This Labor Day, For The First Time In Years, Senators Have A Choice On Workers Rights | Talking Points Memo

TPM Article Topics
#58

True to this day in some parts of this country. One seminal case occurred when a fire department in rural Tennessee responded to a reported fire just outside the town limits. In their neck of the woods, if you wanted the local town fire department to respond, you had to have paid the annual $75 fee - the neighbor did, the guy with the yard fire did not, so they just stood by and watched as the family lost everything, including the family’s three dogs and a cat.

Lest we forget, this is what we’re fighting against…

4 Likes
#59

I can’t think of a place where unions would seem less appropriate than among University faculty. I’ve belonged to both unionized and non-unionized faculties. Organized faculty have several benefits relative to their un-organized colleagues:

  1. A simpler appeal/grievance process.
  2. Better ability to negotiate the terms of the appeals process.
  3. Better representation in the appeals process.
  4. The Faculty Senate is freed to worry about academics. Faculty personnel matters belong to the union.
  5. More ability to get rid of bad administrators.

Faculty unions do have a place on campus.

3 Likes
#60

My ex, a shop steward and union business agent, informed me that any and all “free riders” got “removed” by the rank and file who had too much to do and too little time to do it to tolerate anyone who didn’t pull their weight.

2 Likes
#61

A get well card for @tena Something to cheer you up!

4 Likes
#62

The term free riders refers to non-union workers in Right-to-Work (for nothing) states who do not pay their fair share assessments. It has nothing to do with the quantity or quality of the work those employees do. I’m not sure how it breaks out in other unions, but in my AAUP chapter the difference between the representation fair-share and the union dues amounted to less than $100/year.

When you consider that only union members have the right to vote on the contract, to be on the negotiation committee, and the union dues are tax-deductible the decision to join the union was easy for me. I don’t understand why anyone would not join the union.

3 Likes
#63

This was common years ago. You can even buy replica cast iron plaques for your house that used to let the FD know you were paid up.

2 Likes
#64

The usual argument is “ i get paid the same as if I were in the union, so why should I pay extra”. This is usually said with smug pride as if it represented particularly clever negotiating on the speaker’s part.

1 Like
#65

Indeed. That was what I was trying to convey (within the bounds of the fire analogy) by saying:

But… We also want people who don’t pay their taxes to be caught and penalized severely enough to deter tax evasion by them and others.

As I understand it, that’s also the problem the PRO Act attempts to address with the provisions I mentioned above (essentially creating “agency shops”). I believe it’s a decent alternative to your suggestion about dropping the requirement that unions negotiate for all.

I don’t want free-riders to coast on my daughter’s union dues, but I also don’t want her burdened by the acrimony of a two-tiered workplace.

2 Likes
#66

I’ve heard that reply. My usual response was:

“Would you like to have a vote on the contract that determines your pay?”

(Reminder: I worked with people who were supposed to be smart.)

“I have a vote already.”

“Only union members get to vote.”

“WHAT!”

My final reply, “Look it up in the contract.”

The only reply I heard that remotely made sense was, “I disagree with most of the union’s political positions and candidates and I don’t want to support them.”

2 Likes
#67

The androgynous parody of a sexpot.

6 Likes
#68

Right-to-be-worked-over.

It is a truly cynical phrase.

4 Likes
#69

The part that they forgot to kill,
Went on to organize.

3 Likes
#70

But no volunteer to slip him a little glass ampoule. How sad.

#71

It’s like a fuse, or circuit breaker, to protect against truth overload.

which happened to be how unions hurt exploitative corporations.

Edited.

Watching all the folks locally tooling around in their Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Porsche, or for the practically-minded, VW Tiguan, it seems that German capitalism certainly doesn’t look unduly hobbled by the continued strength of unions there.

4 Likes
#72

Would you believe a sex chafing dish?

1 Like
#73

Nothing but plain text.

#74

Meanwhile … it is sounding like we will be having another band of destructive lunatics assaulting the nation’s capitol … led by a former Trump staffer… this ass clown Matt Braynard …

1 Like
#75

Short-lived? Not short enough… he’s still breathing.

1 Like
#76

Too get the advantages without paying the dues.

#77
1 Like
Comments are now Members-Only
Join the discussion Free options available