Protecting Unions Is a Life-and-Death Issue

[Highplains Drifter]

1) Because the relationship between labor and capital and labor and management is in contradiction:They do not have the same class interests.....

2) Unions encourage women's leadership.

3) Unions have become a great friend of Latino immigrant labor.

4) Unions are a critical component of the black community.

5) Unions support the most progressive causes in the US: Look at every ballot initiative statewide and nationally. Public-sector unions in general have supported gay rights, women's reproductive rights, civil rights and the rights of immigrants to live in peace, moving toward amnesty and citizenship. In many states, they have challenged the mass incarceration of black and brown youth.

6) Unions are one of the few organized forces that can challenge corporations in the political arena.

7) Unions are one of the few institutional bulwarks against a corporate dictatorship over all of us.

8) Union meetings are rough and tumble, but a real exciting place to go.............


9) Unions are a force for world peace and do not want working people fighting each other when peaceful means of resolving disputes exist.

10) Unions are social institutions in the age of alienation: Today, people are so damned lonely. Large workplaces are shutting down. People are living on their parent's couch. Families are taking care of ailing relatives (with very little or no help from the government). People try to construct a life with 20 apps on their iPhone, but all it does is send them from one lonely place to another. I know friends who have 1,000 "friends" on Facebook, but not one answered a call to come out to a demonstration. Unions provide companionship and camaraderie in the midst of alienation and anomie. It's damn lonely out there and unions offer softball teams, social events and a fight for better conditions and dignity at work, and they provide a sense of community..

[55lineman]

You are correct... our unions need to survive. Ive said it before on here that we need to get our families more involved so they see where our livelihood comes from. Also we need to be more involved in public interests and commit ourselves to them and hopefully they will return the favor. Local low profile charities would be a great union investment and help us to succeed in the publics eye.

[55lineman]

Ive been on a few times, just started working back in my local myself. We have quite a bit of work right now. Our local has the same problems as most... a lack of interest by the majority of members and no interest by most in bettering our position in the community. As long as their paychecks cash most dont even come in. very frustrating

[55lineman]

he is no longer our ba but if i see him i will tell him you said hi

[Highplains Drifter]

THANKS There are a bunch of locals involved, yourd was one of the first.

American Legion Legacy Scholarship

http://www.legion.org/scholarships/legacy

I think if you travel through again...you'll be treated the same!

[electriklady]

Steve.....just another example of true "brotherhood".......what we "union members" are all about.