|
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend Bookmark this thread |
This topic is archived. |
Home » Discuss » Topic Forums » Labor |
Omaha Steve (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore | Mon Jun-23-08 06:34 PM Original message |
Please HELP ME make this letter work, unedited to the editor (proof with me 4 mistakes updated) |
Edited on Mon Jun-23-08 07:27 PM by Omaha Steve
My response to these two letters with links. *Union impact declines* In response to Al Mumm’s June 16 letter on corporate greed, there is enough greed to go around for all, and today there is more than just the corporate hand in the candy jar. I believe unions may have been a benefit to the work force a long time ago. But for some time now, unions have lost their way. Unions once could deliver high wages and benefits to workers and make strong demands on employers. But times have changed, and the status quo does not work in a global economy with competition and accountability. Unions must remember that their members are employees, not the employer. Unions can’t blame corporations alone. Both unions and corporations have had candy for years. Unions should just be happy they still have government candy handouts. There soon may be a day when consumers, taxpayers and competition take that candy from the baby. And that’s OK, because too much candy is not good for anyone. * Brian M. Cupps,* / Omaha/ *Unions don’t lobby?* Al Mumm again tilts at windmills in his June 16 letter. This time, he actually made me chortle, accusing “corporate America” of lobbying for its interests. Ha! So unions don’t do this? Before Mr. Mumm points his accusing finger at corporate America, let’s discuss the closed shop that forces workers to pay union dues and political contributions despite the will of its members. Don’t forget the corrupt union leaders, the strong-arm organizing tactics and the resulting collapse of the labor movement. Remember the old adage, “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” Additionally, if illegal immigration is such a job problem, perhaps unions should use their lobbying dollars to support curbs on illegal immigration. But I suspect they don’t know how to contribute to conservative political campaigns. As an alternative, why not convince House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to reverse her stand on illegal- immigration issues? And tax dollars to support the underemployed? While Republicans recently have wantonly spent money like drunken sailors, at least they haven’t increased taxes, as the Democrats have proposed. * Peter Lahti,* / Omaha/ Opinions should be based on fact not fiction Unions and their members fought and died for child labor laws, Social Security, safety, good pay, pensions, benefits,... Get my point? Let me use two publicly traded competitors. UPS is union and making a profit. (1) Fed Ex pays a union wage and benefits to keep the unions out, but it is losing money. (2) Take a bow, my brothers and sisters in the Teamsters. Bad management often blames unions for it's woes. Nebraska has been a right to work state since 1946 (3). No person shall be denied employment because of membership in or affiliation with, or resignation or expulsion from a labor organization. Yes unions lobby on all working family issues. *AFL-CIO's first-quarter lobbying reached $540,000 on issues from executive pay to mortgages. (4)* Yes we are employees. We are responsible for most of sweat that makes the profits a company makes. The chief executive of a Standard & Poor's 500 company made, on average, $14.2 million in total compensation in 2007 (5) What does a single parent or average Joe get at these companies? On corruption. Did you forget already about Ken Lay or perhaps Tom Delay? (6) Former Congressman Delay qualifies as a corrupt leader! Texas District Judge Joe Hart (Austin) ruled last week that a political action committee (PAC) established by US House of Representatives Majority Leader Tom DeLay was guilty of failing to report $600,000 in contributions, primarily from corporations. Since 1905, Texas law has explicitly prohibited corporate or union donations to political campaigns. Unions showed power at the polls on super Tuesday. (7) Union members turned out in big numbers in yesterday’s Super Tuesday 23-state primary election. According to exit polls in California, union households made up 32 percent of the vote in the nation’s most populous state. Union voters made up 33 percent of the vote in Connecticut, 30 percent in Delaware, 38 percent in Illinois, 27 percent in Massachusetts, 27 percent in Missouri, 35 percent in New Jersey and 40 percent in New York. The 2008 budget spends more to watch unions (7% of the population) than it does on all that work safety per capita. (8) The Bush budget also targets unions and union members. Holt Baker called for blocking budget funding for programs that harass, intimidate and persecute unions and union activists who seek to engage in the lawful pursuit of representative duties. Despite its cuts in programs protecting workers, the Bush administration continues to seek funding increases in its FY 2009 budget for programs that audit, investigate and prosecute