the amount that my wife and her work colleagues got.
There is a long history of unions, unionizing, heartache, struggle, low pay without any benefits of any kind, throughout the United States since the first reported "case" by a labor strike which resulted in a legal decision back in 1806. The strikers were found guilty of "a combination to raise their wages," and were fined.
The struggle continued throughout the 19th century, mostly with "landmark" decisions, resulting in action being taken against management with regards to pay, safety issues and hours of work. During this same period, hundreds of protesting workers and strikers were beaten, bloodied and in some cases shot to death, "men, women and children."
In many cases throughout the 19th century, armed militia, police or company goons were employed to badger, bully, intimidate or shoot strikers. Hundreds of strikers and family members were shot or beaten to death during this barbaric period in America's labor history. Dynamite, sticks, clubs, knives and sometimes firearms were used by strikers in retaliation for the brutal attacks as the number of deaths continued to increase throughout the final decade of the 19th century.
In the beginning, workers in the United States worked long difficult hours with low pay, with absolutely no retirement or health benefits of any kind. Safety in most work places was at best an afterthought issue and many a worker of the time suffered major injuries and if they couldn't work, they were simply left to fend for themselves.
The toll of human suffering continued through the early 20th century as business continued to operate in unfair and unsafe fashion. The most poorly regulated business and usually the occupations with the highest death toll as well as injury were the mining industry and manufacturing companies. The work was hard, dirty, stinky and dangerous with possible injury around every bend or corner in the work place.
American business has always operated on a "bottom line mentality," cut every corner that was possible in that pursuit. In many cases, the welfare of the worker was sacrificed to gain an edge in production, after all, "it was just the workers," and they could be replaced.
Many a strike was called not over pay issues, rather worker safety during the formative years of labor relations in the early years of organization of unions. Workers used to stage "wildcat" strikes to voice their grievances, there simply was no other way, and there weren't unions, leaving labor with no choice but to lay down their tools and walk off the job.
The National Labor Relations Act, known as the Wagner Act of 1935 was passed by the federal government, establishing the right of all workers to organize and to elect their representatives for collective bargaining. This act, which is still in force today, would take several years before it would be enforced.
The lead up to the Wagner Act was a most bloody period in American history, with union officials being jailed, beaten or shot to death, and the common worker attacked, killed or worse, maimed to the point that he couldn't work. Business used every available weapon hand to thwart labor, even the President of the United States.
There has never been a time in American labor when either labor or management hasn't been actively attempting to gain an edge on the other. Business has now openly involved politicians to do their bidding. Lobbyists, money, greed and power now rule the American labor-scape, as they always have.
Labor has been its own worst enemy, protecting unfit or unproductive workers, demanding unrealistic benefits which were unattainable, and wallowing in the depths of organized crime. Business went right along with the outrageous activity by giving in to the demands, all the while knowing that the demands would be the undoing of the unions.
However, it must be noted that without unions in America, the workplace would be unbearable for many a worker. Government does not need to be business friendly for the country to prosper, they simply need to use common sense, and realize that business, first and foremost is in it for themselves and not their employees. Otherwise, why have there been so many labor laws that have been passed through the years to protect the laborer.
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