Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Opening Shots -The War Against the American Worker

Republicans are all set to bring down government, tear the dome off the Capitol building, riot in the streets and "Kill, baby, kill!" - if the American workers get a choice about how they decide or don't decide to join a union.

If you haven't been following it, it's called the Employee Free Choice Act and the key word is "Choice." Despite what the wingnut American-haitors (my new word: haters + traitors = haitors!) will scream given any chance they get, it's about allowing employees to make a choice about unionizing. They can A) Choose to hold a secret ballot, or B) Sign cards to authorize a union by majority.

Heinous, ain't it? Anti-American! End of the World...according to these fools:



PS - Guess which side Chuck ("Tex-ass Ranger") Norris is on? Hint: Don't get in the way of his lazy-ass ancient spin-kick if you want a union, buddy!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're not really so naive as to believe that this bill is about "choice" are you? Of course you are; conservatives are "wing-nuts!". My, how open minded and "progressive."

What worker is going to refuse a card-check when encountered by a pro-union thug? That's why the ballot is secret - so you can vote your conscience. Once the secrecy is gone, you have no choice.

This is all about Democrats paying back the union mob to whom they are irrevocably beholden. Fortunately it appears unlikely to pass, proving that there is still some small vestige of sanity buried deep in a few Washington psyches.

You need to try thinking outside of the ideological straitjacket you've wrapped yourself in, my friend. I suspect that you think you're 'progressive', but all I see is garden-variety left-wing close-mindeness.

Oh, by the way, nice blog.

gomonkeygo said...

Hey, thanks for the comment and the compliment about the blog. And for visiting.

Here's one of the best arguments to unionize I've seen in my life, as it clearly outlines the sickening divide between workers and executives that has characterized the last few decades of business in this country:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/documents/2009/03/joseph-cassano-retirement-agreement-031108.php?page=1

The gentleman in question received ONE MILLION dollars a month as a "consultant" as part of his "retirement" package from AIG last year.

While this happens, anti-Union executives and politicians wail and cry about the "overpaid" Union workers and how they are ruining the country. The CEO of Home Depot actually has the temerity to say passing of the EFCA is "how a civilization disappears"!

(I couldn't find the full audio/video for this that's been floating around online, but here's a story. One needs to hear the rage in his voice though to truly appreciate the quote. http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/03/10/18576015.php)

Personally, I think a civilization is more ripe to disappear when it decides its fundamental free labor base is unworthy of appropriate compensation for their work.

As an aside, I grew up in a very anti-union household. As a youth, the word union raised bile in my throat because of what I thought a union did to my father's business in the early 70s. I didn't understand the true story and how my father's actions played a role equal to that of the union in hurting his business until my adulthood. It was still years before I could admit the benefits of unions. This only after studying the history of labor in this country and realizing that despite their problems unions had vastly increased the wealth of our nation, helped create a strong middle-class, helped control corporate excesses (like the above-noted AIG "compensation" package), raised the overall-standard of living and education nationally through the tax-base created by union jobs and generally been the hard-working backbone for the success of the "American Century."

So, if it comes down to being anti-worker or pro-corporate executive, I'll be naive and side with the thugs and the mob, I guess. More people have more to gain by doing this than by siding with the corporate executives.

gomonkeygo said...

GT - if you are so strongly opposed to EFCA as you write, then you will welcome this:

http://www.cfiflistmanager.org/nocardcheckhe.html?fc_c=1384018x2918353x109431296

If you go here and pay your monies, you too can send faxes to your political representatives opposing EFCA.

I find it very interesting that all of the right-wing calls for action I get ask for money to send emails and letters and faxes, while only a fraction of the left-wing emails I get do this and as near as I can remember always in the form of a voluntary donation rather than a required payment for services. (I mean, these guys in particular want $20 to send a fax! Somebody's gettin' rich off of somebody's political naivety!)

I guess those stupid liberals just aren't good capitalists, eh? :)