Unions Can Be a Good Thing – or Not

[melm00se]

Source: Wall Street Journal

By DAVE KANSAS

On this long holiday weekend, we take a look at the issue it commemorates: labor.

In 1894, Congress passed a law making the first Monday in September "Labor Day." According to the Department of Labor, which didn't come into existence until 1913, Labor Day is meant to pay tribute to the "creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom and leadership -- the American worker."

With that in mind, let's examine the role of labor unions from an investment perspective. At first blush, most folks would say unions aren't good for investing. Expensive contract demands cut into profits and tough workplace rules reduce productivity.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB128363783494134529.html

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don't let the "or not" put you off. this is a good case for unions.

[Warpy]

1. I've had union jobs and I've had non union jobs

and the union jobs were always better.

If they do nothing else, unions keep the psychopaths in management under control.

[Rochester]

2. Unions are the best thing to ever happen to the working man

I'm union and I will never go rat. If that means management has to make do with less profits then tough. I get my living wage and my safe working conditions and my dignity or they go down with me.

[Capitalocracy]

4. Love that attitude

:terrorist fist jab: :fistbump:

[Jakes Progress]

3. Saltines can be a good thing - or not.

Computers can be a good thing - or not.

Dogs can be a good thing - or not.

Anyone suggest that we do away with dogs, computers, saltines, and unions?

Too many here lean too heavily in the "not" direction. They are young and uninformed. Or they are not young and uninformed.

[JVS]

5. Unions are generally good for workers. They're generally bad for the pieces of shit at the WSJ

[melm00se]

6. of course reading the article

might interfere with your preconceived bias.

quote from the article:

Here are four reasons labor unions can be good for investing -- and one why they aren't.

80% a 'good' thing, 20% a 'bad' thing...

[Hannah Bell]

7. "Expensive contract demands cut into profits and tough workplace rules reduce productivity"

yes, it would be better if they worked for free & without rules. their deaths would cut down the profit loss due to pensions, too.

ALL compensation to workers = a drag on profits.

and capital's share of the pie has been increasing since the 70s.

they're due for a haircut.

[w4rma]

8. +1000. nt

[ThomCat]

9. We used to have a middle class because of unions.

The 40 hour work week, and 2-day weekends, and benefits, and safety regulations all came from unions.

Everything bearable about working and everything that made a job survivable instead of a death sentence came from unions.

Union families fought and rioted and died against national guardsmen and armed hired mercenaries to create the middle class.

But we're losing everything they gained because the Democratic Party wants all the Corporate Money that used to go to Republicans, but that means doing what to Corporate Lobbyists want and letting them write and edit legislation. :(

[senseandsensibility]

10. You're right

And your post would make a great OP.