Well. It appears that Unions are making a comeback.

[JPPaverage]

With the strike against Kellogg's and Deere and Company, among others, it looks like organized labor is making a comeback. And I say that's great.
After the dark days of Reagan etc., and the exploitation of workers, including me, it's time that we fight back.
Obviously nobody ever really wants to go on strike, because, money. But at some point, we, the working class have to say, "Enough is enough."

[paleotn]

1. Employees are beginning to realize the power they actually have.

if they stick together.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. The strikes you're hearing about are from strong, well-established unions striking over contracts.

More interesting are the places that are organizing and winning their first contracts. Any visibility of the kinds of battles unions can win is important, of course.

[2naSalit]

12. I think that's true...

The gains made with these current strikes will help demonstrate their worth for workers. That is a message that needs to accompany the very words union and organized labor.

I have been wondering when the workforce would strike. I could sense it coming for quite a while. I have dropped out of the workforce during the 45 years and it was the only thing that would help me survive. I think that is part of the plan with the relief bills that made all the difference during this pandemic was to help people have the time and stop the grind long enough to think about it for a few months. And many did something about it, saw the opportunity and ran with it. So now we have a workforce ready for the restructuring of our economic system and everything we need to change in order to carry on before the biosphere collapses, we just need a government to make it possible. So many networks of capitalism need to be refashioned to make this all work, the government needs to be brought to heel to this demand we have, we want to survive. At least some of us do.

I hope unions make a big comeback and quickly.

[BeckyDem]

15. Yep. +1

[packman]

3. I remember a capitalist factory owner saying on a show

"Unions? Give them the crumbs as long as we get the cookies"

[NNadir]

4. It turns out that some of the happiest moments of my life were when my Dad was on strike.

It was summer. To make ends meet, he drove an ice cream truck.

Everyday, at the end of his shift, he'd bring the truck by our house, dressed in his White "Good Humor" uniform and as broke as he was, give my brother and I a free ice cream.

A union made my life be middle class, kept the roof there, food on the table, and even if my father's pension disappeared with Jimmy Hoffa's body, I support unions strongly.

I say this, for the record, as a member of a senior management team.

[Johnny2X2X]

5. Go Labor!

For the first time in decades, labor has more power than management. It won’t last long, so get what you can get now!

[Johnny2X2X]

6. Go Labor!

For the first time in decades, labor has more power than management. It won’t last long, so get what you can get now!

[Bettie]

7. I think that a lot of them have figured out that

the employer will pay them "what they are worth" and that they "don't need a union, I'll get raises on my own merits" are hogwash and that they need to stick together in order to get even a tiny sliver of the metaphorical pie.

[Hortensis]

8. This widespread action is very exciting, and promising.

By far most of it is not organized, and the spontanaity must be causing those who believe it's their right to exploit some bad nights: could it spread to voting labor power?



Of course, they're insisting to each other that the rescue checks are enabling it, but that and better wages and benefits will fill the holes in their workforces.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

9. What do you mean, "not organized"?

[Jon King]

10. Ha, in your face Reagan!

Ronnie started the horrible anti union trend. Lets hope this momentum keeps going.

[lkinwi]

30. Agree!

And in your face Scott Walker- who decimated public employee unions in Wisconsin.

[pwb]

11. Good. Maybe we (Unions) should start kicking some puke ass. If Joe asked

the Unions to squash these tiny trump gatherings it would be big numbers showing up. Be afraid pukes.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

13. Biden ran on being the most "union friendly" president. Interestingly, I haven't heard much

from the White House during the various labor actions of the past year.

[tiredtoo]

18. Do believe Biden was showing his support last night on tv. EOM

[WhiskeyGrinder]

21. What did he say?

[tiredtoo]

25. Can't remember exact quote but

To paraphrase.... I think it's great that working people are speaking up and have a say concerning their pay and benefits. He may have used the word Union vs. working people.

[wryter2000]

14. I am so happy for this

If we can get rid of trickle down, too, we will have made tremendous progress. Biden may not have created this, but he sure encourages it. He's the first politician I've heard to say "trickle down doesn't work."

I say all that when I have an appointment at Kaiser on Monday. Someone there may be on strike. It was already a zoo because they're giving booster shots. It might be the sort of adventure I don't need. But I'll put up with it.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

16. This is great news

Our country was built on unions

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

17. This is so very much like what happened after the Black Death in the 14th century.

So many people died (and as terrible as Covid has been, it hasn't lowered the population) that serfs could finally leave the land they'd been tied to for generations, demand better wages and conditions. Those in charge were not at all happy, but had to change.

This is somewhat different. The best part is that people are figuring out that they don't have to work absurd hours and tolerate miserable conditions. I'm glad.

I was looking at the on-line menu of a nearby restaurant yesterday, and was somewhat shocked at how much their prices have risen. I do hope most of that gain is going to the workers. I am eating out far less often than I used to, and so I'm happy to pay more. I also tip much better than I did pre-pandemic.

[wnylib]

26. I've also been thinking of the parallels

on the job scene between the Medieval Black Death and covid today.

