Dear 44: Let unions work for U.S. - David Madland - Center for American Progress Action Fund - Politico.com
The unions are the leaders in industry and all workers should consider joining a union. Yes, it is always an uphill battle and the corporate a/holes are just trying to perserve the massive profits of their position and company.
Damn Monday already? Where did the joy and pleasure of the weekend go? Let us not speak of that again, but instead, move on to the quiz of the week.
In 1912, the Congress was afraid that the workers in the Federal government would try to join a union for better hours, pay, benefits and such and they were afraid that if the employed the strike then the government would have to shut down. The Congress enacted this legislation to prevent this from happening.
This should keep the class busy for awhile and I can get some sleep. You may begin!
Young people need new lessons about labor unions -- themorningcall.com
Thgere needs to be more emphasis on the education of the young on the need for labor unions. They learn about the necessity of a pledge of allegiance, but know little about the contributions of unions to American life.
DLC: The Trouble With Class-Interest Populism by Stephen Rose
This paper is pure bovine fecal matter. It supposes that the working class is all about high end jobs and corporate related interests by the workers. This is just another lame attempt to high jack the progressive label. This paper should be published by some conservative think tank and not one called the Progressive policy Institute....there is NOTHING progressive about this. It just illustrates how far right the DLC and its mouthpiece the PPI have moved.
Before I start my diatribe I would like to point out hat all my ranting about the damage being done to the Democrat Party has been vindicated. Last night on Keith Oldermann's show on MSNBC, Keith made the same points that I have been making for about a month. He also sees the Dem Party is all but pulling the plug on a win in November. Please check out my previous post his comments are there. God! I love my job!
Onto the new majority. In the beginning there was a "silent majority' and then there was the "moral majority" and now there is the "invisible majority". What the hell is that, Professor? The middle class. They are all but completely invisible to the candidates. Yeah, yeah, they are mentioned from time to time when it is politically prudent, but what do any of the candidates offer as a solution to the problems of the working class?
Do not hurt yourself, the answer is NOTHING! Most of their plans are to help business and not the workers. Another form of trickle down bullsh*t. That somehow if business is making money, everybody will. It is bullsh*t! How has that worked in the past? It has not worked in the past.
The workers are virtually invisible to everyone in the political arena. The media concentrates on the markets, while Average Joe is struggling to make a living. The problem is that no one is watching the backs of the workers. sure there is some form of pandering and the worker believes the crap and nothing changes.
I regret that the "invisible majority" will remain so, until the worker finally realizes they are being screwed daily by their representatives and maybe then they will demand to be heard. If not then they will continue to struggle and continue to be invisible to those in power.
According to Goldman/Sachs it is and will last awhile. But this prediction comes from a company that gives a bonus of $68 million to its CEO. Just had to throw that in....for effect. The Fed will most likely cut rates again, maybe by a half a point. That should entice investors to go hog wild on the markets. Since the markets are falling like a skydiver without a chute, something will have to be done to protect the investors.
All this is just ducky, if you are investing heavily in the markets. But what about Joe Sixpack who lives on Wisteria Lane? What is being done to help them face the economic crunch? He/she is facing rising food costs, rising gas prices, jobs loss, a credit crunch, and a housing dilemma; so what is the FED doing to help the real person struggling to provide for their family?
Consumers, average working Joes and Joans, make up 66% of the economy, but yet they are totally ignored until it is advantageous to report on them.
A coming recession? If you are a worker--you are already in a massive, deep recession. Can this be changed? Hell yes, but you will have to vote for change...unfortunately, I see little change coming for the average American, no matter who or which party is elected. Buck up!
I have heard it said that the newest thing between GM and the UAW would be to break the back of the union and I agreed with that analysis, at first, but now I do not. Why? Because the Union is already broken. The GM lost nothing and gain everything. The stock went up by 9% on Wednesday after the announcement that the strike was over. That one fact shows that GM won that round for investors see it as a good thing and will make them money.
The Union is now saddled with the retirement fund and health care and less wages and etc.....where did they win? This will only help the final demise of the Unions in the US, for they are being shown to have less and less strength when it come to contract negotiations.
Now UAW moves on to Chrysler and Ford and the workers there had better put their heads between their knees and kiss their asses good-bye. They will be just as screwed as their GM comrades.
Enough said? I think so!
