Unions are Killing America
WARNING: This article will either leave you cheering or really ticked off. Consider yourself warned.
Here is one statement you won't hear from any of the Republicans running for governor of the once-great state of Michigan: "Michigan needs to be a Right to Work State and, if elected, I will do everything I can to make that a reality."
Why won't you hear that declarative sentence from any of the GOP gubernatorial candidates? Because the assumption is Michigan is a big union state and the voters love the unions and to make such a statement would be political suicide.
Well, since I'm not running for governor, I'll just speak plainly. I hate unions. They were a contributing factor in what killed the domestic automotive industry and have left the state of Michigan in tatters. They are the primary reason so many manufacturing jobs have been outsourced to other countries. Remember when the US once had a thriving textile industry? No more. Where have all the manufacturing jobs gone? Overseas. Why? Unions.
Yes, I'm well-acquainted with the old arguments that unions were needed to prevent The Man from taking advantage of the Little Guy. Left to their own devices, The Man would pay the Little Guy next to nothing, make him work in sweat shops, and force him to spend his measly paycheck at the Company Store. Yada, yada, yada. But this isn't the late 1900's or early 20th century and if all unions disappeared tomorrow, we would never return to the days of virtual slave labor.
I've simply never understood the mindset of anyone who wanted to be a member of a labor union - unless they knew they wanted to be a slacker.
It's really simple. Let's say you're NOT a slacker. You show up to work on-time every day. You work your tail off 8+ hours every day. You're one of the most productive employees on the line. Yet Joe, the guy working next to you who's employed to do the same work, only shows up when he wants and when he does, he's hung-over, does a lousy job, and the only thing he's productive at is being unproductive. But he makes the same wage as you and for all intents and purposes cannot be fired. What is your motivation to continue being a valuable employee? Especially when your co-workers are more like Joe than like you and they're openly hostile towards your work ethic? Over time, you'll just become another Joe - an unproductive, unhappy, disgruntled union worker who blames all his woes on The Man.
I believe in individualism. You should get paid what you're worth to the employer. If you're excellent at what you do, your employer needs you as much as you need them and in order to keep you on the payroll, your employer will compensate you accordingly. This isn't theory. It's reality for millions of Americans.
GM should have been allowed to file under normal bankruptcy, reorganize, dump the UAW, relocate in a Right to Work State and start over. They would've gone on to become the most successful car company in the world producing vehicles the world wants to buy. Instead, GM is now Government Motors. Barack Obama is the CEO and his union thugs are running the show. The only cars they will sell are those the government will buy. They will eventually die but only after billions (if not trillions) of your tax dollars are squandered making the UAW bosses unbelievably rich.
If the state of Michigan (or the United States for that matter) is to not only survive but flourish once again, unions need to go away replaced by rugged individualism. We know the recipe of success: a daily commitment to excellence and dedication to hard work. It never fails.
DCuz
Here is one statement you won't hear from any of the Republicans running for governor of the once-great state of Michigan: "Michigan needs to be a Right to Work State and, if elected, I will do everything I can to make that a reality."
Why won't you hear that declarative sentence from any of the GOP gubernatorial candidates? Because the assumption is Michigan is a big union state and the voters love the unions and to make such a statement would be political suicide.
Well, since I'm not running for governor, I'll just speak plainly. I hate unions. They were a contributing factor in what killed the domestic automotive industry and have left the state of Michigan in tatters. They are the primary reason so many manufacturing jobs have been outsourced to other countries. Remember when the US once had a thriving textile industry? No more. Where have all the manufacturing jobs gone? Overseas. Why? Unions.
Yes, I'm well-acquainted with the old arguments that unions were needed to prevent The Man from taking advantage of the Little Guy. Left to their own devices, The Man would pay the Little Guy next to nothing, make him work in sweat shops, and force him to spend his measly paycheck at the Company Store. Yada, yada, yada. But this isn't the late 1900's or early 20th century and if all unions disappeared tomorrow, we would never return to the days of virtual slave labor.
I've simply never understood the mindset of anyone who wanted to be a member of a labor union - unless they knew they wanted to be a slacker.
It's really simple. Let's say you're NOT a slacker. You show up to work on-time every day. You work your tail off 8+ hours every day. You're one of the most productive employees on the line. Yet Joe, the guy working next to you who's employed to do the same work, only shows up when he wants and when he does, he's hung-over, does a lousy job, and the only thing he's productive at is being unproductive. But he makes the same wage as you and for all intents and purposes cannot be fired. What is your motivation to continue being a valuable employee? Especially when your co-workers are more like Joe than like you and they're openly hostile towards your work ethic? Over time, you'll just become another Joe - an unproductive, unhappy, disgruntled union worker who blames all his woes on The Man.
I believe in individualism. You should get paid what you're worth to the employer. If you're excellent at what you do, your employer needs you as much as you need them and in order to keep you on the payroll, your employer will compensate you accordingly. This isn't theory. It's reality for millions of Americans.
GM should have been allowed to file under normal bankruptcy, reorganize, dump the UAW, relocate in a Right to Work State and start over. They would've gone on to become the most successful car company in the world producing vehicles the world wants to buy. Instead, GM is now Government Motors. Barack Obama is the CEO and his union thugs are running the show. The only cars they will sell are those the government will buy. They will eventually die but only after billions (if not trillions) of your tax dollars are squandered making the UAW bosses unbelievably rich.
If the state of Michigan (or the United States for that matter) is to not only survive but flourish once again, unions need to go away replaced by rugged individualism. We know the recipe of success: a daily commitment to excellence and dedication to hard work. It never fails.
DCuz
Right on. I was in Flint recently and kept thinking, "Those looting bastards - it was great and they destroyed it."
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YES, YES, YES!! I've been saying this for years!! And my dad was saying it for years before I picked up the mantra! He's rolling in his grave as I write this over the mess that's been created since Obama took office LESS THAN 5 MONTHS AGO!! Can this country stand another 3 years, 7 months of this???
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