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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 .
maybe some are, but i've never seen one

What about the teachers union? LOL!

No offense, but it's kind of hard to imagine the teachers union being "thugs" and being violent. Uh-oh everyone, look out!!! All of those scary mean thug teachers are on the warpath!!! :lamo
 
What about the teachers union? LOL!

No offense, but it's kind of hard to imagine the teachers union being "thugs" and being violent. Uh-oh everyone, look out!!! All of those scary mean thug teachers are on the warpath!!! :lamo

you forget...I was a teacher for a decade so I am very familiar with teacher's union. and FWIW, it is usually the union bosses who are and hire thugs, not the rank and file members
 
What about the teachers union? LOL!

No offense, but it's kind of hard to imagine the teachers union being "thugs" and being violent. Uh-oh everyone, look out!!! All of those scary mean thug teachers are on the warpath!!! :lamo


and also FWIW, not all violence and thuggery has to be physical. intimidation through threats and implied repercussions is as "violent" as a brick thrown through a window
 
you forget...I was a teacher for a decade so I am very familiar with teacher's union. and FWIW, it is usually the union bosses who are and hire thugs, not the rank and file members

Really? Do you have evidence of this? Somehow I doubt that teacher union "bosses" carry out crimes. You make it sound like the mafia or something.
 
Really? Do you have evidence of this? Somehow I doubt that teacher union "bosses" carry out crimes. You make it sound like the mafia or something.

One does not have to carry out the crime oneself to be a thug.
 
One does not have to carry out the crime oneself to be a thug.

And exactly what crime or crimes are you referring to?
 
By that rule of thumb you're probably less violent if you belong to a union.

I can cite unions in America smashing private property and seizing hostages. can you support your claim here?
 
I can cite unions in America smashing private property and seizing hostages. can you support your claim here?

I would be interested to see that please.
 
And exactly what crime or crimes are you referring to?

Examples are but a google search away.

"There Will Be Blood": Union Violence

On the floor of the Michigan legislature on Tuesday, Democratic state Rep. Douglas Geiss thundered: "We're going to pass something that will undo 100 years of labor relations, and there will be blood. There will be repercussions!"...

As the Michigan House voted inside to approve right-to-work legislation allowing workers to choose whether or not to join/fund unions as a condition of employment, protesters outside the state Capitol ambushed a tented information booth sponsored by the pro-right-to-work state chapter of Americans for Prosperity. Angry union mobsters were filmed cursing and screaming just before the attack.

One hurled an unidentified object at police officers. Another screamed at a citizen journalist filming the chaos: "Freedom of speech this, you f'n fascist a**hole!" Several peaceful AFP members and supporters were stomped on and punched while trapped under the tent as the labor operatives chanted: "This is what democracy looks like." Young Michigan conservative activist and YouTube entrepreneur Steven Crowder was beaten by at least two union assailants while trying to protect the tent and those inside....

May 2010: The Service Employees International Union buses in 700 workers from 20 states to storm Bank of America deputy general counsel Gregory Baer's neighborhood and terrorize his youngest son while at home alone in Chevy Chase, Md....

August 2011: Striking Communications Workers of America declare "open season" on Verizon. Dozens of cases of sabotaged cable lines are reported....

September 2011: ILWU bosses lead a "Days of Rage" protest at Port of Longview, Wash., taking a half-dozen guards hostage, sabotaging railroad cars, dumping grain, smashing windows, cutting brake lines, threatening a local TV station and blocking trains in violation of a judicial restraining order....

February 2011: Democratic Rep. Michael Capuano of Massachusetts revs up Big Labor goons by urging them to "get a little bloody."...

December 2011: Union-endorsed port protests in Oakland, Calif., Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego and Houston cause massive commerce disruptions, lost wages, property destruction and untold injuries...

targeting people in their homes and going after children. classy.
 
Examples are but a google search away.



targeting people in their homes and going after children. classy.

LOL. Lots of hyperbole there, Michelle Malkin . . . not unusual for your typical partisan blog though. Nice word usage with "attacks" and I really like the "one hurled an unidentified object . . . " Well, what the heck was it?