unions. (9) On immigration, 75% of my ancestors came to the US in search of religious freedom or to make a better living in the land of opportunity. Lady Liberty greeted most of them. Why should the US deny others the same chance? Unless your FULL BLOODED Native Indian by birth, your kind of a hypocrite. (10) “Irish immigrants often crowded into subdivided homes that were intended for single families, living in tiny, cramped spaces. Cellars, attics and make-do spaces in alleys became home. Not only were many immigrants unable to afford better housing, but the mud huts in which many had lived in had lowered their expectations. Irish immigrants often entered the workforce at the bottom of the occupational ladder and took on the menial and dangerous jobs that were often avoided by other workers. West Virginia coal operators fired union laborers and gave the jobs to Irish Immigrant workers because, “ About the underemployed. Why not repeal the tax breaks given to the ultra rich by President Bush? Restoration of a tax on them doesn't effect 94% of us that are much less fortunate. In closing. "Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid." President Eisenhower November 8, 1954 Happy Labor Day. Steven L Dawes 1 http://investor.shareholder.com/ups/news/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=317875 *June 23, 2008 —* UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced it expects earnings per diluted share for the second quarter within a range of $0.83-to-$0.88 compared to the $0.97-to $1.04 per share the company originally anticipated. 2 http://ir.fedex.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=316904 MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 18, 2008 ... FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) today reported a loss of $0.78 per diluted share for the fourth quarter ended May 31, compared to earnings of $1.96 per diluted share a year ago. The quarter's results include the previously announced charge of $891 million ($696 million, net of tax, or $2.22 per diluted share) related predominately to one-time, non-cash asset impairment charges. These charges were associated with the decision to minimize the use of the Kinko's trade name and a reduction in the value of the goodwill resulting from the Kinko's acquisition. Last year's fourth quarter included a $0.06 per diluted share net benefit from a settlement with Airbus related to the A380 aircraft order cancellation. Excluding these items, earnings were $1.45 per diluted share in the fourth quarter compared to $1.90 per diluted share a year ago. "Record high fuel prices and the weak U.S. economy dampened volume growth and substantially affected our bottom line," said Frederick W. Smith, FedEx Corp. chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Despite the challenging conditions, our team members continue their outstanding performance in support of our customers, as service levels and morale remain high. We will continue to reduce expenses to match volume and revenue expectations." 3 http://www.nrtw.org/c/nertwlaw.htm *Sec. 13. Labor organizations; no denial of employment; closed shop not permitted.* No person shall be denied employment because of membership in or affiliation with, or resignation or expulsion from a labor organization or because of refusal to join or affiliate with a labor organization; nor shall any individual or corporation or association of any kind enter into any contract, written or oral, to exclude persons from employment because of membership in or nonmembership in a labor organization. (Adopted at General Election November 5, 1946; effective December 11, 1946.) 4 http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/5274238cef03feb1dcc49e7e035ecc44.htm June 13, 2008: 03:03 PM EST NEW YORK (Associated Press) - The AFL-CIO, the nation's largest federation of labor unions, spent $540,000 in the first quarter to lobby on issues ranging from executive salaries to mortgage reform, according to a disclosure report. Executive compensation is a top issue for the union, which supports legislation that would require publicly traded companies to submit executive pay plans to a nonbinding annual shareholder vote. The union also lobbied on a short-term moratorium on home foreclosures, better protection of employees and retirees in bankruptcy, immigration and visas, global warming, patent reform and oversight of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The AFL-CIO lobbied on several defense-related matters, including a $35 billion tanker-refueling contract awarded to European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. and U.S.