Quantcast

Should America form a national union for all American citizens?

Christian 2012/06/10 23:50:14
You!
Add Photos & Videos

I have lived in NYC for 49 years and have worked in many
industries. I started working full time at 15 years old in 1978 making 2.50 per
hour and working 12 hours a day, scrubbing pots and pans until my hands
blistered like third degree burns. I had Brillo embedded in the skin under my
fingernails. I later graduated into working as a messenger for a large
corporation and promoted many times for working very hard. I worked in the
banking industry back when computers were just being used on Wall Street, where
I worked at the time. They were IBMs, CRTs, and Vydacs and were very hard to operate. I
have experienced in my life many work places and many different situations. I
have worked for maybe 10 corporations in my lifetime. I was a was a
bartender at night because working for corporations did not make you very much
money at my level. I worked 17 hours a day for a long time, had little time for
my son, and did not see him often. I worked for almost 20 restaurants and nightclubs, I was also an actor.
All those years of hard work amounted to nothing. I was also one of the top salesmen in the country in the 90s selling indoor advertising. This present system allows
cracks that too many good people can fall through, that are hard working loyal citizens.
People lose everything by being out of work for just a year or two for no fault of their own. Everything you
have worked for all your life can disappear in just a year or two. A billion pots
scrubbed a million miles you walk with a package and when you are middle aged,
you have nothing. Its time we changed this system to a system that works for
the common man, not just the common man that is lucky enough to bag a city,
state or government job. A system that everyone that is law biding and works hard can get a
decent job. Any man or women with basic intelligence no matter what his credentials,
should be able to work and survive with dignity in America.

A national union with every American paying into it will
assure all Americans that want to work will work. All Americans that have
worked and paid taxes in this country will be able to retire at 60, after working at least 10 to 25 years with a guaranteed pension of between $2000 and $5000 on average with a cap of $8000. per month. So he or she can live
decently through out is life, our system at this time keeps the poor poor and
the rich rich. Every day we are creating another step on the ladder to middle
class, this must end. American companies in this country FROM this country that go
over seas for cheap labor should be shunned and boycotted. Americans must stand
together and only hire Americans, and be conscious of the ultimate goal of every American citizen living a good decent happy productive life. A national union will join us all in the goal of 100% employment, this will give every individual a voice and empowerment
to control his or her own destiny.

Add a comment above

Top Opinion

Sort By
  • Most Raves
  • Least Raves
  • Oldest
  • Newest
Opinions

  • DoxieDad 2012/08/05 15:05:22
    No America should not have a national union.
    DoxieDad
    +1
    Seriously Dude! Come on, New Yourkas can not decide which baseball team to root for Yanks or da Mets and you tink Americans across dis continent can come to some sort of universal agreement. You've been swimming in the East River to much.
    What surprizes me da most hea is findin a New Yourka that actually knows Americans live west of New Jearsie.
    I grew up on Lawng I land and can make fun of da accent. :o)
  • Christian DoxieDad 2012/08/05 15:20:47
  • Ian 2012/06/30 09:11:17
    No America should not have a national union.
    Ian
    +1
    No the unions hate anyone who want to run a business, they hate the boss so much that they will never listen to the problems the boss has.
    If there were more bosses, there would be more people in work, the more people in work the quicker we get back to normal.
    I have my own business, we will never employ,it simply not worth it, if we get to busy we get help from a company abroad.
    No, most bosses now just give short term contracts, there is too much rites with the workers, and no im not against unions( still pay my union fees) it just that the unions have done such a good job for thier members, that they now have made them very hard to employ.
    Lets all be workers, think about that brothers and sisters, no bosses just workers rites!
  • beach bum 2012/06/13 08:42:55
    Yes America should have a national union with every legal citizen as a member..
    beach bum
  • Walter Harris 2012/06/11 14:01:37
    Yes America should have a national union with every legal citizen as a member..
    Walter Harris
    +1
    yeah, and over throw the US gov that only works for the rich. Reform a gov that caters to the poor to keep them working
  • Ian Walter ... 2012/06/30 09:14:40
    Ian
    Why dont you start your own business,every single person can give a go to reaching for the stars.
    You will then find out how hard it is to make it work.
  • Blank Blank Blank 2012/06/11 13:28:34
  • Lady Whitewolf 2012/06/11 10:31:07
    Yes America should have a national union with every legal citizen as a member..
    Lady Whitewolf
    +2
    Sounds cool to me!
  • Christian Lady Wh... 2012/06/12 01:47:53
    Christian
    +1
    I love the White-wolf :)
  • Lady Wh... Christian 2012/06/12 09:34:43
    Lady Whitewolf
    +1
    thankies!
  • Christian Lady Wh... 2012/06/12 22:44:02
    Christian
    +1
    Welcomes :)
  • Wolfman 2012/06/11 05:24:34
    No America should not have a national union.
    Wolfman
    +1
    We have a Constitution. We should force the government to pay attention to it.
  • chaoskitty123 2012/06/11 05:21:44
    No America should not have a national union.
    chaoskitty123
    +2
    No. The reason is known to all students of history as the Nazi Party was a workers party that after Hitler was made Chancellor of Germany, eliminated it's competition and then took over everything. We tend to think of the Nazi's from a modern point of view but we need to put them into the perspective of the times they existed in. At this time, the political left supported things like eugenics and most of the evils we see from the past came from them. Ideals of racial superiority and purification were the fruits of science which the left embraced. In the US, it was the left who supported things like medical experimentation on minorities (used in the same manner as undesirables) and sterilization of the mentally ill... crimes that took until the 1970's to be exposed and eliminated. The Nazi's were environmentalists and animal rights activists whose legislation survives to this day in most nations almost word for word as they wrote them. They did not allow Capitalism as a free market would allow, they controlled their nations employers forcing them to give their workers benefits and if they didn't do as told, they were executed or sent to a concentration camp.

