on the merits of sticking SOLIDARITY stickers all over my face

[futurebird.livejournal.com]

Will the protests further stoke the resentment many harbor for public worker's unions? Or will the backlash in reaction to Republican attempts to throttle organized labor be the bigger impact of these events? What about people like me, people who have criticisms of some aspects of public unions but generally support the idea that public workers should have decent wages and pensions? (Really all people should have the opportunity to work for those things.) Are these events making "nuanced" positions invisible?

I mean... I'm ticked off enough to start sticking SOLIDARITY stickers all over my face. (Will that help?) yet, I don't feel this accurately represents my views on the essential, yet easily corruptible role of unions in this country. *sigh*

Comments

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

Personally speaking, I see little difference between the compulsion of working within an existing structure at a union or non-union shop. Both have organizations and authorities in place, you're the newcomer, this is the way it is.

[green-man-2010.livejournal.com]

We had all this in the UK back in the 1970s.
the big difference is that in a 'closed shop' , you need a Union card to work.
The Union can expell you if you disagree with union policy, and you therefore lose the card and lose the job.

this was one reform that Thatcher brought in, allong with the provision of the secret ballot instead of the ' show of hands' for strike action.

The problem goes way beyond places like Wisconsin , or even remote places like the USA. here in the UK, and across Europe, public services are being savaged by Government cuts.

And from what I see, some people just don't gt it. I mean , they just want their trains to arrive on time and take them home. they don't see that staff cuts are going to be important, they just want trains , ok.

Now, last night on our station , we had a young woman sitting on a platform literally unable to stand up and board a train. We are having to send off the last trains and close the platforms *and* take care of this young woman as well. We had to pull ticket office staff and a supervisor in to get it sorted, and we just about managed.

You can only do so much on mimimal numbers. good job it wasn't a security alert. And this is the problem with Camerons Big Society . You need trained personell to do what we do, and laying off Tom from a public service job and putting him on the dole while you let Dick pocket the difference because Harry is volunteering to pick up litter in the park for nothing is not going to fix things.

[nevermind6794.livejournal.com]

Well, you have to pay dues to a union.

"It don't come easy"

[russj.livejournal.com]

"Got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues,
And you know it don't come easy."

--Ringo Starr

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

I don't like the idea of a closed shop (although it's preferable to banning collective action IMO; but they're already illegal in Australia). However, it gets a bit frustrating being the one who pays their dues, goes to meetings, organises actions, negotiates with management etc. etc. etc. and then having everyone get what we've fought for (I wouldn't have it any other way, however), especially when the reason many people aren't union members is through laziness.