Teamsters

[Arvestaked]

I just want to express how much I hate workers' unions and the whiney bastards that go along with them. Unions are out dated and are completely anti-freemarket. And the damn Teamsters do not deserve to complain. There are many, many jobs out there that require similar experience, with similar hours, and/or similar job descriptions that do not have benefits at all. Those grocery store jobs are not special. Teamsters are not special; they are lucky!

[surferarmo]

I am a fan of what unions strive for; the equality of workers, I just do not like how unions conduct themselves.

The whole concept is corrupt. Most unions force workers to join, and force them to pay dues, if you choose not to join the union, then you are not able to get the job. As if the government doesnt take enough money via taxes, the unions take more. The unions also take the dues money, and funnel to leftist political candidates. I thought that money was for the benefit of the worker, not supporting some campaign! That is not in the interest of the worker.

[Anonymouse]

I think we all agree that unions are an anti-free market socialistic entity. In fact much of 'labor history' is couched in one sided biased rhetoric of how employers used violence, never touching on the fact that labor unions have used most of the violence.

From an employers point of view, violence is bad, and they want peace and the unhampered shipment of goods. Violence is counter productive to any company or employer and is only in the long damaging profits, so it would make no sense. But you have the endless labor references to things such as the Homestead strike.

The entire theory of labor union is silly since it implies somehow that the worker owns his job, which goes back to the basic premise of Marx's ideas. It is the property right of any employer to employ or fire anyone he pleases and if workers are striking it is entirely his right to fire them. That is simply one of the basics of property rights.

[Arvestaked]

I agree entirely.

In addition, the idea of employment benefits is to promote competion amongst companies for employees. They are a result of competition and promote more competition. If they can't afford it, they do not do it. They will be forced to increase their profits with increased product quality or marketing or they will suffer accordingly and possibly go out of business. That is how it works. Economic natural selection.

[Anonymouse]

I am waiting for Shahumyna, the resident Marxist from Manchester to join this thread, since he ran away from my Marxism thread.

Oh boy oh boy.

[patlajan]

You two obviously don't work for a living. Wherever theres is a force there has to be a balancing force. Meaning that labor has to have some kind or rercourse against bad management. The idea of "economical natural selection" has not been in effect since the days of Theodore Roosevelt. If that were true there would be no need for minimum wage, or any labor laws at all. And there would also be no need for monopoly laws. While it's true that some unions leaders have stolen money from their unions in the past doesn't mean that the whole idea needs to be discarded.

[Anonymouse]

Didn't you know I was just hired at a pharmaceutical company to sweep floors?

[patlajan]

Originally posted by Anonymouse Didn't you know I was just hired at a pharmaceutical company to sweep floors?

Your mind is not a company. Or are you serious this time?

[Anonymouse]

Damn, I guess the mind doesn't pass in all places.

[Arvestaked]

You two obviously don't work for a living. Wherever theres is a force there has to be a balancing force. Meaning that labor has to have some kind or rercourse against bad management. The idea of "economical natural selection" has not been in effect since the days of Theodore Roosevelt. If that were true there would be no need for minimum wage, or any labor laws at all. And there would also be no need for monopoly laws. While it's true that some unions leaders have stolen money from their unions in the past doesn't mean that the whole idea needs to be discarded.

We do still have economic natural selection just not as prominently. If we did not, new businesses would form very infrequently and existing businesses would die very infrequently. It is a gradient. Some laws are fine and some are excessive. A cap can be good and it can be bad. It is a matter of point of view.

In any case, labor unions are not laws. They are just aloud to exist when they should not.

Antitrust laws are designed to promote competition; they fail at times but the premise is there.

One can not look at bad management on a case to case basis. Over time a poorly managed company will go under or will suffer and change their policies

I work 40 hours a week. And have been in the work force for 7 years.