workers for unions

Adapted from here

The tactics varies around the world, but the strategy remained the same: reduce the size and influence of unions as a means of keeping wages low and profits high.


In the United States from the 1870's through the 1920's, industrialists fought union growth with hired thugs and complicit law enforcement officials. Organizers and union members were harassed, maimed, and killed throughout the country for simply acting on the right to organize and participate in a union. When union power prevailed, the elite shifted their efforts. The right to work movement emerged (not to be confused by the unemployed workers organisations bearing the same name) . Restrictive laws making it harder to organize unions became the main thread of crony capitalist efforts. Anti-union propaganda ran parallel to this backroom strategy. The image of the lazy worker and corrupt union boss became a mantra of right wing puppets. When unions did succeed, the elite offered union leaders the benefits of insider status in order to moderate their positions. Top union leaders work with management by supporting national legislation to weaken the option to strike.

Would you have paid health insurance today without a robust union movement a century ago? Probably not. In addition to health care, unions fought for and gained retirement plans, compensated sick days, and defined benefits plans. Meaningful benefits cost money that the owning class resent delivering to their employees. There remains a strong causal relationship between unionized firms and decent benefits and wages. Union wages are higher than nonunion. In a New York Times article, the authors of this article don't waste any time writing what they want is that we lower the American standard of living to the level of developing countries - but not every American one - just working class - "American workers are overpaid, relative to equally productive employees elsewhere doing the same work...The big trade deficit is another sign of excessive pay for Americans...American manufacturing workers should take average real wage cuts of as much as 20 percent to get into global balance."
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics just reported that the median weekly income of a union worker is $917 compared to $717 for nonunion workers, a 28% disadvantage. Unions confer advantages to nonunion employees as well. Union gains in the graph below form the foundation for a better quality of life. There exists a situation to drag down all workers into the same boat? There is plenty of evidence to support this view of "since I am broke, you should be too" mentality. But why the rage at one's fellow workers - it should be outrage at the capitalist system.

At some point, workers will see that the false distinction between the working class and the middle class is arbitrary, divisive, and counterproductive. The vast majority of citizens are victimized by the calculated maneuvers of the financial elite. The politics of race, religion, and national security paranoia deny people the ability to understand and act on the truly global nature of capitalist manipulation and control. Hopefully, we will get the point before it's too late.

In the United States There are fewer members today, 14.7 million, than there were in 1983 when 17.7 million workers belonged to unions. Only 11.9% of the workforce belongs to unions. The figure was 20.1% in 1983. However, 57 million men and women would like to have a union in their workplace for a chance to secure fair wages, affordable health care, improved working conditions, and better rights on the job. So why don't these workers have the basic protections of a union? There are large corporate interests with deep pockets out to attack all workers. Most recently it is the Koch Brothers. Anti-union organizations and 'union-busting' consultants have greatly contributed to workers experiencing enormous obstacles when trying to form unions.The anti-union network is well-financed, well-established, and well-coordinated.
American Crossroads: An organization founded by Karl Rove. Rove is strongly anti-union
Americans for Job Security: An insurance industry front group which was created to counter the influence of organized labor and is known "one of the nation's most vicious campaign hit teams."
Americans for Prosperity: Active in organizing opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act and opposed to the extension of unemployment benefits.
The Club for Growth: Even John McCain critizised it as nothing more than the "bagman for the ultra rich." The Club for Growth supports eliminating Medicare, privatizing Social Security, and calls the Employee Free Choice Act "an abomination."
FreedomWorks: Headed by Dick Armey, who supports 'phasing out' Social Security and abolishing Medicare, FreedomWorks strongly opposes the Employee Free Choice Act
U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Plans to spend $50 million this election to push its anti-working family agenda. The Chamber opposes the Employee Free Choice Act, opposes strong workplace safety laws, and even opposed paycheck equity.
Center for Union Facts: notorious industry lobbyist and PR flak Richard Berman is now attacking unions through his latest front group, in the same way he's fought against drunk driving laws, health regulations, consumer protections, and minimum wage increases for years.
National Right to Work Foundation and Committee: is the country's oldest organization dedicated solely to destroying unions.
Public Service Research Foundation and Council: these small, established groups supply their more prominent anti-union colleagues with research, polling, and propaganda to fight against the right of teachers and other public employees to have unions.
Taken from here

15 million Americans are officially unemployed, with another 15 million unofficially unemployed. But the scope of the recession goes far beyond their ranks - more than half of the U.S. labor force (55 percent) has “suffered a spell of unemployment, a cut in pay, a reduction in hours or have become involuntary part-time workers” since the recession began in December 2007. The widespread nature of workers' declining fortunes, even if they have not suffered unemployment, explains why it is that one-third of U.S working families are now low-income - one lost paycheck, one illness, or one accident away from disaster.

There are 150,917,735 wage earners in this country for 2009. That said, 24,315,992 of them earned less than $5000. 50% earned less than $26,261 in 2009. There are only 0.794% of wage earners who get more than $250,000 per year and only 1.266% of American salaries are over $200,000.

In 1970, a day’s wages could buy nearly three quarters of an ounce of gold; by 2010 those wages could only buy a little more than one eighth of an ounce of the metal. Your wages have quintupled since 1970, yet you actually have become poorer.