    We tend to think of them as Fascists and in that light, Republicans today would be Fascists as in Mussolini's Italy or F...











    No. The reason is known to all students of history as the Nazi Party was a workers party that after Hitler was made Chancellor of Germany, eliminated it's competition and then took over everything. We tend to think of the Nazi's from a modern point of view but we need to put them into the perspective of the times they existed in. At this time, the political left supported things like eugenics and most of the evils we see from the past came from them. Ideals of racial superiority and purification were the fruits of science which the left embraced. In the US, it was the left who supported things like medical experimentation on minorities (used in the same manner as undesirables) and sterilization of the mentally ill... crimes that took until the 1970's to be exposed and eliminated. The Nazi's were environmentalists and animal rights activists whose legislation survives to this day in most nations almost word for word as they wrote them. They did not allow Capitalism as a free market would allow, they controlled their nations employers forcing them to give their workers benefits and if they didn't do as told, they were executed or sent to a concentration camp.

    We tend to think of them as Fascists and in that light, Republicans today would be Fascists as in Mussolini's Italy or Franco's Spain. In these nations, corporations did in fact wield great power to a point they refused to build Mussolini new weapons until late in the war as they saw no profit in new technologies when WWI technologies were good enough.

    But Hitler wasn't a Fascist, he only dabbled with Fascism in the beginning because he admired Mussolini. However, those who ruled with him did not support Fascism and Hitler turned against it. Most forget the Brown Shirts as it's well documented that the movement which gave Hitler power were Liberals and leftwing extremists. As Chancellor, Hitler needed the support of Germanys people and it's legitimate army who were mostly rightwing Conservatives and Christians... thus, the Night of Long Knives to eliminate the leaders of the Brown Shirts to gain the support of Germanys military.

    Most forget that the Nazi's were a workers party, a union representing workers across Germany and they compare them to what we think of today as leftwing and rightwing... but that wasn't the case in the past. Most of Nazi Germany was rightwing and Conservative... the people, not the leaders of the people who were into the occult, paganism and leftwing in their views as they fought to give the federal government more and more power to control the lives of the people.

    Todays leftwingers aren't the same as Hitler and his Nazi's, but their efforts to give the federal government more and more power without possessing the leadership ability to possess such power and use it wisely... they are creating what is becoming a totalitarian state where the President, Bush and Obama, use the Executive Order like a dictate where Congress and the Senate simply exist to carry out the Presidents desires... no different than Caesar, no different than Napoleon and no different than Hitler.

