Why We Need Labor Unions After All

In Houston they would hand-sand a car to the bare metal for $25 and a really big bottle of rum...

That was in the early 80s though.

;) ;)

Hand sanding cars to prep for painting? Man, that brings back a few memories. :)

Back in the 90s an ole school buddy of mine decided to resurrect his Dad and Grandpa's old restoration business. We worked for and with each other intermittently for about a year trying to rake in the dough. My animal (horse and dog breeding) and his auto-restoration. He loved stripping the cars down to bare metal, removing lights, bumpers, interior, etc. Then baking the paint. He wet sanded the entire body by hand. The guy had a fucking old-school gift for body work like no one I ever seen. He even knew how to re-chrome older cars.

We restored his family's singular huge auto-bay that had been unused since the 70s and was specifically built to bake-paint cars. Our first car together was a '71 Chevy Caprice. We spent 3 days stripping, wet sanding by hand, then prepping it even more while it was on blocks. My hands were like prunes, my muscles ached, and I was already accustomed to hard labor. When were done with the paint, then clear coat, that car was the most beautiful thing I ever seen. Then we had to put everything back on it, which took another 2 days.

We did make a nice chuck of change, but after figuring the hours spent on it, I decided it was too much labor and time to continue doing it. We did another car and and old truck together, but by then I decided I didn't want any part of that shit. It's something one really has to have a passion for and not many people these days can afford to have it done that way.
 
The California Federation of Teachers, an AFL-CIO affiliate that rakes in an estimated $22 million in coerced dues, enjoys nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(5) status. So does CFT's larger counterpart, the California Teachers Association, which collects a whopping $300 million in annual dues. While they burn through mountains of dues lobbying for everyone else to pay higher taxes, these Democratic partisan heavies pay nothing in either federal or state income taxes. Zero, zip, nada. In theory, the unions are entitled to this special status because their "primary" purpose is to "secure better working conditions, wages and similar benefits" for their members.

In practice, of course, the unions are Democratic Party front groups that shovel hundreds of millions of dollars to liberal causes and candidates -- against the will of their rank-and-file members and often without their knowledge.

Mark Levin's ever-vigilant Landmark Legal Foundation has pressured the Internal Revenue Service for more than a decade to force national teachers unions to file proper federal reporting and IRS statements regarding their hidden political expenditures. (The overwhelmingly Democratic donations are not tax-exempt.) As a result of Landmark's investigative work, the Wisconsin Education Association admitted in 2006 that it had failed to pay more than $171,000 in federal taxes on Democratic political expenditures.

Given the immense difficulty that dissenting teachers across the country have had in challenging the abuse of their dues for political purposes, it's clear this is the tip of Big Labor's tax-evasion iceberg.

In addition, the national parent organizations of the CFT and CTA also benefit from widespread property tax exemptions on their ownership of lavish real estate used for union brass vacations and retreats. Fox Business Network reporter Elizabeth MacDonald's investigation of IRS records earlier this year shed light on several tax-sheltered, union-owned luxury hotels, golf courses and country clubs -- including the "swanky" AFL-CIO-owned Westin Diplomat resort in Florida and the UAW's $33 million lakeside resort and golf club in Onaway, Mich.

"What the documents don't show," FBN noted, "is whether union members like teachers, firemen and cops get invited to these junkets -- or even approve of or know about the use of their dues to outright buy and run resorts, or spend on junkets, among other things."

Then there's the Obamacare Cadillac tax exemption for unions. Delivered behind closed doors and out of sight of C-SPAN cameras, the Obama White House cut a lucrative sweetheart deal with AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union and other labor groups to shield them from the federal health care mandate's steep 40 percent excise tax on high-cost health care plans. The 90 percent of Americans who don't belong to unions and participate in these plans must pay their "fair share" beginning in 2013.

But Big Labor's cozy Cadillac tax escape clause is effective until 2018. Even after that deadline, union dental and vision plans will remain exempt. The cost? $60 billion in foregone tax revenue.
Michelle Malkin, Townhall.com
 
Hand sanding cars to prep for painting? Man, that brings back a few memories. :)

Back in the 90s an ole school buddy of mine decided to resurrect his Dad and Grandpa's old restoration business. We worked for and with each other intermittently for about a year trying to rake in the dough. My animal (horse and dog breeding) and his auto-restoration. He loved stripping the cars down to bare metal, removing lights, bumpers, interior, etc. Then baking the paint. He wet sanded the entire body by hand. The guy had a fucking old-school gift for body work like no one I ever seen. He even knew how to re-chrome older cars.