[Postal Grunt]

19. Every comeback needs momentum to sustain its existence

My father, who had already been a shop steward and branch president for the letter carriers at the Post Office where he worked, advised me to think twice before becoming a steward at the Post Office where I worked. His words were based on the experience that letter carriers were often their own worst enemies in dealing with management. I found his words to ring true after ignoring the advice and entering the fray as an officer in the National Association of Letter Carriers.

All too often, many of the membership can be focused on one issue of importance and lose interest in the union when that goal is accomplished or defeated. Without convincing the members to keep their eyes on the importance of the long term goals and benefits being shared by all, the strength of the union will rise too rarely to overcome the indifference of the uncommitted who would rather kiss the ass of a management who have always played them for fools. Being a union member in these days isn't easy or for the faint of heart and conviction.

[RussBLib]

20. ...and then you have the Longshoremen's Union

who operate the cranes at the ports. Lately I am hearing that the crane operators are making $250k/year and are taking their sweet time at the port, delaying cargo because they can. Retaliating against truckers who complain they are so slow. Acting like thugs, basically.

Don't know if this was anti-union propaganda, or real reporting that is reflecting the truth.

As I understand it, Long Beach (CA) has some automated cranes which work very well and very much more quickly than human operators. Naturally, the union would not want their workers displaced by machinery, but....something has to give at the ports.

[reACTIONary]

31. The Average Wage for a Longshoreman...

Longshoremen overall earned an average hourly wage of $24.98 an hour. The bottom 10 percent of longshoremen made under $39,671 a year, and the top 10 percent made more than $134,653 annually. The ILA set the starting pay rate for longshoremen entering between October 2017 and September 2018 at $22.00 an hour, while the ILWU offered those starting between July 2017 and late June 2018 $29.49 an hour.

https://work.chron.com/average-wage-longshoreman-20463.html

[RussBLib]

41. that is quite different from the story I'd read

...which leads me to think it was a hit piece on labor. Who would do such a thing?

I haven't been able to find that story again...

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

22. It's time to organize Amazon worldwide. n/t

[dlk]

23. Without the workers, corporations wouldn't make a dime

Funny how those at the top seem to forget.

[live love laugh]

24. Sadly some unions are Republican supporters -- like the Chgo. police union.

Crazy that they ignorantly support those who want to eradicate them.

[twodogsbarking]

27. Unions without corruption. Is that too much to ask?

[TexasBushwhacker]

28. When Amazon and Wal-Mart unionize, I see it as real progress

Until then, I'm hopeful, but that's about it.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

29. Shatner should have hijacked that thing when he was up there.

Just Amazon employees alone receiving better pay would go a long way towards a healthy economy.

[ColinC]

32. I think you might be right.

People have learned that they do not have to tolerate ridiculous working conditions. And more importantly, more and more people aren't.

[UTUSN]

33. Yes, but what about Border Patrol union undermining agency, promoting Drumpf policies?

The ones who go on the Faux Propaganda Network constantly, denigrating BIDEN and demanding Drumpf policies?

Raises questions:

* Government employees can't strike, correct?

* Does the Hatch Act apply to them or some other regulation like Chain of Command in the military?

* Are these government employees who are constantly on wingnut media outlets doing it during working hours?

[rickyhall]

34. The repugs finally shot themselves in the foot. The rest of us may have finally had enough.

I could be wrong, but it looks to me like we're starting to fight back. Seriously...

[PatrickforB]

35. If we really wanted policy in place that encouraged the growth of unions and other types of worker

collectives such as employee owned companies, then we should repeal the Taft-Hartley Act of 1948, which, among other things, prohibits unions from going on general strike in support of one another.

I wonder how effective it would be if everyone put their hands in their pockets for, say, a month?

[OMGWTF]

36. They need you more than you need them. Word.

[calimary]

37. It's about time!

Damned reagan really kicked union workers in the teeth and made it seem "cool" to do so.

This union member totally agrees: at some point, the workers have to say "Enough is ENOUGH." The union movement has given up WAY too much, sacrificed at the altars of greed and business-over-all-else.

[Roy Rolling]

38. Thanks for the Support

I’ve sat on both sides of that negotiations table as a producer and as a union rep.

IATSE faces a midnight strike deadline tonight so I don’t know if I’ll be going to work tomorrow or a picket line. It has to be done, but I’m not cheerful about having sober-minded Democrats AGAIN fix financial messes left by Republicans.

This time, we’re fighting to ensure producers and studios have a happy, profitable, and productive work force. And the way to do that is to accept our demands. Not try our patience with a contract that guarantees producers enormous profits regardless of the structure or success of the film. We understand the balances of capitalism, do they? Must we have a Triangle Shirt fire or another assistant camera person hit by a train because of short-sighted and inexperienced people?

And by the term accept our “demands”, that’s as polite as it’ll get 18 hours before the strike deadline.

[Trueblue Texan]

39. It's starting to look like...

...striking is the only power we have left. At least here in Texas. Our governor has no respect for the Constitution. Neither do our state and federal representatives. And just forget about assholes Cruz and Cornyn. We have no representation at all down here.

[The Jungle 1]

40. Pick a trade and join the union.

[SunImp]

42. I'm all for this