    No, I cannot support a national union that would have that level of power over the government, over our economy and over our personal lives. We already see the SEIU muscling in on other unions and losing lawsuits where it proves their actions are illegal... this is more than enough to turn anyone off in regard to any thought of a national union. Then, consider the power organized crime holds on the unions even today and how they use union dues to endorse candidates the workers don't support and legislation they don't want.

    Unions have their place where people want them to represent them... most Americans do not support unions because of the abuses they just cannot stop themselves from committing and which most people are happy to do without.

    As it stands now, unions hold so much power in some communities that you can't even get a job without joining the union where they then force you to pay union dues and it is that abuse which has enraged many Americans to a point that over the decades, community after community, business after business have abandoned the unions and literally kicked them out.
    (more)
  • Christian chaoski... 2012/06/11 06:00:31
    Christian
    Interesting
  • Christian 2012/06/11 02:58:17
    Yes America should have a national union with every legal citizen as a member..
    Christian
    +3
    WOW..even 7-7 so far, its an interesting way to see how perfectly polarized we are becoming. This election is counting on the independent vote and I am an independent.
    I am a Reagan Democrat turned Independent.
  • middlesex1957 2012/06/11 02:41:17
    Yes America should have a national union with every legal citizen as a member..
    middlesex1957
    +4
    The last time people tried to achieve that (the Wobblies at the turn of the 20th century) they were subjected to some of the worst and most violent treatment ever handed out. Those who were first generation emmigrants were ilegally deported but no one enforced the law that was suposed to protect them. We need to convince these idiot industries that workers are not a neccessary evil to get as much out of without giving back to. The fact is that without workers there is no industry, there are no products and services and there are no profits for anyone. Imagine - America without the idea that workers are a liability but instead are what make business work. It's time we got back to that - it's what made this country great while others accomplished little. Unless we embrace it they will soar above us and we will have nothing left to offer but military services. Ooops. We're there already. Too late.
  • Christian middles... 2012/06/11 02:52:54
    Christian
    +1
    Never to late..lets do it!
  • Lady Wh... Christian 2012/06/11 10:31:48
    Lady Whitewolf
    bingo!
  • apachehellfire65 2012/06/11 02:06:25
    No America should not have a national union.
    apachehellfire65
    +2
    the last thing this country needs is another union!
  • Christian apacheh... 2012/06/11 02:55:12
    Christian
    +1
    Whats wrong with just one union, we will all belong too, and you are part of all. Just think of all the new friends you will have.
  • apacheh... Christian 2012/06/11 03:59:56
    apachehellfire65
    +1
    already have plenty of friends. a union this size would be a all powerful entity that would control everything. and crush anything or anyone that raised its Eire
  • Ian apacheh... 2012/07/08 07:00:14
    Ian
    +2
    Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
    And there is nothing worse than the unions, Red Robo back in the 70s in the uk killed the car industry,Arthur Scargil destroyed the NUM.
  • Christian Ian 2012/07/10 03:57:24
    Christian
    Europe did well for a long time, they are having their 2008 like we will again soon.
  • Ian Christian 2012/07/10 05:33:46 (edited)
    Ian
    No it looked like Europe was doing well,countries joined and a hell of a lot of us said how are these countries able to join the EU,Greece was one of them, it was a known fact that they were one of the countries that joined without ticking the correct boxes.
    It would have been better if we would have told these countries, you cant join till you get your Infrastructure, you tax system sorted out and some other issues.Saying yes is not the best thing all the time.
