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How many here belong a union in the public or private sector? Why? or Why not?

How many here belong to a union?


  • Total voters
    67
  • Poll closed .
My step mother like you was a teacher and retired doing it. She always hung with the unions, supported democrats, and now wishes she had taken the time to think for herself.

My mother-in-law was a teacher and hated the union but had no choice but to belong. If you don't belong, you don't work. She fought the union from the inside her entire career.
 
Really? she could send her retirement back to the state every month. Geeze...

And why should she do that unless everyone else that is part of the problem did as well?

By that same token, since liberals wanted everyone to have health insurance, they should have taken on themselves to pay for it and left the rest of us out of the equation
 
My mother-in-law was a teacher and hated the union but had no choice but to belong. If you don't belong, you don't work. She fought the union from the inside her entire career.

I had a group of union thugs at a plant take sledge hammers to my company car at the time because they were on strike when I crossed. I got a new car out of the deal which was great but it still pissed me off to the point that I took the time to visit each one of them individually after the incident. It is amazing how many mice it takes to make one thug.
 
We do pay for everyone's health care now, just in the most inefficient way possible. But this thread is about something else. If I felt I had l taken money I did not deserve I certainly would not keep it. I remember when the conservatives were my moral and ethical compass, now it is not at all uncommon for them to say something like "And why should she do that unless everyone else that is part of the problem did as well?" Not just you, the right wing has completely lost it way. In fact, I remember when they thought an education was important, since they discovered teacher were in the union, not so much. Oh well, unless the Republicans do something soon, they wont be around for me to pick on much longer.
And why should she do that unless everyone else that is part of the problem did as well?

By that same token, since liberals wanted everyone to have health insurance, they should have taken on themselves to pay for it and left the rest of us out of the equation
 
We do pay for everyone's health care now, just in the most inefficient way possible. But this thread is about something else. If I felt I had l taken money I did not deserve I certainly would not keep it. I remember when the conservatives were my moral and ethical compass, now it is not at all uncommon for them to say something like "And why should she do that unless everyone else that is part of the problem did as well?" Not just you, the right wing has completely lost it way. In fact, I remember when they thought an education was important, since they discovered teacher were in the union, not so much. Oh well, unless the Republicans do something soon, they wont be around for me to pick on much longer.

We can only take you word on that but since you are a fence sitter giving you a way out either way, we will take the grain of salt with that.
 
Really? did you file a police report? Then you went out and "visited" them? Are you saying you went and beat up "union thugs?" You win. I am done. :roll:
I had a group of union thugs at a plant take sledge hammers to my company car at the time because they were on strike when I crossed. I got a new car out of the deal which was great but it still pissed me off to the point that I took the time to visit each one of them individually after the incident. It is amazing how many mice it takes to make one thug.
 
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What grain of salt? and what fence? I am just not a partisan hack. Try it sometime.
We can only take you word on that but since you are a fence sitter giving you a way out either way, we will take the grain of salt with that.
 
Really? did you file a police report? Then you went out and "visited" them? Are you saying you went and beat up "union thugs?" You win. I am done. :roll:

I gave every one of them the same treatment more or less that I received that day to them. Call the police? are you kidding? small town, this employer made up 60% of the total tax base. That union busted the plant, it has been closed for 4-5 years now.

It was no big deal then, I was 30, it would be much more difficult now.
 
Unlike your opinions, his opinions are backed up by solid facts which he sourced from BLS:

Union Members Summary

I have a degree in labor relations and law. I have practiced labor law for close to 30 years

I suspect that is far more experience than being a left wing propagandist
 
Nothing anyone could ever say, no facts would alter your opinion. Unions built this country from the ground up and that is why the conservative base starting with Reagan and now with Grover and his tea baggers who continue trying to dismantle the unions. All they have to do is break the back of whats left of organized labor and the rich can continue to plunder the economy of our country until they have it exactly like they want it two classes the rich and the poor. 2014 is coming and the conservatives will finally get their due.

NOt when the contrary opinions are based on lies or misinformation. this country was well on its way to becoming the greatest country in the world before there were unions
 
And why should she do that unless everyone else that is part of the problem did as well?

By that same token, since liberals wanted everyone to have health insurance, they should have taken on themselves to pay for it and left the rest of us out of the equation

Now I think we getting to see the real you, you don't just dislike union workers you have a real problem with liberals in general , do you understand that mot all union workers are liberals? There might actually be one or two libertarians and maybe even some conservatives that are union members
 
Have you seen the recent news about the independent electrical contractor in Ohio that was shot by a union vandal who was confronted while spray painting the word "Scab" on his victim's SUV? Don't count on reading about it in the Washington Post or the New York Times. But can you imagine the press eruption that would follow the shooting of, say, a political campaign worker by a rival party member spouting vicious slogans?