We restored his family's singular huge auto-bay that had been unused since the 70s and was specifically built to bake-paint cars. Our first car together was a '71 Chevy Caprice. We spent 3 days stripping, wet sanding by hand, then prepping it even more while it was on blocks. My hands were like prunes, my muscles ached, and I was already accustomed to hard labor. When were done with the paint, then clear coat, that car was the most beautiful thing I ever seen. Then we had to put everything back on it, which took another 2 days.

We did make a nice chuck of change, but after figuring the hours spent on it, I decided it was too much labor and time to continue doing it. We did another car and and old truck together, but by then I decided I didn't want any part of that shit. It's something one really has to have a passion for and not many people these days can afford to have it done that way.

I hear you. I was taught by a neighbor to refinish furniture. But now it is made to be disposable, so why waste the labor?

At least I got to work on some museum pieces; it was good life experience.
 
I hear you. I was taught by a neighbor to refinish furniture. But now it is made to be disposable, so why waste the labor?

At least I got to work on some museum pieces; it was good life experience.

Ironically, what drove my friend to re-open the family business was a labor union. He and his dad lost their factory jobs when it shut down because of a labor dispute. Their union leader was obviously not a good negotiator. And the factory was an independent spin-off from a larger company.

I loved the experience and learned alot about what I assume has become a lost art. His dad couldn't perform most of the physical labor, but we were basically the hands that carried out his experience. He has 2 sons and they still do it, as well as an occasional tractor and 18 wheeler. Sometimes they have a small backlog, sometimes there is no business. Fortunately, most of their clientele are financially well off, some from out of state, and they survive by reputation. If you don't have 1/2 the money up front, with the 2nd 1/2 in reserve, then they don't even consider it.
 
Necessity is the mother of invention.

I miss the days of working with my hands, but I have put on too many hard miles to take it up again.

I'm thinking of doing our kitchen table and chairs, but it I do, it will not be by hand, but by electric sander.

:D :eek:

I was a union steward. What I learned is that my bosses and my Union leadership were tighter with each other than they were with me.

:mad:
 
I lost the family livestock business because of a conditional divorce long after my folks passed on. Some of that land was leased to a logging company to pay off taxes. The only reason I left was so my kids wouldn't have to leave home until they were old enough to leave the nest. I thought it more important for them to be with their mother, which was a stupid mistake on my behalf. I slowly sold off livestock and land, while I went to college. There was enough money in liquidations to pay for my kid's relocation(s) and continuing as they each left their homes to live their own lives. They're doing fine, so it wasn't a total loss. Now I'm working part-time and doing odd jobs for chump change.

For at least 3 years I was making decent money running and building a large experimental self-sustaining ranch using solar energy and trying alternative energy resources. Part of it was also an animal shelter for abused horses. My then boss was spearheading a fucking wonderful operation that also had its' own think tank lab trying to patent several products. But there was a battle between his upstart company and the one that actually controlled most of the money. They wanted to bring in union contractors to speed up its' variety of programs, but the company I was working for was dead set against it. It was doing well on its' own steam and building slowly as it should have. So, the owner of my company told them to fuck off and pulled out of his own brainchild. I had the option of staying, but was offered a lesser job and had to step aside for some nitwit that didn't know his ass from a hole in the ground. Now they are trying to file for bankruptcy.

I wasn't mad at my old boss, he had to do what he had to do. There wasn't much he could with my expertise. Now he's contacted me again to do the same thing all over with an old run down farm in Ala. I am seriously considering it, because he has never done me wrong nor lied to me. Like anything else, it is a risk. The pay isn't all that good for now, but I like the side options he's offering me. And there is definitely room for growth.
 
If you're a good worker, I guess, unions are good for the security and bennies, as for all the other bullshit, bad workers, seniority, contract talks, handshaking, backstabbing and lack of ---, well, they down right suck.
 
Reply

In my opinion, We need labor unions to protect workers rights and uphold the contract they signed in otherwise, their employers will abuse. It's a matter of upholding mutual relationship between the two parties so that there will be harmony, productivity and efficiency in their job.

illustration artist in iowa
 
But Unions don't do that. And in the public sector they feed like a leech on the taxpayers
 
Many years ago, I was hired by a large food-chain to run their liquor department (my second ever job).
As part of that company, it was compulsory to be in the union.
90 cents a week was taken out of my pay as fees.

