Are unions an anachronism ?
Just watched another red flag waving "solidarity...what do we want? when do we wannit " March...as it sauntered thru town..
The usual parade of megaphoned unionists & rebel ferals, lefties etc carrying images of Marx & Lenin..with words like " Resistance ".Down with Capitalism..lah de dah..ho hum...same old same old...
From my perspective, it all looks rather sad & the rhetoric is right out Dickensian London....
" We the Rank & File blah de blah...demand..blah de blah...."
They're always " demanding " never negotiating...
I've seen images of union protests like these all over the world...and they all bear the same hall marks of ossifying unionism....
Sure, unions are important in certain circumstances, but the anachronistic jargon & "class struggle" mentality drives people away in droves..with the net result being that union memberships are on a constant downward path.....
But still the Union bosses ( often marxists ) won't listen to the mums & dads of suburbia.......sheesh...when will they learn ?
Maybe the unions could do with Spin doctoring & PR....
The usual parade of megaphoned unionists & rebel ferals, lefties etc carrying images of Marx & Lenin..with words like " Resistance ".Down with Capitalism..lah de dah..ho hum...same old same old...
From my perspective, it all looks rather sad & the rhetoric is right out Dickensian London....
" We the Rank & File blah de blah...demand..blah de blah...."
They're always " demanding " never negotiating...
I've seen images of union protests like these all over the world...and they all bear the same hall marks of ossifying unionism....
Sure, unions are important in certain circumstances, but the anachronistic jargon & "class struggle" mentality drives people away in droves..with the net result being that union memberships are on a constant downward path.....
But still the Union bosses ( often marxists ) won't listen to the mums & dads of suburbia.......sheesh...when will they learn ?
Maybe the unions could do with Spin doctoring & PR....
Comments
Originally posted by aquafire
Just watched another red flag waving "solidarity...what do we want? when do we wannit " March...as it sauntered thru town..
The usual parade of megaphoned unionists & rebel ferals, lefties etc carrying images of Marx & Lenin..with words like " Resistance ".Down with Capitalism..lah de dah..ho hum...same old same old...
From my perspective, it all looks rather sad & the rhetoric is right out Dickensian London....
" We the Rank & File blah de blah...demand..blah de blah...."
They're always " demanding " never negotiating...
I've seen images of union protests like these all over the world...and they all bear the same hall marks of ossifying unionism....
Sure, unions are important in certain circumstances, but the anachronistic jargon & "class struggle" mentality drives people away in droves..
In the meantime union numbers keep heading downwards......
But still the Union bosses ( often marxists ) won't listen to the mums & dads of suburbia.......sheesh...when will they learn ?
Maybe the unions could do with Spin doctoring & PR....
EDIT: The rhetoric of which you speak is anachronistic. I don't see it in the unions around where I live though.
Originally posted by bunge
Unions are still important, and will be moreso in the future. Unions or not jobs will move to China where unpaid child labor still exists. Unions are necessary for jobs that can't leave the country. Hell, I'd love to see a union of all minimum wage workers. That and I.T. workers. That would be fun.
Not disagreeing with that as much as the 19th century classic marxist "style" & language & how unions present themselves to an increasingly techno savvy-world, filled with literate & well imformed people with real life work issues....
Since I don't know where you live I can't judge...but most heavy industry / building/ trade sectors still have this mantle...
Yours sounds like a " white collar union " centred around I.T.
( Am only guessing )
Originally posted by aquafire
Since I don't know where you live I can't judge...but most heavy industry / building/ trade sectors still have this mantle...
Yours sounds like a " white collar union " centred around I.T.
( Am only guessing )
Me? I'm not in a union although I'd love to be in one. I'm in Chicago though, and the union members in this town don't seem to be related to Marxism in the least. Most of them are blue collar and would probably be really antagonistic against anything 'commie' like a Marxist.
I fall into the "it's a necessary evil" camp on this subject. In Atlanta, the union I belong to is not a beloved entity like it might be up north. I firmly believe that our union is run by a well-known shadowy "family type" organization with roots in Chicago and New York.
If unionism successfully spreads to Asia I expect to see some amazing fireworks. The violence of America's union struggles will pale in comparison.
In europe the more enlightened companies have union members on the board of directors.
Class struggles still exist.
For though they offer us concessions
Change will not come from above.
It was true in the 19th century. It will be true in the 22nd century.
Something seems inherently wrong with the fact that my employer can't pay any of us non-unioners raises next fiscal year because of rising costs and lowered revenue, yet the union folks will get raises because it's in their contract. How f*cked up is that?
I would LOVE to have someone try to explain to me how that's reasonable and JUST. And no, I will not join a union. I shouldn't have to.
EDIT: Come to think of it, if it weren't for the unions, we could ALL get raises across the board. It's just that they'd get a little less than their negotiations called for.
Originally posted by groverat
Unions are not an anachronism.
Class struggles still exist.
For though they offer us concessions
Change will not come from above.
It was true in the 19th century. It will be true in the 22nd century.
But with UTLA, horrible teachers are rarely fired. This irks me.
Originally posted by bunge
... Unions are necessary for jobs that can't leave the country...
Huh?!
They are the worst Unions of all.
The jobs that have no competition (Government and Government controlled services mostly) are the ones that drive up the cost of living the most. Year after year we hear about this Union and that having "tough" negotiations... Ha, the city or state always gives in and finds the funding( raising taxes or new fees ).
Unions are killing cities like Philadelphia, were the services cost more than the tax base can support.
Originally posted by CosmoNut
Here's what I think:
Something seems inherently wrong with the fact that my employer can't pay any of us non-unioners raises next fiscal year because of rising costs and lowered revenue, yet the union folks will get raises because it's in their contract. How f*cked up is that?
I would LOVE to have someone try to explain to me how that's reasonable and JUST. And no, I will not join a union. I shouldn't have to.
EDIT: Come to think of it, if it weren't for the unions, we could ALL get raises across the board. It's just that they'd get a little less than their negotiations called for.
Welcome to the power of collective bargaining. It's your choice not to engage in it, not to band together with your co-workers to force your employers to meet your demands, and not to make use of the power you have when you act as an organized group, that is responsible for your not being able to reap the same benefits as those who have decided to do so.
But with UTLA, horrible teachers are rarely fired. This irks me.
Sure, but you don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.
They are the natural counterweight of the power of enterprises (CEA and shareholders).
Many unions have a retrograde old 19th century jargon. it's due that the leaders of unions are elected, and thus they tend to speak like politicians. In case of most unions politicians who have mainly only blue collars for electors.
Even for blue collars this type of jargon is becoming old, so some unions tend to have a new way of acting based more on construction rather on struggle.
Originally posted by groverat
BR:
Sure, but you don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Never said we should. Just whining about the school system again.
Originally posted by Stoo
I first read the title as "are unicorns an anacronism".
I actually read "are onions an anachronism?".
Originally posted by der Kopf
I actually read "are onions an anachronism?".
He's alive...and laughing...my God...a miracle......
You can read it as onions, or even bunions....as long as you are feeling better...Good, then lets go and piss on some tires...
whadaya say?