What makes it socially acceptable to harass, intimidate, vandalize, beat up, and even shoot someone because they are willing to do a job for a wage that you are not willing to accept? Despite epic animosity, Americans across the ideological spectrum rightly speak out against acts of political violence. Yet why do so many of us accept, and even condone, a special exception for union workers whose motives are purely economic? What is it that is so noble about giving union bosses monopoly control over certain professions that we accept it when they break heads?

Why do we accept Union Violence?
Is it because union violence holds a hallowed place in our educational pedagogy? Every school kid is raised on romantic stories of the birth of organized labor during the industrial revolution when underpaid, overworked mine and steel workers rose up to demand safer working conditions along with a decent wage. Most educated people can recite the labor side of the Homestead Strike story, citing it as an example of justifiable violence against an intransigent management that attempted to use Pinkertons to protect company property. Funny that these same educated people don't know that local police refused to evict militant strikers that had taken over a plant threatening to burn it down, or that the National Guard had to be called out to restore order after the Pinkertons had their heads blown off.

Regardless of whether you think the deplorable working conditions of the industrial revolution justified arson and murder, the Homestead Strike occurred in 1892. What possible relation does it bear to modern electrical contractors or call center operators?

Things sure turned ugly fast in the recent Verizon strike. The Associated Press reported 70 acts of sabotage in the first week. A New Jersey judge had to issue an injunction banning members of the Communications Workers of America from "Dropping, spreading, throwing, placing or otherwise causing nails, glass, cinder block, spikes, feces, clubs, rocks, screws, or puncture devices of any kind, or other object or debris to be thrown or strewn in, on, or about Verizon's driveways, parking lots, entrances, exits, vehicles and adjoining roads to any of Verizon's property or at any work site." Investigative reporters may be nowhere to be seen, but thanks to cell phone cameras some nasty videos are beginning to pop up on the web.

According to the National Institute for Labor Relations Research there have been 4,400 recorded acts of labor violence since 1991. The Teamsters lead the pack with 454, as one would expect from an organization once infiltrated by organized crime. The Teamsters have plenty of company, yet few offenders are called to account. In the Homestead tradition, law enforcement tends to melt away when a union goes on a rampage. Barely three percent of violent crimes committed by union members lead to an arrest or conviction.

This can only happen due to public acceptance. If violent behavior on the part of unions was met with the same kind of opprobrium meted out to child molesters it would disappear in a heartbeat. Let's face it, these are our neighbors. In all other respects they are normal people. They would never dream of walking into a supermarket and beating up the cashier if she charged more for a can of soup than what some union boss determined was the "right" price. Yet these same people, when dealing with differences of opinion over labor prices, think nothing of becoming raging hooligans, or worse. The only way to make them ashamed of their violent behavior is to name and shame them.

Why Do We Accept Union Violence? By Bill Frezza | Field & Stream

Have you seen the recent news about the independent electrical contractor in Ohio that was shot by a union vandal who was confronted while spray painting the word "Scab" on his victim's SUV? Don't count on reading about it in the Washington Post or the New York Times. But can you imagine the press eruption that would follow the shooting of, say, a political campaign worker by a rival party member spouting vicious slogans?

What makes it socially acceptable to harass, intimidate, vandalize, beat up, and even shoot someone because they are willing to do a job for a wage that you are not willing to accept? Despite epic animosity, Americans across the ideological spectrum rightly speak out against acts of political violence. Yet why do so many of us accept, and even condone, a special exception for union workers whose motives are purely economic? What is it that is so noble about giving union bosses monopoly control over certain professions that we accept it when they break heads?

Why do we accept Union Violence?
Is it because union violence holds a hallowed place in our educational pedagogy? Every school kid is raised on romantic stories of the birth of organized labor during the industrial revolution when underpaid, overworked mine and steel workers rose up to demand safer working conditions along with a decent wage. Most educated people can recite the labor side of the Homestead Strike story, citing it as an example of justifiable violence against an intransigent management that attempted to use Pinkertons to protect company property. Funny that these same educated people don't know that local police refused to evict militant strikers that had taken over a plant threatening to burn it down, or that the National Guard had to be called out to restore order after the Pinkertons had their heads blown off.

Regardless of whether you think the deplorable working conditions of the industrial revolution justified arson and murder, the Homestead Strike occurred in 1892. What possible relation does it bear to modern electrical contractors or call center operators?