    We did not help them by letting them join, will we ever find out who let these countries in, i do not think so.But i bet some politician had a good pay day when he said yes to these countries.
    The people of Greece and other places would have been better of not joining,it would have been a disapointment at first, but a lot better than what these countries are going throgh now.
    What they want/wanted in Europe was a single market, there are too many countries in Europe to form one market, good idea but only use what is good and get rid of the rest.
  • Wolfman Christian 2012/06/11 05:27:39
    Wolfman
    +1
    It sounds like Greece.
  • Ian Christian 2012/07/10 05:21:30
    Ian
    Having one union would not work, i do not know how it works in the USA, to have a strike or walkout a ballot of the union members has to be done, if the vote is for a walkout all members walk out.
    If there is a dispute in the USA, and it cant be solved internaly, do all the members of that one union have a ballot for a walkout.
    If the ballot says yes, that would mean that all members would have to go on strike,all of that one union, all over the USA would have to follow the result of the ballot.
    If there was only 5 people in that place where the dispute happened, and the ballot said no what would happen to them, would they have the right to strike even though the ballot went against them.
    One union is just not possible, the cost of balloting all members would be unworkable.
  • Ian apacheh... 2012/06/30 09:16:29
    Ian
    +2
    Have you seen what these union bosses get paid, brother and sisters it will shock you!
    Mind you they are worth it!
  • apacheh... Ian 2012/06/30 10:31:51
    apachehellfire65
    sure they are.
  • Ian apacheh... 2012/06/30 13:22:47
    Ian
    But if they are fighting for the brothers and sisters, and they get Accommodation and all other expences paid for on top of their pay.
    If they were doing it for the Brothers and Sisters whom they love very much, why would they want so much.
    They should do it for the same pay has their Brothers and Sisters.
    Or perhaps they are doing a very important job and should get paid for what they do!
  • apacheh... Ian 2012/06/30 13:43:07
    apachehellfire65
    the problem with that is union bosses don't work for anyone but themselves.
  • Ian apacheh... 2012/06/30 15:41:51
    Ian
    +1
    If they work only for themselves, what do they do for the workers who pay their their wages.
  • apacheh... Ian 2012/06/30 18:30:38
    apachehellfire65
    not much.
  • Ian apacheh... 2012/07/01 08:55:28
    Ian
    +1
    Yes thats true,they go of on one about the other persons wages but they do not look at what they get paid.
  • Ian apacheh... 2012/07/07 07:58:40
    Ian
    +1
    Got it in one.
  • Shadow13 2012/06/11 01:26:08
    Yes America should have a national union with every legal citizen as a member..
    Shadow13
    +2
    However, wouldn't such an encompassing organization function better as a political party to ensure fair working standards and treatment rather than trying to convince lawmakers to act in our behalf? If Americans organized for a better life for all rather than the interest for a few we would not need labor unions because all citizens recognize the important contributions of employees and elect policy makers that reflect that sentiment.
  • Ian Shadow13 2012/07/01 08:59:40
    Ian
    yes good points, but how would one union work.All for a a fair wages how would one union work.
    Because the one would act for all,and it simply would not work,if there is one single dispute and it was not resolved and those 10 workers went on strike, the ONE union would have to ballot ALL working Americans to vote, strike or no strike.
    The cost for ballot would be massive.
  • Shadow13 Ian 2012/07/01 16:25:38
    Shadow13
    A strike is necessary due to businesses having greater privileges under the law. When laws are drafted to greater protect worker rights then strikes become obsolete and businesses that violate the law are then held liable. It has always been that protest are held by the disenfranchised, because they have no other recourse to present their message to the public and state. The wealthy do not require a protest they already have the ear and direct line to those who create policy.

