Daily Kos: Union Busting - Big Business Smears The Little Guy

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/7/19/755101/-Union-BustingBig-Business-Smears-The-Little-Guy

by rbutters
Union Busting - Big Business Smears The Little Guy Sun Jul 19, 2009 at 02:13:06 AM PDT

There is a long and tragic tradition of union busting in this country, we all know that, and it is more difficult now than ever before for a workforce to pursue the benefits and security of unionization.

The number of active unions, and active union members, has plummeted over the past 29 years, thanks to herculean effort on the parts of Reagan, the Bush family and an army of Congressional Republicans.

The Employee Free Choice Act, aka the Card Check Bill, has - like our fight for meaningful health care reform - been hit hard on the Blue Dog front. Despite a great deal of support by well intentioned Democrats, the latest being Sen. Al Franken, the Card Check Bill continues to struggle. It is in significant trouble.

An event at my wife's place of employment has highlighted, to me, the serious need to include this beneficial legislation in any list of 2009 accomplishments that the United States Congress manages to compile before its session is concluded.

rbutters's diary :: ::
Now a little backstory is probably in order. My wife works at a moderately upscale department store (I say moderately because, to me, there will always and only be one Nordstroms). Her particular location has attempted - and failed - to unionize many times, failures due in no small part to an entrenched and intentional culture of manager-employee cliques that have served to poison and divide the employee base. As an outsider it is easy for me to see the strategies being employed by management to keep the workforce docile and compliant.

The following letter was distributed yesterday. I have removed all reference to the actual identity of her employer for the sake of her job security.

July 13, 2009

Dear Associate: XXXXX

According to some Associate comments we have heard lately, it seems that someone representing a labor union has been making visits to Associates' homes in an apparent attempt to begin unionizing our store. I consider this action to be an invasion of your privacy, and want you to know that XXXXX would never release your personal information such as your home address or phone number to any outside organization, unless it was required by law. In the event that you receive such a visit from union representatives, please know that you are under no obligation to admit them to your home, or to talk with them or to give any personal information about yourself, the Company or your co-workers.

FULL story at link.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. One key point that is later in the article, younger workers are not believers in unionization

[Earth Bound Misfit]

3. Union Busters: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

What does an 18 or 21 year old cashier know about unions today? Do they accept the new line, as offered up by managers across the country, that a union is simply a business with no product? That unions organize and recruit for the singular purpose of income generation? Managers know better, of course. They understand what unions represent. But increasingly often it appears that employees do not.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. I tend to think it is more than just that...

Gen X and Gen Y and those younger have a very different world view and life focus. Unions and other collective movements are not seen as relevant by them. Their focus is on the individual and small groups at best. They have no intention to stay in one place long so seniority means nothing and is often seen as a hindrance. They are also almost all white collar, where unions traditionally have had a reduced impact.

I realize that is a broad brush but I see them daily on campus and its what I perceive.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

6. Might be a broad brush, but your observation makes perfect sense, IMO

I've observed similar behaviour by younger workers at my place of employment, where we are involved in a 2+ year attempt at unionizing.

[wtbymark]

8. re gen x and y

"They have no intention to stay in one place long"

Give 'em 10 years and they'll be begging for job security.

Without Unions, the non-union positions would become slave labor.

[imdjh]

7. Bust this myth.

I have been a part of an effort to organize in a hospitality business and the younger workers, all of whom plan on being millionaires of course, had little to no interest in it.

The most astonishing thing anyone said to me, was a working woman (can't remember if she was primary breadwinner or not) :

"If we have a union, then we would get fired for being late and, like , the rules are really strict."

Naturally my answer to that was , "Are you here to fuck off or to make money?"

[Earth Bound Misfit]

2. K & R

Good article.

Good to have you back,OS, this place is not the same (or SANE) without you.

:kick:

[tomreedtoon]

5. Union busting works because unions don't bust back.

It's been a long time since River Rouge, hasn't it? Unions and their members are far too complacent and politically correct to set the boss's car on fire, with him in it. That's why unions are failing.

[imdjh]

9. It should be illegal for employers or managers to discuss unions with employees. Period.