Unions Matter

There is power in a union. Here's why.  

I try my best to understand people who work for big enterprises, like Amazon, Walmart, or some of the auto companies down South, I try to understand how they can vote no in a union certification election. It’s true that retail giants like Amazon and Walmart conduct propaganda campaigns against unions, but the workers still have the right to make up their mind (if they have a mind) and vote their self-interest. Despite all the bullshit about union corruption (how about corporate and political corruption?) the most significant difference between a non-union shop and a union shop is that in a non-union shop the boss can fire you at will, while in a union shop, he has to prove you’ve done something to violate the contract. When it comes down to it, managers who want a non-union shop are lazy. It’s easy to fire somebody at will; all you have to do is say “You’re Fired!” the catch phrase made famous by fatso Donald Trump. But it takes some work to “make a case” against a worker you’re trying to fire. About every state in the South and many in the rest of the country are so-called right to work states, which it makes harder for unions to organize and collect dues once they’re established. Union workers call this provision “Right to work cheaply”

Anyone who thinks that unions are bad should keep in mind that every safety and work requirement that has improved working conditions for everyone resulted from unions’ struggle, often through protracted strikes: the forty-hour work week, paid holidays, the weekend, child labor laws, and guaranteed safety in the workplace. If you want to increase your knowledge about this issue, you should read any one of these excellent books.  

 

Bread and Roses: Mills, Migrants, and the Struggle for the American Dream   Bruce Watson

 

Why Unions Matter Michael D. Yates

 

There is Power in a Union Phillip Dray