These stories sound like protests where a few people got out of control. Just because of these few incidents doesn't mean you can say that all unions and all union members would do these things. OMG, protests. :roll:
 
cpwill, there are PLENTY of unions and union members who DO NOT do violence. You are just being a partisan hack and trying to apply certain instances of violence to ALL unions.

BTW, I bet you didn't know that LIUNA in New Jersey is endorsing Chris Christie for reelection. That's an interesting turn of events.

Construction union endorses Chris Christie for re-election
 
cpwill, there are PLENTY of unions and union members who DO NOT do violence. You are just being a partisan hack and trying to apply certain instances of violence to ALL unions.

What an interesting claim. Can you cite me doing so?
 
I can cite unions in America smashing private property and seizing hostages. can you support your claim here?
What - can I cite non-union people that smash private property and seize hostages?!? LOL! Open any newspaper and start reading ...
 
What - can I cite non-union people that smash private property and seize hostages?!? Open any newspaper ...

No, can you support your claim that unions are less violent than comparable groups?


For example, could you demonstrate a higher level of violence coming from the Tea Party?
 
What an interesting claim. Can you cite me doing so?

Yes, all of your posts insinuate that union members are violent. That is the point you are trying to make, isn't it?
 
Yes, all of your posts insinuate that union members are violent.

No they do not. You are fighting a strawman here.

That is the point you are trying to make, isn't it?

My claim is simply that unions are organizations built around coercion, and so that naturally leads to a greater tendency to accept forms of coercion that break the law. In addition, the sense of entitlement that many unions foster also leads to higher rates of violence, as it creates cognitive dissonance in instances where the good or service deemed entitled is not provided.
 
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No, can you support your claim that unions are less violent than comparable groups?


For example, could you demonstrate a higher level of violence coming from the Tea Party?
Comparable groups? I never mentioned that. I said "you're probably less violent if you belong to a union". Do you honestly believe ~12% of all violent crime in America is carried out by union members?!?
 
My claim is simply that unions are organizations built around coercion, and so that naturally leads to a greater tendency to accept forms of coercion that break the law. The sense of entitlement that many unions foster also leads to higher rates of violence, as it creates cognitive dissonance in instances where the good or service deemed entitled is not provided.

Sense of entitlement? Why? Because people want good benefits and good wages? Oh, don't forget that the people who utilize unions sign contracts with the unions agreeing to all that is stated within the contract. Where is the coercion? It's called negotiations.
 
Comparable groups? I never mentioned that. I said "you're probably less violent if you belong to a union".

:shrug: alright. on an individual basis then, can you demonstrate that?
 
Sense of entitlement? Why?

Because it is in the interest of the union to do so. Folks who have a naturally contentious relationship with their employers are going to keep paying those union dues, and so unions have a vested interest in ensuring that folks have a naturally contentious relationship with their employer. Hence, it is in their interest to foster a sense of entitlement among their membership.


Where is the coercion? It's called negotiations.

It's called a "Strike". Either You Do What We Say Or We Try To Destroy Your Business. In no other set of private negotiation is this allowed. If I wanted to purchase your home, and said that if you didn't lower your price by 10% I was going to keep anyone else from every buying it, you would laugh in my face. But, for some reason, we authorize and defend the practice with the same group of people who are major donors to one of the two chief political parties....
 
:shrug: alright. on an individual basis then, can you demonstrate that?
Yeah, I'm sure every arrest record has an item that denotes union membership. LOL!

But logic should tell you it's true. There may be some cases of protests getting out of hand, and I'm sure there are some individuals that have issues they won't seek help for, but overall union members are not underpaid (relative to most people) and they have health care, including some mental heath coverage in most cases. They have fewer reasons to be violent - or even personally know what violence is - than, say, people trained by the military, or people without means to seek medical attention for mental heath problems, or even the poor, frustrated janitor who self-medicates with alcohol and gets in fist fights on Saturday night.
 
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