The liquor dept was attached to the supermarket and had a connecting door.
About 3 months in, I was moved from the day shift to the evening shift, working 3 - 11pm. The supermarket closed at 5, and the connecting door was locked.
An issue raised itself immediately - access to the toilet was cut off when the supermarket closed and there was no other facility in the area.

A couple of very uncomfortable days later, I raised this problem with my Manager, and was told to bring a bucket from home and use it in the beer fridge!
(Up till my employment, all the liquor store people had been male.)
I suggested they give me a key to the connecting door, and he refused.

I ended up talking to my union steward about it, and they immediately brougt the matter up with head office.
I was also fired that afternoon.

My union secured me a years wages as severence, and forced the supermarket to allow access to the restrooms for any night staff from then on.

I don't love unions, but as a young, inexperienced 18 yr old, I was damn glad to have them on my side to force the issue and secure me compensation for being fired!
 
Without unions, that is exactly the shit that would start up all over the place again

As fucked up as my Union is I would be working for a hell of a lot less and under sawmill days conditions with the only recourse with management would be lawsuits.
 
By setting artificial wage floors unions retard hiring by limiting the number of employees that can be hired by making them more expensive. This burden falls hardest upon the working poor as it limits their ability to enter into and compete in the workforce.

Glibertarian AJ: Champion of the Working Poor.

Huzzah.
 
Time for my biennial union(s) rant.

First of all, all public sector unions should be immediately decertified and disbanded. They serve no useful public purpose.

The balance fall into two categories, useful and useless.

In the 'useful' category are most of the construction trades unions, although my list is not exclusively limited to same. Masters are tested and work to an expected level of responsibility, as do journeymen and apprentices. When you contract for these various levels of tradesmen you are fairly well assured that you are going to get an individual that will work to the expected level of expertise and output. I include the United Mine Workers in this group because although many of their work assignment procedures actually fall into the 'useless' group, they have been instrumental in laws and regulations regarding mine safety. And mining is arguably one of the most dangerous jobs that an individual can undertake. The Pilots Union also falls into this category.

Among the 'useless' unions list fall organizations like the UAW where the most senior members actually are engaged in the most mind numbing, menial, tasks. Tasks with no particular responsibility or elevated skill set. Most manufacturing unions (not all, but most) fall into this category. All clerical unions as well. At one time these unions did serve some purpose, particularly in regard to workplace safety, like the UMW, but those issues have been addressed by federal law and regulation (OSHA). They've outlived any useful purpose. And in case the members of the 'useless' unions haven't noticed, owners are replacing them with technology as fast as is practicable.

Ishmael
 
In the 1940s my father worked in engineering at GM. He went to plug in a light and was stopped. Told a union electrician had to do it.
 
In the 1940s my father worked in engineering at GM. He went to plug in a light and was stopped. Told a union electrician had to do it.

At the GM plant that used to be here, their painters were only allowed to paint one color. One for black, one for white etc.etc.
 
At the GM plant that used to be here, their painters were only allowed to paint one color. One for black, one for white etc.etc.
That's a good one! If it were not for all the other union tales I have heard, I would think you were making it up!
 
Yeah, you hear a lot of the extremist union moves which makes no sense and actually hinders some of the union members from dong their jobs as they would like.

From what I have observed over the years is that there is a good chance the contract rules came about by something the Companies were doing...or Not doing fairly.

Hell, the rules probably made some kind of sense to somebody at sometime.
But like government rules and regulations they sometimes live on long after their usefulness had departed and sometimes they were useful to the company in some manner...after all each contract IS a new start after all.

Trust me on this one,A labor contract IS a two edged sword and does cut on both sides. it is used against the Unionized employees far more than people would believe.
 
Turn in your libertarian card immediately.

Never had one.

I am a turncoat Democrat as in twenty-first century Republican.

The Democratic party took a hard left turn in the nineteen eighties an I could not Abide it.
 
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http://www.thedorsetpage.com/history/tolpuddle_martyrs/tolpuddle_martyrs.htm

well worth a read.
 
One hundred years ago unions may have served a need, as working conditions were not good at many companies. But since, working conditions have improved dramatically and the legal framework to keep them so has been built by government.

Nonetheless, why somebody would want to work, then or now, in conditions they do not like is beyond me. Instead of striking, quit. Get another job, start your own business, whatever. I have never been one to tell the company for which I work to change their ways to suit me. How arrogant!
 
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