Congress gives a nice Christmas present to the Unions

This is a nice christmas present from congress and the ufcw. I took this right out of the article..


The United Food and Commercial Workers Union is a heavyweight on the labor scene. It pays its president $350,000 a year. It’s holding its next executive board meeting in February at a swanky beachfront resort in Hollywood, Florida. And it just doled out nearly $8 million to influence the last election and lobby Washington.

But when it comes to standing by the obligation unions made to provide pensions to retirees, UFCW pleaded poverty in persuading Congress to let chronically underfunded union pension plans cut the benefits of workers, including those already retired.



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a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71

This is why the Unions pushed for Obamacare. It would let them off the hook for mismanaging their pension funds by eliminating the medical insurance policies of their members, thus forcing them into the exchanges.

a reply to: JIMC5499


Good idea, they knew from the start that these pensions would never get funded properly.

It kills me to see how corrupt unions have become considering their genuinely altruistic beginnings. The big bosses get the big $, the members get the shaft - or in this case they passed it off to the taxpayer with the help of those they helped in to office. How cozy!

Lest all unions be viewed unfairly they are not all one and the same.
There are a few who still live up to their original purpose of representing workers rights, interests and safety.
They were critical in stopping child labor, unsafe practices, company towns, monopolies and establishing the 40 hour work week and a living wage. Before anyone wants to cuss them out do take the time to learn their history and be thankful for the good they have done.

Union reps are supposed to fight for their members, not the corporations or politicians. Thats how you know its not a true Union anymore.

Just like the Media, the government, the banks, the military, industry…

a reply to: intrptr


I have always called unions a "necessary evil"
They have done many great things in the past,but also many terrible things. See chicago union dealings.
It comes back to the old saying that absolute power corrupts.

a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71

I have always called unions a "necessary evil"
They have done many great things in the past,but also many terrible things. See chicago union dealings.
It comes back to the old saying that absolute power corrupts.

Unions are infiltrated throughout history, too.

The fight against poor working conditions, long hours and low wages is ongoing.

Kind of like now. The lack of Union cohesion and leadership today is why people are working at the biggest US corporations but can't afford rent.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71

I have always called unions a "necessary evil"
They have done many great things in the past,but also many terrible things. See chicago union dealings.
It comes back to the old saying that absolute power corrupts.

Unions are infiltrated throughout history, too.

The fight against poor working conditions, long hours and low wages is ongoing.

Kind of like now. The lack of Union cohesion and leadership today is why people are working at the biggest US corporations but can't afford rent.

I think most major corporations actually pay pretty well. Mostly because they require skilled labor. IBM, Apple, Exxon all pay their employees very well. The ones that don't are the ones that have easier jobs like stocking shelves and running a cash register. The harder a position is to fill the more the position pays.
Unions are active in some of those corps to like railroads and the us auto makers.

a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71

Do computer juggernauts have Unions?

Apple? Really? Lets ask the Chinese.

a reply to: intrptr


You said.
"Kind of like now. The lack of Union cohesion and leadership today is why people are working at the biggest US corporations but can't afford rent."
I only listed corps that pay their people well, and yes some don't have a union. I also listed several that do have unions. Railroads and automakers.
And what does a union have to do with china? American automakers have unions and still get parts from china. Those Chinese workers are not covered by the uaw. This whole thread is about American workers and unions.

The unions were all for backing the minimum wage increase in SeaTac, at least in voice. When it comes to action, they fail big time. They're hypocrites:

Tucked into the SeaTac $15 minimum wage ordinance is a big exemption to the landmark proposal.

In the Waivers section of the proposed ordinance, available on the City of SeaTac website, Proposition 1 gives employers a break from the minimum wage, the paid sick days and other employee protections – as long as the business is unionized.

All of the provisions of this Chapter, or any part hereof, including the employee work environment reporting requirement set forth herein, may be waived in a bona fide collective bargaining agreement, but only if the waiver is explicitly set forth in such agreement in clear and unambiguous terms.

That means employers have a big incentive to cozy up with the same labor unions who pushed the idea and have contributed hundreds of thousands to the campaign. It all looks like a nice bit of self-dealing for organized labor. And it’s often overlooked. It’s missing from the Yes! for SeaTac’s “Get the Facts” and in some coverage, although it’s consistently noted in Amy Martinez’s stories for the Seattle Times.

blogs.seattletimes.com...

originally posted by: Hoosierdaddy71
a reply to: intrptr
.
And what does a union have to do with china?

Perhaps once the Unions are all gone, and the fat cats in big business and corporations bribe politicians to get their ways, America will quite closely resemble chinese sweat shops. Thats what some want, and therefore why they wish to eliminate Unions so much. Then they can operate here in America, just like how they operate in China. No matter how corrupt Unions get, they will NEVER be more corrupt than those getting their dream of making the American worker into a China sweatshop worker.