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| People to be feared? Union members. |
Most union workers do not make a bundle. They make a middle class wage. A few game the system, so we should demonize them all? We now have robber barons and union busters like David Koch who makes $3 million an hour based on a 40 hour work week. Or in a less liberal benefit estimate $1.8 million every hour. Do I hear any of you complaining about that? The more money they make, the less people are employed by them. They help their own pockets at workers expense. You are fixed on these middle class people who are mostly making about $40,000 a year. Try and bring up a family on $40 to $60 a year. Yes some of the union workers in Miami Dade County make over $100,000. But you are concentrating on the wrong target. That is a small minority.
The Kochs are after unions and the minimum wage and you are falling for their Welfare Queen argument. You are being diverted by slick campaigns trying to make you hate unions. Unions are made up of people like you and me, your neighbors. You will never be a Koch brother so why are you supporting their agenda of "evil greedy unions". Yes, John Rivera is a bastard but unions need fighters because of all the stupidity you all believe. He is tough and a negotiator should be. I would want him watching my back. Anyway, you go on and believe the man making millions every hour and hate your neighbor for having a steady union job or your other neighbor asking for a higher minimum wage....a chance at a middle class life.
I was a member of the AFL-CIO. I made very little. Last word: Stop hating your fellow man. Hate the people assuming you are so naive they are trying to manipulate you. Hate them for thinking you are so stupid you would argue against your own interest: Our last chance to have and grow a middle class that is now having their jobs shipped overseas. As I said before, union bashers are not welcome on this blog. Write to the Koch brothers and bash unions to them or go watch Norma Rae. I am ashamed of Carlos Gimenez's treatment of his staff belonging to unions. Fiscal conservative doesn't mean you choose the Koch Brothers over your own staff.
21 comments:
yes, Rivera is tough on bullies and thus consider a "bastard". every Miami-Dade county employee wishes he was representing them. he has been there for 20 + years and has gotten along with most political leaders.(he respresents most municipalities as well). he does, however, break out in a rash when some attempt to abuse his members
amen for unions, just ask my non-union friends the cost of an emergency room visit, or what happens when work gets slow.
One of the many reasons Lynda Bell's commission campaign made no sense was her attack on the staff who conduct the county's everyday operations. Unions are just groups of staff at all levels who realize that they are ignored or worse by being independent.
I look at my own department's adminstration, the LIbary Department, as an example. They are not unionized, they are exempt. As such, they internalize every conversation as being political. Under the Gimenez reign, they stopped speaking up, speaking out, or speaking at all especially to the front line staff. When professionals become complicit to the beaurocracy and not offer their best practices and professional opinions - they are puppets.
In October, the library's hours and days of operation will be "adjusted." Ask yourself when you get to your local library, and it's not open at the times you use it - who did this and why? The answer - it was a political decision. The front line staff, nor the public, were consulted.
Thanks for the excellent article, GOD. I am non-union county employee that supervises union employees. I am grateful the unions have protected my staff from the almost 30% pay cut that I have endured since 2008, and no, I don't make over $100,000 a year - I'm not even close.
I also don't get the union bashing, welfare bashing, etc. I believe we all share responsibility to look out for those that are less advantaged, or on need of a little help. Yes, there will always be fraud in our imperfect social systems, and it is incumbent on us to find and eliminate fraud while protecting the rights of workers.
Unions as well as the county have to bargain in good faith. The system works as long as people are reasonable. Gimenez was not.
Unions were formed in the first place to protect worker exploitation by robber barons like the Koch Brothers.
I am in my 70's and remember clearly when I was in grade school being taught American History. There was a chapter titled "Industrial Revolution". It clearly outlined the abuses and lack of protection of the workers, particularly child labor. Today, very few can explain why unions got started or what they accomplished on behalf of the workers. What a shame!
Since when is Carlos Gimenez a fiscal conservative? I voted for him because he presented himself as a moderate. That has changed.
Another way to break a union? Layoff full-timers and replace them with part-timers. Simultaneously, create new job titles that aren't covered by the union. Slowly, change the face of the workforce to be exempt and thus the employee holds on to their job not based on competency to the job function but instead it stems from loyalty to the hierarchy.
There is a direct correlation between the decrease in unionization and the increase in income inequity. Most union workers are still not doing that great, but they are not living in poverty.
As a teacher, it amazes me how many of my fellow workers will have nothing to do with our union. The pay they receive, along with the benefits, were hard fought for by our union. The only way they will join the union is when they get a bad boss. Then they will run to the union for cover. After that, they quit it again. Teachers need to support the union or go get a job at a private school and take any crap those people want to dish out.
Thank you. Demonizing working people has destroyed the middle class.
Unions, being a large group of workers, are easy scapegoats for the politicians that are afraid to make the tough choices when spending money.
If corporations and governments could be trusted to not exploit their workers, there wouldn't be a need for unions.
Heaven forbid the 'accusers' look inward.
Rick Scott wants to eliminate unions also which is a another reason to vote against him
In a perfect world there would be no need for unions. The Koch brothers, Lynda Bell, Carlos Gimenez and the TEA party are far from being perfect. I know that might shock the named individuals but they are far from being perfect. Not even close
the biggest smack of all is to hear union bashing coming from self- professed "christians" .. a living wage is WWJD!
No in a perfect world everyone would be in a union and have workers rights and fair pay for a fair days work.
Where do I sign up with the PBA?
Your story might make sense in general but not in Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami and the City of Miami Beach. Pay and benefits for public sector workers exceed the pay (and usually no benefits) of private sector workers. Taxes are too high. Healthcare expenses and pension costs are escalating too fast for taxpayers to keep up.
no they don't Lynda
Then private sector people need to make more. They should join a union.
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