"Now You Won't Be Joining a Union Now, Will You?"

by: TheElectricalWorker

Mon Apr 26, 2010 at 08:19

The debate over measures to fix America's broken labor laws took a back seat during the long debate on health care. Now that the focus has shifted to efforts to stimulate economic growth and job creation, it's time to put workers' rights front and center.

TheElectricalWorker :: "Now You Won't Be Joining a Union Now, Will You?"

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce along with right-wing noise groups with shady sources of funding put out numerous talking points and videos painting unions as the problem as citing union intimidation as the biggest threat to the rights of working people to decide whether to unionize or not. They even went so far as to hire an actor from The Sopranos (union actors by the way) to create a cartoonish vision of this imagined reality.

The idea that unions are the problem flies so greatly in the the face of the reality experienced by countless workers who have been involved in organizing campaigns, that a lie that big can't be allowed to stand unchallenged. But rather than earnest position papers and counterpoints, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers thought it was time to push back with a video version of how corporations really view workplace democracy.

Tags: ibew, labor movement, labor law, workers' rights, Employee Free Choice Act, AFL-CIO, Chamber of Commerce, union-busters, (All Tags)

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"Now You Won't Be Joining a Union Now, Will You?" | 3 comments

what a crock!!! (0.00 / 0)

in my 30 plus years of working at unionized facilites, i have never been at meeting such as the one depicted in the video.

by: RR @ Mon Apr 26, 2010 at 09:39:35 AM CDT

because you have a union, that's why (4.00 / 1)

Look at the numbers for folks who aren't lucky enough to have union representation.

A May 2009 study of employer opposition to union organizing done by Cornell University researcher Dr. Kate Bronfenbrenner finds:

• More than 70 percent of employers hold one-on-one closed door meetings with employees during a unionization drive. 54 percent of employers threaten workers in such meetings, while 57 percent threaten to close the worksite
• 75 percent of employers bring in outside anti-union consultants
• 47 percent of employers threaten to cut wages and benefits
• 34 percent of employers fire workers during a union campaign

by: TheElectricalWorker @ Mon Apr 26, 2010 at 10:53:27 AM CDT

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what it doesn't tel you is that (0.00 / 0)

over 60% of elections are won by unions. if there is a majority that wants a union, they have a right and they will prevail regardless of what the company representatives tell them. Every single company anywhere you turn will do its best not to have outside interference in its business. this is expected. The will of the people however will not be circumvented regardless of threats and intimidation. This is why unions have won over 60% of elections. Those that don't win is not because of management threats and intimidation, its because they never had a majority support to begin with. yes people sign cards for many reasons but in the end, its the vote that counts and people tend to change their minds for many reasons as well.

Imagine, your sitting in your home and your neighbor decides to plant some trees in part of your back yard. you get into an argument with your neighbor about the boundries of your property. So, you hire an attorney, and bring in surveyor, and contact the city. all in an effort to protect your territory..your property.

there is no differnece between this and a company bringing in experts who know the law and can manage and union organizing campaign. they are the experts at what they do. Company reps just run the business. You would not exprect any less from anyone and you would do this yourself.

At the end of the day, it comes down to the will of the employee and whether or not they really feel they need a union. if they do, they will vote one in. if the vote is no, then there was not enough support. there is nothing wrong with this process and to say that people are being denied the opportunity to join unions is a flat out lie. this is still a democratic process and the majority rules. people have to take that opportunity and use it. if they don't its their loss.

by: RR @ Mon Apr 26, 2010 at 13:45:14 PM CDT

[ Parent ]