As expected, unions behind fast food protests

[MikeK]

so, demanding a employer pay you $15 an hour is the way to go?[...]

There is an important factor in this specific issue you apparently are not aware of -- but should be. One of the things a competent union executive board does before making any demands on an employer is to carefully research that employer's financial status. So if a union makes a $15 per hour wage demand you may rest assured conceding to that demand would not impose an unreasonable hardship on the employer. Because if the demand is unreasonable it could not prevail in an open arbitration hearing.

As a practical example of this, if WalMart were to increase its employees hourly wage by an additional $7 per hour the ultimate effect would be the Walton family members would be relegated to hoarding only $30 billion instead of the current $40+ billion.

If WalMart employees ever manage to unionize, and if their union demands a $15/hour wage, would you consider that unreasonable?

 

[asterism]

so, demanding a employer pay you $15 an hour is the way to go?[...]

There is an important factor in this specific issue you apparently are not aware of -- but should be. One of the things a competent union executive board does before making any demands on an employer is to carefully research that employer's financial status. So if a union makes a $15 per hour wage demand you may rest assured conceding to that demand would not impose an unreasonable hardship on the employer. Because if the demand is unreasonable it could not prevail in an open arbitration hearing.

As a practical example of this, if WalMart were to increase its employees hourly wage by an additional $7 per hour the ultimate effect would be the Walton family members would be relegated to hoarding only $30 billion instead of the current $40+ billion.

If WalMart employees ever manage to unionize, and if their union demands a $15/hour wage, would you consider that unreasonable?

How did that work out for Eastern Airlines, or Twinkies?

 

[Stephanie]

So, a fast food worker wants 15 bucks an hour to flip hamburgers, whilst our soldiers plead for nothing but appreciation and recognition for putting their lives on the line for our country day in and day out. Some of these brats don't understand that some of our brave men and women struggle to get by, pay their bills and support their families. These spoiled rotten good for nothings have no idea. Union's fight for greed, out soldiers fight for freedom. Biiiig difference.

Truth be known, the only reason conservatives support the troops so much is because the troops work cheap.

Start paying a soldier what a city cop or firefighter makes and you'll see that support disappear overnight.

oh boy, you people and your hateful crystal balls...you should break yours

 

[Stephanie]

so, demanding a employer pay you $15 an hour is the way to go?[...]

There is an important factor in this specific issue you apparently are not aware of -- but should be. One of the things a competent union executive board does before making any demands on an employer is to carefully research that employer's financial status. So if a union makes a $15 per hour wage demand you may rest assured conceding to that demand would not impose an unreasonable hardship on the employer. Because if the demand is unreasonable it could not prevail in an open arbitration hearing.

As a practical example of this, if WalMart were to increase its employees hourly wage by an additional $7 per hour the ultimate effect would be the Walton family members would be relegated to hoarding only $30 billion instead of the current $40+ billion.

If WalMart employees ever manage to unionize, and if their union demands a $15/hour wage, would you consider that unreasonable?

ok then, that makes it ok for them to go around and BULLY these companies to DO what they they think they should be doing...
now you see why people think less and less of them...

 

[MikeK]

How did that work out for Eastern Airlines, or Twinkies?

Eastern had problems other than conflict with multiple unions, namely rising competition. That airline was on its way down regardless of its union difficulties.

Hostess simply refused to accept the Bakers' union demands and chose to shut down, kill the union, then re-open with non-union employees. Whether or not its new employees will unionize again in the future remains to be seen and depends entirely on how the economy shapes up.

As it is there is an anti-union movement developing in the corporate sector. Only the most prominent unions, such as the Teamsters, are managing to maintain control in their strongest locals, such as the UPS Division.

The biggest problem faced by unions today is the effect of NAFTA, which was the work of a corrupted Congress and a corrupt President, Bill Clinton. Millions of good jobs have been exported as the result of that abominable legislation, many of which were union jobs.

The drafting and signing of NAFTA may be regarded as an act of extreme disloyalty, a covert betrayal of the Nation's interests.

 

[MikeK]

ok then, that makes it ok for them to go around and BULLY these companies to DO what they they think they should be doing...
now you see why people think less and less of them...

Stephanie,

It's true that some unions, or some local sectors of the more prominent unions, have become corrupted and/or incompetently managed. One example of this is the Auto Workers Union that crippled the auto industry in the sixties. But these examples are the exceptions, certainly not the rule, and you should not allow their examples to prejudice your perception of the purpose and overall effect of unions on the quality of life of the contemporary American worker. Rather than focus on the negative, learn about the positives, such as the ILGWU -- the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, that liberated tens of thousands of women from the de facto slavery of the sewing machine sweat-shops.

