Why Do Colorado Cons Insist On Lying About Unions?

C

Cypress

Will work for Scooby snacks
David Sirota:


CLAIM vs. FACT: Why Do Colorado Cons Insist On Lying About Unions?

by David Sirota

It looks like the automatons who make up Colorado's branch of the right-wing dittohead machine is up and humming here this week. Yesterday, we saw a fact-free corporate press release re-written as a column discussing the supposed benefits and fairness of so-called "Right to Work" laws. That column was easily torn to shreds by government data. Now today, we get this tribute to dishonesty from the Colorado Independence Institute - the local branch of the national right-wing machine.

There are extremely few actual "facts" in the Independence Institute's piece - just rhetoric and blind assertions with no data to actually back it up. At the core of the article are three central claims: 1) That non-union workers are better equipped to get higher wages from employers 2) that "right to work" laws benefit workers and 3) That the major reason more workers aren't in unions is because they are choosing not to be in unions - rather than the fact that the fact that union busting has sharply increased.

These three claims are, again, not actually substantiated with any "facts" - they are just flung out there. So without further ado, let's take a look at the facts, shall we?

INDEPENDENCE INSTITUTE CLAIM: "You can better advocate a pay raise for yourself" than through a union.

FACT: U.S. government data shows that in every single occupational area, union workers are paid better than non-union workers.

INDEPENDENCE INSTITUTE CLAIM: "Right to work" laws are "a win-win for both workers and business owners."

FACT: U.S. government data shows that workers in "right to work" states make roughly $5,000 a year less than workers in non-"right to work" states.

INDEPENDENCE INSTITUTE CLAIM:: "More and more workers are opting to fend for themselves."

FACT: There is no concrete data on how many workers are trying - or not trying - to unionize. However, what data we do shows that most Americans WANT to unionize. The most recent Gallup poll shows that 59 percent of Americans approve of unions, 71 percent said unions help workers. According to Hart Research, 53 percent of Americans "now say that they definitely or probably would vote in favor of union representation in their workplace" - continuing the increasing trend on that question. However, the reason these strong opinions have not translated into more union membership is because more and more employers are firing those who try to unionize. A Center for Economic and Policy Research study analyzing U.S. government data shows "a steep rise in the 2000s relative to the last half of the 1990s in illegal firings of pro-union workers." Today, "almost one-in-five union organizers or activists can expect to be fired as a result of their activities in a union election campaign." Many of these union-busting campaigns are very high-profile so as to frighten other workers into backing off their own demands for a union. Coloradoans may recall Wal-Mart's merciless campaign to bust a union drive at its Loveland store.

http://www.workingassetsblog.com/2007/09/claim_vs_fact_why_do_colorado.html
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Why Do Colorado Cons Insist On Lying About Unions?

because corporatists are scared to death of strong unions. Unions control labor, corporations want that power, it's all about slave labor, profits and destroying the middle class. It's some good propaganda tho, gotta give it to them for being so blatant.
 
Umm this questions go back farther than cons lying about unions. They lie because usually their positions are not supported by the truth.
 
Watermark said:
Then how do they bust unions?
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Usually, nowadays, it is done by hiring illegals to take their place. In the past it was done by hiring people who are more likely to be against unions then getting in enough to force a vote.

Another way was during strikes to get them to negotiate worse and worse contracts until the workers felt they were not being served by the Unions.
 
Damocles said:
They can't.
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Firing people is probably the least used tactic to keep workers from organizing. Theoretically, they could fire someone and get away with it. Enforcement of labor laws are lax, and the actual civil penalties are a joke.

But, firing is not in there best interest. They have other, more effective ways, to discourage organizing in the first place.
 
Cypress said:
Firing people is probably the least used tactic to keep workers from organizing. Theoretically, they could fire someone and get away with it. Enforcement of labor laws are lax, and the actual civil penalties are a joke.

But, firing is not in there best interest. They have other, more effective ways, to discourage organizing in the first place.
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An anecdotal thing here. We were very close to suing the company I work for because they basically promoted the Union. The very last move when the Union simply lied in a flier saved them as they actually had a meeting to inform people of the direct lie in the flier.