-based partner Northrop Grumman Corp. Boeing Co. is protesting the award with support from unions because of the potential loss of American jobs. The Government Accountability Office is scheduled to rule on Boeing's protest by June 19. The AFL-CIO is composed of 56 national and international unions, including the Air Line Pilots Association, Communications Workers of America and United Mine Workers of America. Besides Congress, the union lobbied the SEC, the departments of State, Treasury and Defense, and other agencies in the first three months of the year, according to the report filed April 21 with the House clerk's office. Top of page <http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/5274238cef03feb1dcc49e7e035ecc44.htm#TOP> 5 http://www.aflcio.org/corporatewatch/paywatch/ The chief executive of a Standard & Poor's 500 company made, on average, $14.2 million in total compensation in 2007, according to preliminary data from The Corporate Library. Problems with executive compensation came to a head in 2007 with large severance packages given to CEOs of companies at the center of the mortgage crisis. The International Monetary Fund estimates that the financial turmoil set off by the collapse of the mortgage market could total nearly $1 trillion. Yet, chief executive officers of the firms most responsible for causing the crisis collected hundreds of millions of dollars in pay last year. This highlights the need for further reform to protect companies and their investors. 6 http://uspolitics.about.com/b/2005/06/01/judge-rules-in-delay-pac-case.htm 7 http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/02/06/super-t-super-union-turnout/ 8 http://www.walletpop.com/2008/06/06/government-spends-more-to-watch-unions-than-employers-do/ President Bush wants $58 million for the Office of Labor Management Standards. It protects union workers from financial funny business by unions, unfair union elections and unions that violate certain worker rights, like free speech. That works out to $2,500 per union. Unions definitely need regulation and oversight to keep them honest, just like any other organization. But $2,500 worth? It's hard to imagine any government -- federal, state or local -- blowing that much money per institution they regulate. By contrast, EPI points out, Bush wants only $158 million for the Wage and Hour Division, which enforces child labor laws, overtime rules and the Family and Medical Leave Act, among other labor standards. They're looking out for 150 million workers versus the 13 million under the protection of the OLMS. But the government only wants to spend $26 per employer. Over the whole Bush presidency, Bush has increased funding on the union oversight office by 9%, but cut funding on employer oversight by 21%. If you're a worker, which one are you more worried about? Also http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/12/21/bush-forces-cuts-in-workplace-safety-and-health-budgets/ Peg Seminario, the AFL-CIO’s safety and health director, notes that in the recently passed omnibus budget bill, Congress cut the budget of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Overall funding for fiscal 2008 is $486 million, about $1 million less than last year. Even though the budget was cut, funding for federal enforcement was increased. 9 http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/03/13/economy-tanking-bush-says-cut-job-funds-worker-programs/ 10 http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/international_labor_right/2008/03/no-irish-need-a.html#more |
Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top |
TeamsterDem (819 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore | Fri Jun-27-08 10:55 AM Response to Original message |
1. Hope this helps |
The first guy says that unions "once could deliver high wages and benefits to workers." Evidently that "once" is now -> http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm which describes that union members made on average $863 while non-union workers made $663, or an approximate union premium of 23%. And since he's the one who pointed out that "unions must remember that their members are the employees," then it would appear the members are reaping an approximate benefit of 23% relating to their wages. In addition, if unions should simply be "happy" with their government contracts that would appear to be at variance with his own statement that union members are employees - employees who work in both the public and private sector. Therefore, seeking to represent workers in the private sector is by his own definition of who unions represent a necessary element.
The second guy says that the "closed shop that forces workers to pay union dues and political contributions despite the will of its members." The problem is that all union shops - closed or open - are inherent byproducts of the "will" of those workers considering that to be unionized a firm must've had an NLRB election in which the majority of the workers expressed their desire to be in the union; that is inherently the will; their will to be in the union (and thus pay dues) has already been expressed. The political contributions argument is BS, point him to Beck v. CWA as evidence of that. |
Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top |
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) | Tue Apr 30th 2024, 04:37 PM Response to Original message |
Advertisements [?] |
Top |
Home » Discuss » Topic Forums » Labor |
Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators
Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.
Home | Discussion Forums | Journals | Store | Donate
About DU | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.
© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC