Requiem to a Bad Man: Say what you want about Upshaw . . .

[rdskns n 05]

No one is argueing that unions do not have their place in the history of this country and to do otherwise would be just stupid. However, most unions have long since outlived their relative usefulness. For example, the union I was a member of, the International Association of Mechanics and Aerospace Workers, is directly responsible for Eastern Airlines going under in the late 80s. In fact, you can trace the demise of just about all the airlines that are gone to unions and their distrust of management.

Look at Detroit and the issues that GM, Ford and Chrysler have. Their are loosing market share due to performance and price. Only one of those are the fault of management. The UAW fights any move to close or renovate plants in the misguided belief that management is lying to them and that they are fighting for the servival of the working man. It will be interesting to see what happens if one of those three were to go under.

So you see, far from being the protector against things like bankruptcy and hostile take overs, unions are part of what makes those dangers so real today.

And you are right, my employer does not care about me. They have tried to outsource my job to India 3 times in the last 4 years but can't find anyone over there at any price to replace me. I'm not dumb. I am sure they will keep trying and at some point likely succeed. I am preparing for that. I am also preparing for that by increasing my skill set daily and making it harder to replace me. It is my responsibility to make myself a better a employee. I do not deserve a raise just for doing what I am told and drawing breath for another year. The company really owes me nothing (although I admit this is a tough one for me to swallow sometimes). The deal is that they pay me twice a month for the work I did over the period since my last paycheck. That is the whole deal. Period.

For the record, the union does not care the individual either. They care about the numbers on role sheet because numbers equate to dollars and power for the officers. That is what it is all about, my friend. Get used to it.

Maybe on the international level all they care about is what is on the role sheet, but on the local level it is quite a different story. In the 80's a large part of the union demise was directly responsible by President Regan and the air traffic controller strike. We as a union should strive everyday to better ourselves, that is what being union is all about, to command a fair wage and to be able to offer the top skill set of that particular trade under safe working conditions. As you can tell I am a member of the United Association, once a very proud union , now belittled by officers who ran the union pention into the ground. I will not give up my fight to help all my union brothers and sisters gained what I have mentioned before. I am proud to be Union.

UNITED WE BARGAIN DIVIDED WE BEG..........

If you are worried about your job then you and your coworkers should get organized

[goldenster95]

Maybe on the international level all they care about is what is on the role sheet, but on the local level it is quite a different story. In the 80's a large part of the union demise was directly responsible by President Regan and the air traffic controller strike. We as a union should strive everyday to better ourselves, that is what being union is all about, to command a fair wage and to be able to offer the top skill set of that particular trade under safe working conditions. As you can tell I am a member of the United Association, once a very proud union , now belittled by officers who ran the union pention into the ground. I will not give up my fight to help all my union brothers and sisters gained what I have mentioned before. I am proud to be Union.

UNITED WE BARGAIN DIVIDED WE BEG..........

If you are worried about your job then you and your coworkers should get organized

Great post. Locals and intermediate level labor organizations need money to fund a strike, which is labor's ultimate weapon in the give-and-take of collective bargaining. Internationals take per capita taxes from locals and thus are interested in the membership as well, but it's all to ensure that labor has that weapon in its backpocket just in case it needs to do something to force the employer's hand.

[Neophyte]

Guys, I was a card carrying member of the IAM in the 80s when it single handedly crushed Eastern Airlines. I lived through it. So did my dad, an employee of the company for 29 years and a member of pilots union.

Like I said, unions have done some great things in history but are out of touch today. I am very greatful for their contribution to the country's workers decades ago but right now I am not seeing much benefit.

This is not the correct forum for it so I will let it lay here because, as Navy Dave says, this one is going political rather than being about the Skins. Surfice it to say that my personal experience with local union officials is no better than what I see of the national officials, in fact it is a very large part of why I am so anti-union.

Happy to discuss it in The Tailgate but I will bow out here so we can go back to discussing the Skins.

[playoffsplz]

Myself, Im not sure which side I stand for. I think both have positives and negatives. That said.

I am SURE that whatever you do in your life to make a living you dont have linebackers and safetys like Arrington and Taylor pounding you to the grass for hours straight. Week after week. Year after year. Every single play anyone could break a leg, an arm or their neck God forbid. Any play could end their season or their career, and for a lot of them its the only thing they have known their whole life.

Now if i had a job like that, where after five years, I am not guaranteed certain money from my contract...BUT I am guaranteed that I will live in pain for the rest of my life. I damn well better be paid for it.

Your right, the risks they take out on that field can only be described as heroic.

It brings a tear to my eye:cry:

I say we just make fire fighters and policeman work for free and then use what they would make to help out those poor poor football players.

[TheHighlander]

Don't you wish you could. I'd rather be an owner deciding if I should buy an island or another jet.

Yeah, because we all know tht they are all that wealthy, right?

Question. Why should a Team owner who invests his own money in his team and spends money marketing his product not reap the benefits of his investment? If Dan can spend money marketing the heck out of the Redskins, then why should the 2-bit losers in Arizona turn up at the door expecting ahnd out?

The league expanded, there are more teams. Perhaps the problem is not so much that the rich teams have too much, perhaps the problem is that some of the small teams are in cities/markets that simply cannot support them.

I say shrink the league by a couple of teams.