I am not saying that companies are, on a whole, pro-union, but most of the laws are written not to protect the workers in such an instance, but to protect the Union and the Company. And the Unions often win such lawsuits if the company acts against the law.

Anyway, it was frustrating. The Union was allowed to constantly put out Bush-like misleading statements in fliers, we were not allowed to respond in the same manner, for instance if the company allowed me to pass out fliers they would have had to punish me.

Those who were against the Union were frustrated at many turns. The laws supported their right to pretty much say anything, and gave all others almost no power at all. The two groups, the Union and the Company itself had all the power and protection.
 
Watermark said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_busting

Holy crap. That's probably the most biased article I've ever read in Wikipedia. It's a cesspool.

I checked it - and ONE GUY's made the entire article. He's associated with AFL-CIO and the IWW. IT'S LITERALLY BEEN INFILITRATED BY COMMUNISTS, lol. :D

Oh well.
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NO Watermark, its the reason you are able to live a middle class life. People fought and died for your rights in the workplace. It's not biased, its the truth and reality. Get a job, you'll find out. Collective bargaining is not communism, no matter what Fox or Limbaugh or neo-cons tell you. It's protection for labor from economic slavery, child labor, workplace safety, human rights, environmental concerns and more. It's the reason the middle class grew strong from the end of WWII until Reagan/Bushs/Clinton began their war on the middle class.
 
Crashk said:
NO Watermark, its the reason you are able to live a middle class life. People fought and died for your rights in the workplace. It's not biased, its the truth and reality. Get a job, you'll find out. Collective bargaining is not communism, no matter what Fox or Limbaugh or neo-cons tell you. It's protection for labor from economic slavery, child labor, workplace safety, human rights, environmental concerns and more. It's the reason the middle class grew strong from the end of WWII until Reagan/Bushs/Clinton began their war on the middle class.
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Good post Crash.
 
Crashk said:
NO Watermark, its the reason you are able to live a middle class life. People fought and died for your rights in the workplace. It's not biased, its the truth and reality. Get a job, you'll find out. Collective bargaining is not communism, no matter what Fox or Limbaugh or neo-cons tell you. It's protection for labor from economic slavery, child labor, workplace safety, human rights, environmental concerns and more. It's the reason the middle class grew strong from the end of WWII until Reagan/Bushs/Clinton began their war on the middle class.
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What are you talking about? Are you talking to ME? Do you even understand what's going on? Go take your meds and fall back to sleep, old fart.
 
Damocles said:
An anecdotal thing here. We were very close to suing the company I work for because they basically promoted the Union. The very last move when the Union simply lied in a flier saved them as they actually had a meeting to inform people of the direct lie in the flier.

I am not saying that companies are, on a whole, pro-union, but most of the laws are written not to protect the workers in such an instance, but to protect the Union and the Company. And the Unions often win such lawsuits if the company acts against the law.

Anyway, it was frustrating. The Union was allowed to constantly put out Bush-like misleading statements in fliers, we were not allowed to respond in the same manner, for instance if the company allowed me to pass out fliers they would have had to punish me.

Those who were against the Union were frustrated at many turns. The laws supported their right to pretty much say anything, and gave all others almost no power at all. The two groups, the Union and the Company itself had all the power and protection.
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I really can't address what happened in your personal situtation.

No doubt there are unions that are corrupt, break laws, and aren't always perfect for workers or the economy.

But, let me ask you this very simple question: On balance, do you think uinons are a positive thing for american workers, generally?
 
The person who wrote the union busting article actually sounded like Blackascoal.

Does anyone know if blackascoal is a wobblie?

I remember looking at the guys talk page, and someone came there to ask him to stop using ad hominem arguments against him (which was against wikipedia policy), and he responded "Go find another playground". I laughed because it's exactly like blackascoal.
 
Cypress said:
I really can't address what happened in your personal situtation.

No doubt there are unions that are corrupt, break laws, and aren't always perfect for workers or the economy.

But, let me ask you this very simple question: On balance, do you think uinons are a positive thing for american workers, generally?
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I said long ago that I think Unions are another piece of a free market. And believe that they have their place and time. In this case, my anecdotal story, they have seriously gone flat though, there is no way I want that particular union over me in any way.
 
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