Are unions damaging American business and job growth?

Veritas · #1 29th June 2009, 07:29 PM

Just how has the modern union really benefited American business profitability, worker productivity and job growth? Perhaps it's actually killing it!

Unions Continue to Kill U.S. Manufacturing | The Disciplined Investor

And what about the gesapo-like tactics of unions to destroy businesses who don't do their bidding?

Union Campaign To Destroy Grocery Chain

Job creation or lost jobs?

Check-card bill likely to destroy jobs - Triangle Business Journal:

There are also numerous stories of union tactics that are bordering on criminal including one in my city right now by the grocery-workers union. They will stop at absolutely nothing to gain more dues-paying members and enrich their coffers.

Veritas · #2 30th June 2009, 05:45 PM

Afraid of the truth?

ImmortalTechnique · #3 30th June 2009, 05:50 PM

lol... easy answer

NO!

Republicans are doing their darndest to attack working people, though, and demolish the middle class

Veritas · #4 30th June 2009, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by ImmortalTechnique

lol... easy answer

NO!

Republicans are doing their darndest to attack working people, though, and demolish the middle class

"Working people" are not the same as unions.

TheNewWorldMan · #5 30th June 2009, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by Veritas

Afraid of the truth?

Understand that labor unions arose as a response to the horrific conditions workers experienced early in the industrial age. Would you like to work a 14-hour day with no sick leave, no benefits, and no rights? If you lost a hand working on an unsafe machine, would you just go off and bleed to death or starve somewhere?

In some situations, I'll agree the pendulum effect kicked in and things swung too far in favor of unions. And, as in any other class of organization that handles large amounts of money, there has been corruption. But I think just bashing unions as a whole is wrong. They exist for a purpose: to give the working class some leverage in dealing with billion-dollar corporations.

canukian · #6 30th June 2009, 06:14 PM

here is what i think about that.

general motors was destroyed by unions. at least the management, who were making millions a year let the unions have whatever they demanded. so how stupid were the shareholders who watched this happen and conttinued to hold stock?

so management must hold unions at bay, share holders must hold management responsible by voting with their money.

on a personal level, i do not like unions.

Douger · #7 30th June 2009, 06:17 PM

Workers that demand too much will lose jobs, wreck their companies and end up having to settle for less.
Meanwhile, businesses that don't treat workers well enough will have trouble with their employees until they raise their standards. There must be freedom to agree, disagree, err and make right.
Unions should neither be banned or protected by the government.

Let's also remember the hurt that astronomical executive wages has done to certain companies and not point the finger solely at unions.

canukian · #8 30th June 2009, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by TheNewWorldMan

Understand that labor unions arose as a response to the horrific conditions workers experienced early in the industrial age. Would you like to work a 14-hour day with no sick leave, no benefits, and no rights? If you lost a hand working on an unsafe machine, would you just go off and bleed to death or starve somewhere?

In some situations, I'll agree the pendulum effect kicked in and things swung too far in favor of unions. And, as in any other class of organization that handles large amounts of money, there has been corruption. But I think just bashing unions as a whole is wrong. They exist for a purpose: to give the working class some leverage in dealing with billion-dollar corporations.

on the whole i agree.

now, in the real world, the unions must compete with the china price.

this has civinizational meltdown written all over it.

Polycarp_fan · #9 30th June 2009, 06:21 PM

Originally Posted by ImmortalTechnique

lol... easy answer

NO!

Republicans are doing their darndest to attack working people, though, and demolish the middle class

Once "The Government" gets Health Care, connected with the corporations and banks we are no longer a free society.

WE are government owned.

1984 a few decades late.

Veritas · #10 30th June 2009, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by TheNewWorldMan

Understand that labor unions arose as a response to the horrific conditions workers experienced early in the industrial age. Would you like to work a 14-hour day with no sick leave, no benefits, and no rights? If you lost a hand working on an unsafe machine, would you just go off and bleed to death or starve somewhere?

In some situations, I'll agree the pendulum effect kicked in and things swung too far in favor of unions. And, as in any other class of organization that handles large amounts of money, there has been corruption. But I think just bashing unions as a whole is wrong. They exist for a purpose: to give the working class some leverage in dealing with billion-dollar corporations.

I don't believe I'm "bashing" unions per se. I'm just pointing out that they have outlived their usefulness. Ultimately, companies do not exist to employ people but rather to produce and be profitable. In order to do so, they need a certain amount of labour. Ironically, as was mentioned in one of the articles (which I'm sure very few here even read) unions actually destroy the cooperative realationship that exists naturally between the worker and his employer. The union ends up acting as a middle man who has its own interests at heart.