If you have a sincere interest in this topic, I recommend the following books to you. Read at least some of them and learn the facts. Don't be misled by the propaganda being disseminated by the emerging corporatocracy. Unions aren't perfect, but they are necessary.

Rebuilding Labor
Why Unions Matter
Unions At The Crossroads
The Transformation of U.S. Unions
Look For The Union Label
What Do We Need A Union For
The CIO
Infighting In The UAW

At least read the highlighted one. It's available from Amazon and probably is at your local library.

And rent these movies:

How Green Was My Valley
The Grapes Of Wrath
Native Land
On The Waterfront
The Pajama Game
Harlan County USA
The Organizer
Norma Rae
Matewan
The Molly Maguires
Hoffa

All are entertaining as well as factual and historically accurate.

 

[Political Junky]

If you get weekends off and have a paid vacation, thank a union.

 

[asterism]

How did that work out for Eastern Airlines, or Twinkies?

Eastern had problems other than conflict with multiple unions, namely rising competition. That airline was on its way down regardless of its union difficulties.

Hostess simply refused to accept the Bakers' union demands and chose to shut down, kill the union, then re-open with non-union employees. Whether or not its new employees will unionize again in the future remains to be seen and depends entirely on how the economy shapes up.

As it is there is an anti-union movement developing in the corporate sector. Only the most prominent unions, such as the Teamsters, are managing to maintain control in their strongest locals, such as the UPS Division.

The biggest problem faced by unions today is the effect of NAFTA, which was the work of a corrupted Congress and a corrupt President, Bill Clinton. Millions of good jobs have been exported as the result of that abominable legislation, many of which were union jobs.

The drafting and signing of NAFTA may be regarded as an act of extreme disloyalty, a covert betrayal of the Nation's interests.

The biggest problem faced by unions today is that they are pulling stunts like this $15 per hour for fast food bullshit.

South Carolina, Alabama, and some parts of Georgia are booming due to auto manufacturing expansion while Detroit heads for abyss. That has nothing to do with NAFTA, it has to do with unions overplaying their hands and not providing enough actual beneficial services to their members.

Collective bargaining is a farce. It's not the 1930s anymore.

 

[SuMar]

If you get weekends off and have a paid vacation, thank a union.

I get that and the unions had nothing to do with it...

 

[Political Junky]

if you get weekends off and have a paid vacation, thank a union.

i get that and the unions had nothing to do with it...

bs

 

[thereisnospoon]

if you get weekends off and have a paid vacation, thank a union.

i get that and the unions had nothing to do with it...

bs

Not BS..And we are NEVER going to kneel at the union Altar or Salute the union flag.
Unions had their purpose. Their work is done. Time for them to go quietly into the night.

 

[thereisnospoon]

so, demanding a employer pay you $15 an hour is the way to go?[...]

There is an important factor in this specific issue you apparently are not aware of -- but should be. One of the things a competent union executive board does before making any demands on an employer is to carefully research that employer's financial status. So if a union makes a $15 per hour wage demand you may rest assured conceding to that demand would not impose an unreasonable hardship on the employer. Because if the demand is unreasonable it could not prevail in an open arbitration hearing.

As a practical example of this, if WalMart were to increase its employees hourly wage by an additional $7 per hour the ultimate effect would be the Walton family members would be relegated to hoarding only $30 billion instead of the current $40+ billion.

If WalMart employees ever manage to unionize, and if their union demands a $15/hour wage, would you consider that unreasonable?

Here is the problem with that thinking....That money is THEIR money.
The Walton family has the God given right to earn as much as they please.
THEIR money is not a matter for discussion.
Your side's premise is that because you have convinced yourself that the rank and file are underpaid, the owners of the company should simply 'give' their workers more of THEIR money...
You demand $10 billion....
This is not how it works.
If there are workers who think they are not getting a high enough wage, let them show they have earned it or they can move to other employment.
There's K-Mart. Sears, Target, Costco, Kohls, Macy's, and let's not forget all the large grocery chains...Oh, Lowe's, Home Depot.....I am not seeing a problem.
BTW, the employees of these stores cannot demand the owners simply surrender part of what they earned. Remember that it is the owners that take all of the risk. If Walmart were to go belly up, the stock price crumbled, the employees just walk away. The owners lose a $40B Fortune...
So, who has more at stake?
Your side's argument fails on so many levels it's impossible to see where to begin.

 

[SuMar]

if you get weekends off and have a paid vacation, thank a union.

i get that and the unions had nothing to do with it...

bs

Is it true? Is ignorance really bliss?

 

[longknife]

Are you just now discovering this?

It's been a clear union policy for decades to take over fast food employees. And there's no secret that the majority of "protesters" have been paid by the unions.

Get a life.

 

[SuMar]

If the fast food workers keep pushing their agenda for a starting wage of $15 an hour, they will find themselves in the unemployment line.