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William Crandell: If I can’t have it, neither can you
Published 10:03pm Wednesday, June 27, 2012Recently, I have witnessed a demonizing of unions in America and I am usually confronted with the same argument: “It’s the unions that are destroying this country by demanding too much money, too many benefits. We’re all suffering and it’s time they sacrificed, also.”
It seems that many people feel that if they can’t have benefits and a decent wage, than neither should anyone else.
There is a trend now to discredit unions, and many feel that we no longer need their protection.
This has been reinforced by anti-union campaigns run by organizations such as ALEC and Fox News, which claim unions are exploiting laborers and stealing their dues from the pockets of the little guy.
I recently read that 58 percent of the voters of Michigan would support a Right to Work Law. But as it has in other states, a Right to Work Law would only lower wages, create disunity and sponsor unhealthy job competition. This would have devastating affects upon blue collar Michigan.
Meanwhile, corporations continue to make record-breaking profits without creating more jobs. Last year, the average CEO made 12.14 million, 231 times more than the average worker made. The top 500 corporations made $824 billion in profits, up 16 percent from 2010. Unemployment remains about 8.6 percent with 30 percent of the workforce underemployed.
Companies are not hiring because they don’t have to. Instead they are making the workforce do more for less. Only unions can stand up to them.
Americans need union protection, but they blame their lack of prosperity upon the institution that could provide them that protection.
As long as we are divided over this issue, the average worker will remain weak and left out of the current prosperity.
We need to stand up to the GOP and we need unions to keep the middle class and America strong. We can all live the dream if we stand together.
www.southcountydems.com
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“…though people may learn today that a labor union is lawful and unavoidable, and that the labor union is for the good of the people, you will have to take the sons (and daughters) of these people tomorrow and teach them the lesson over again.” Peter C. Yorke (1864-1925) Labor Activist, San Francisco. This is exactly where we are right now. People have forgotten, or never been taught how labor unions came into being. I believe that the lack of education in schools and school books is a purposeful bit of manipulation on the part of big businesses. (I’m NOT talking small business here, I’m talking multi-million/billion dollar corporations that REALLY run our country.) These corporations wish to erase the history books of all union organizing in our country’s past. They want to demonize unions to unknowing people so they will believe that unions are the bad guy. Yes, unions have been known for corruption and links to organized crime. So please,tell me what corporation out there has NOT been involved in corruption. Do the words Wall Street come to anyone’s mind? Every group has it’s corruption, but it is the DUTY of honest and good people to find it and get rid of it. Just because unions have been corrupted in the past doesn’t mean that unions are not good and necessary in the long run. Before unions men and women and CHILDREN worked 18 hour days, seven days a week. Young people today can’t even comprehend a week without a weekend, but they may find out in their own future if unions are neglected or outlawed. People DIED protesting and demanding a two day rest period for all workers every week. Young people don’t know about that. People DIED protesting and demanding better pay with incremental raises in pay. Union history is not being taught in classrooms any more. There is a reason for that! The powers that be want workers to go back to 18 hour days, seven days a week and even the likes of Newt (my apologies to all amphibians)Gingrich said that children should be allowed to work menial jobs. Personally, I don’t think that the 99% of the population needs to sacrifice one dime. I DO believe that the top corporations and CEO’s should be fined billions of dollars and that money be passed to the little people who REALLY do the work of our country. These people need medical assistance, they need housing because of the loan crisis, our noble veterans of past and present wars need help of all kinds. These rich corporations and CEOs are so large and have so much money that they really DON’T have any allegiance to our country or any country. They can buy what and where they want to be so why be patriotic to only one country. We little guys get the shaft. Unions Now, Unions Forever!