Union Perspectives

Why are the states perpetuating genocide on workers’ rights and union wages? Could it be that the states have seen that factories and jobs are coming back to the USA? The state governments think the low wages and less safety regulations will attract the factories to their states. The unions need to pay attention to this trend for this will give the unions head start on fighting off the genocide of workers. We must go on the on the offensive and upset the anti-worker money people. One way to do this is to back $15-$16 minimum wage this will shift away a lot of money and attention from what the states are doing to union people. If the unions could be the leaders on the minimum wage hike it could lead to an organizer’s dream for the workers would feel powerful and would have money for education and lots of products, which hopefully, will be made in the USA. If the workers of the world all start to demand what is their right, it will help us here so we, wage slaves must support all work...

The gap between the 1% oligarchies and the wage slaves gets wider by the day. The Stock Market just hit 1,500. It has never been this high and the corporations are making record profits than ever and yet the workers are paying for this as the wage gap just keeps widening so what are we to do? The elected politicians won’t help. They are in the pockets of the money people, but some of the world leaders are starting to get nervous about the level of anxiety of the poor 99%. There is no jobs and what there is pays very little and no health or pensions. When people have no hope, the masses can be very dangerous. All that is missing is a leader or leaders, such as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Walter Reuther, John F. and Bobby Kennedy, Malcolm X or Gandhi. When the leaders do appear we had better hope they are good ones and if they are we had better protect them from being killed like our old friends “Abraham, Martin and John.” Now will the new leader or leaders be something l...

The Republicans never stop attacking the wage slaves. They now have a bill HR 1406, called The Working Families Flexibility Act. If the bill passes, it would eliminate the 40-hour work week. What a bunch of crap. The 40-hour work week has been the standard practice since 1938, and is a component of the Federal Labor Standards Act. The GOP and oligarchies are relentless in their fight with our unions and nonunion wage slaves. If it isn’t the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) laws, then it is the voting rights or minimum wage. They will not rest until we have lost all worker rights, healthcare, pensions and the right to have union representation and negotiations for a good working agreement with employers, private or government. To counter these attacks we must flex what power we have left, such as a threatened general strike and let the money people know we still have the power to shut down the country and regain our respect and keep what rights we have left. Our foes will just kee...

Are we, wage slaves, and retired former wage slaves ready for a general strike? If we are ready I think top of the list on the strike banner should be a minimum wage hike to at least $15 an hour then leave Social Security alone and next strong labor laws to protect wages and the right to have a union. Also to do away with the right to work state laws, which if you belong to a union and receive benefits then you should pay your share—no free rides. You know the GOP way: nothing free. If we get the minimum wage raised we will have a lot of people thankful and see just what the power of union people can do. If the lower wage workers have $5 per hour more to spend it will be better for every worker and they can purchase better transportation to get to work and will spend more; and, in turn, help the consumer economy, which is what we have. The more we buy the more someone has to make or supply, and around it goes; but with no spending power it just doesn’t work. The corporations go to und...

Labor councils, which is already well established, can be used to counter the GOP and anti-union corporations think tanks and other anti-worker organizations, such American Legislative Exchange Council, State Policy Network (SPN), Americans for Prosperity (their prosperity, not yours, and funded by the Koch brothers), MacIver Institutes and many others. They all are well-funded, but labor has its councils, which are well established, but we just need to expand and update our effort to counter our enemies. One thing that the GOP think tanks are doing is hiring media reporters and setting up a syndication service providing right-leaning wire service, which tends to sway public opinion. We, the labor councils, could very easily do this with very little expense. Every labor council should have their own think tank. In these think tanks there should be politicians, labor, business, academia and work on the messages for the media. It is the only way to tell our story and get support. I have ...

If the wage slave really knew what they are and will be up against in their working lives. I think all would join a union. But little do most wage slaves know is there was and still a concerted effort to blacken and distort labor history. Even today most all labor news of unrest is not published for public consumption, but there is a large labor movement across the world. As a past labor organizer I thought that the wage slaves had not quite slipped to the bottom rung of the economic ladder, but I think now they are on the last rung of the ladder and can feel the bottom. They can feel the bottom and are now starting to look up and some can see a little light at the top. These workers with no means have started to organize and fight, and they are taking on one of the largest wage pollution companies, like Walmart. But they are also taking on the fast food, car wash, oil changing companies in hopes of a good wage of $14 to $16 per hour. I also am noticing that middle management slaves...

True power is with the states. Most people worry about the federal government taking away their rights, but in reality it is the states taking away our rights. We the 99% should be worrying about the oligarchies buying state governments and convincing people to elect their chosen senate and assembly politicians. With their state puppet government in place, they can do just about anything they want. Take a look at Detroit and other areas in Michigan. They can change the laws regarding abortion, check out the bills dubbed “Fetal Heartbeat,” recently passed in North Dakota; kicked out all unions, Wisconsin is doing this, and making the state a “right to work” state. They are even taking over the educational system, as in Louisiana, a state that can’t afford to be any more ignorant; and even taking over cities, like Benton Harbor, Michigan. State governments control the National Guard and the local law enforcement and fire departments. Their power is unlimited and we, the people, cannot d...