Things sure turned ugly fast in the recent Verizon strike. The Associated Press reported 70 acts of sabotage in the first week. A New Jersey judge had to issue an injunction banning members of the Communications Workers of America from "Dropping, spreading, throwing, placing or otherwise causing nails, glass, cinder block, spikes, feces, clubs, rocks, screws, or puncture devices of any kind, or other object or debris to be thrown or strewn in, on, or about Verizon's driveways, parking lots, entrances, exits, vehicles and adjoining roads to any of Verizon's property or at any work site." Investigative reporters may be nowhere to be seen, but thanks to cell phone cameras some nasty videos are beginning to pop up on the web.

According to the National Institute for Labor Relations Research there have been 4,400 recorded acts of labor violence since 1991. The Teamsters lead the pack with 454, as one would expect from an organization once infiltrated by organized crime. The Teamsters have plenty of company, yet few offenders are called to account. In the Homestead tradition, law enforcement tends to melt away when a union goes on a rampage. Barely three percent of violent crimes committed by union members lead to an arrest or conviction.

This can only happen due to public acceptance. If violent behavior on the part of unions was met with the same kind of opprobrium meted out to child molesters it would disappear in a heartbeat. Let's face it, these are our neighbors. In all other respects they are normal people. They would never dream of walking into a supermarket and beating up the cashier if she charged more for a can of soup than what some union boss determined was the "right" price. Yet these same people, when dealing with differences of opinion over labor prices, think nothing of becoming raging hooligans, or worse. The only way to make them ashamed of their violent behavior is to name and shame them.

Why Do We Accept Union Violence? By Bill Frezza | Field & Stream

In your type written words you state that less then 3% of 4400 committed crimes led to an arrest or conviction. Without a conviction determining who was responsible or even if a crime was committed is impossible. Using your numbers over a twelve year period would mean that 11 maybe crimes where maybe committed by union workers each year, that is what your source labels as "maybe" union violence? Those facts make it look like union workers are as close to being angels as can be found among mortal human beings
 
I had a group of union thugs at a plant take sledge hammers to my company car at the time because they were on strike when I crossed. I got a new car out of the deal which was great but it still pissed me off to the point that I took the time to visit each one of them individually after the incident. It is amazing how many mice it takes to make one thug.

I would almost be willing to bet that after your visit those union thugs repented for their horrible behavior, turned over a new leaf and never ever committed any act that could be considered as violent,do you know if they joined a boy scout group or church choir?
 
NOt when the contrary opinions are based on lies or misinformation. this country was well on its way to becoming the greatest country in the world before there were unions

So we were not the greatest country in the world before the unions came along? At what point do you think we became the greatest country in the world? Do you think we are now the greatest country in the world?
 
Now I think we getting to see the real you, you don't just dislike union workers you have a real problem with liberals in general , do you understand that mot all union workers are liberals? There might actually be one or two libertarians and maybe even some conservatives that are union members

There are a few conservative union members.

As a matter of fact, I know one union member who has more conservative values and actually voted for Mitt Romney. Even though he knew it COULD be detrimental to the union, he thought it would be better for the country as a whole. Of course, I don't agree (I didn't like either candidate), but that's another topic entirely. Lol!
 
So we were not the greatest country in the world before the unions came along? At what point do you think we became the greatest country in the world? Do you think we are now the greatest country in the world?

the industrial revolution in the USA-Eli Whitney etc was pre-Union

Unions did not build our shipping industry

nor the transcontinental railroad

and yes we are even though the left is doing its best to ruin our position
 
NOt when the contrary opinions are based on lies or misinformation. this country was well on its way to becoming the greatest country in the world before there were unions

If you like robber barons. :shrug:
 
It would be on the news smarty.

You must live in a closet, there is a lot of violence in this country that never makes the news.
 
You must live in a closet, there is a lot of violence in this country that never makes the news.

Sure, there's a lot of violence, but not a lot of union violence. Face it, you are making up hyperbole.
 
I would almost be willing to bet that after your visit those union thugs repented for their horrible behavior, turned over a new leaf and never ever committed any act that could be considered as violent,do you know if they joined a boy scout group or church choir?

no, but they never took a bunch of sledge hammers to one of my cars again. That strike lasted for 1.5 years and I crossed many more times.
 
You must live in a closet, there is a lot of violence in this country that never makes the news.

As a matter of fact, I'm still waiting on a link for ALL the violence that union members do in the north east.
 
Sure, there's a lot of violence, but not a lot of union violence. Face it, you are making up hyperbole.

Bull****, my Dad worked for in a union for years at an appliance factory, he came home bloody, never made the news even once. I can't believe there is anyone so naive as to think every union action makes the news.:lamo
 
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