labor Day

[Cat]

We must remember why this called labor day.The early unions,like the IWW met force with songs and passive resistence,i.e. Lawrence Textile mills,the first strike that worked.Later the unions became more of a problem,but the early unions prevented the theories of Marx-Engel from being able to succeed.We don't to like the unions,but need to remember what they did,for all of us.Also don't forget Henry Ford,an early activist who used the unions to get what wanted.  Please do no shower me with rotten fruit and dung,fellow monkeys,I am a purple monkey.cat

[LouiseVargas]

Dear Cat,

Thank you for your informative post. No one will be slinging rotten fruit or dung at you. You are one of us and we respect you.

Unions were very important and could move mountains. I guess it was "strength in numbers." United we stand and divided we fall.

I'm not currently up to date on unions but I know they still exist. Do you know which unions are still around? Cross country truckers? My step father was a meat cutter for a grocery store and he was in a union, he was even some type of officer. I think a meat cutter's union still exists.

In the 60s, migrant workers from Mexico traveled up and down California for the harvest season, and then would go back to Mexico. Caesar Chavez was outraged at the low wages and poor treatment those migrant workers got. I wrote about this in the Illegal Immigrant thread. He called for a boycott of grapes, lettuce and other crops until a union could be formed so the migrant workers would get a decent wage and respectful treatment. It took a long time. I remember my three year old pointing to grapes in the grocery store and I told her we cannot buy them because of the boycott. Unbelievable, but she understood it and still remembers it. It's one of those family stories we tell.

Anyway, after grapes rotted on the vine and lettuce wilted in the fields, a union was formed called The United Farm Workers. And then, thankfully, I was able to buy grapes for my daughter. Any time I see grapes, I still think of Caesar Chavez.  

Hugs to you.
Mama Louise

And thanks again for posting.

[Carnut]

Well, afraid I'm not one to favor unions.

I think unionization is just a symptom of bad management.

I think unions are just an alternate adversarial management for a concern.

Unions may have been needed in the days of unenlightened management, but those days and conditions are long gone.

Now a days good management should be able to do business without unions.

Any company that gets a union, gets the union they deserve because of poor management.

Any company that has management that touts 'Shareholder Interest' not only has poor management but is on it's way down the tubes.

[Cat]

Thank you Loiuse,I read and liked your statements.The rotten fruit and dung balls a metaphor.I read all your posts with interest.Dear Carnutt,I think you have a point,but read the news about corporate fraud and explain if these are good leades.The unions today have shown a tendency to grab to much today,but 150 years ago,they were needed.In the city where I live,in 1900,50 men and women were killed by the bosses for complaining about conditions and hours.It a balencing act.cat