    Effectively if everyone joined a union, labor would be a major player in politics and would force lawmakers to draft legislation to protect worker's rights. Then a strike isn't needed because the law will enforce protections from exploitation.
  • Ian Shadow13 2012/07/01 16:57:56 (edited)
    Ian
    You are saying why strikes happen, you have not explained HOW one union will work.
    One union please explain how it will work, 3 people in Ohio do not get what they want, they are part of the 1 union, do all Americans follow their example even if they are not in dispute with their boss.
    Also would like to point out that we all can give a go running our own business and making lots of money,some people can do it, some people do not want to do it, some people hate the person who does do it because they cant do it.Or perhaps they saw it was easier to hate the man who made it,rather than try to do what that person did.
    Its a fair way we have to have, for people who want a better way of life,fair play to the worker and the boss.
    Most business owners i know are too scared to take on anyone because they have so many rights, do you think that is a wonderfull thing to happen.
    They turn down the work because its too much trouble to hire people, a printer hired a worker, bone idle, the workers said bone idle, his friends said bone idle, the union won him damages, because the boss had not given the 3rd warning in the right way, so the lazy bastard had £30k.
    The boss of that firm now is having a grant for machinery, to lay more people off, he changed after that was done to him, every person there...


    You are saying why strikes happen, you have not explained HOW one union will work.
    One union please explain how it will work, 3 people in Ohio do not get what they want, they are part of the 1 union, do all Americans follow their example even if they are not in dispute with their boss.
    Also would like to point out that we all can give a go running our own business and making lots of money,some people can do it, some people do not want to do it, some people hate the person who does do it because they cant do it.Or perhaps they saw it was easier to hate the man who made it,rather than try to do what that person did.
    Its a fair way we have to have, for people who want a better way of life,fair play to the worker and the boss.
    Most business owners i know are too scared to take on anyone because they have so many rights, do you think that is a wonderfull thing to happen.
    They turn down the work because its too much trouble to hire people, a printer hired a worker, bone idle, the workers said bone idle, his friends said bone idle, the union won him damages, because the boss had not given the 3rd warning in the right way, so the lazy bastard had £30k.
    The boss of that firm now is having a grant for machinery, to lay more people off, he changed after that was done to him, every person there said the bloke was idle, but not the commie bastard unions were not having any of that, they wanted his scalp on a pole.
    Well done, now machinery is coming to take the place of those people, yes workers get treated badly, what about the boss who worked hard to build up the business to give people work.No rights for him.
    I have been all 3, worker, sub contractor, and now director, perhaps we all should see the other side of the fence and then we all can work together.
    And i am against these people who do not pay a fair tax on their wages.
    (more)
  • Shadow13 Ian 2012/07/01 17:43:40
    Shadow13
    Being in a union does not mean everyone gets what they want, that is the basic rule of Democracy. Unions are the balance to corporate and monied interests. they bring the weight of people with them in influence state policies. Unions provide backup for those without power, in the States, employers have all the power. They can skirt the law and discriminate all while providing false charges against that employee and they often would never know it.

    You're example is flawed. Yes, an lazy worker should be fired but there was no proof to a pattern of his misconduct and it could be construed that he was fired for another illegal reason. There is a system in which it must be done through. The employer was in the wrong because he did not follow the law, and for whatever reason he gave does not change the fact that he did break the laws. If the employer is ignorant of the law, too dense to believe the law applies to him then he fully deserves what happened to him. You do it right or you don't do it.
  • Ian Shadow13 2012/07/07 08:52:59 (edited)
    Ian
    You still have not said how it will work,lets say those workers in Ohio are treated badly, and they do walk out on strike.
    The ONE union can not resolve the issue, will there be a national ballot held for support for these workers in Ohio.
    And what has democracy have to do with unions,what i have noticed about commies like you, you never say let hear what the boss has to say on the matter.
    No proof to the pattern of his misconduct!another illegal reason(he did not tick the right box) he was never on time,he was rude, he was idle,his co workers even mentioned that to commie union rep Mr Pig man.
    He was wrong because the Union saw that he did not tick box x when going through this matter.
    But has you said he did break the law, because he did not tick the right box.
    He was not dence, he has now done the right thing and purchased machinery and will start to lay of the workers this month.
    The reason why so many employers will not take on people with year contracts, is because they know that the Unions hate them and one small mistake, the commie union thugs will come down and want to destroy him.
    He fully deserves what happend to him!, he did not tick the correct box, the way the unions acted in this matter, 90% of the other workers will be out of work.
    Nearly all employers aroud here here...
    You still have not said how it will work,lets say those workers in Ohio are treated badly, and they do walk out on strike.
    The ONE union can not resolve the issue, will there be a national ballot held for support for these workers in Ohio.
    And what has democracy have to do with unions,what i have noticed about commies like you, you never say let hear what the boss has to say on the matter.
    No proof to the pattern of his misconduct!another illegal reason(he did not tick the right box) he was never on time,he was rude, he was idle,his co workers even mentioned that to commie union rep Mr Pig man.
    He was wrong because the Union saw that he did not tick box x when going through this matter.
    But has you said he did break the law, because he did not tick the right box.
    He was not dence, he has now done the right thing and purchased machinery and will start to lay of the workers this month.
    The reason why so many employers will not take on people with year contracts, is because they know that the Unions hate them and one small mistake, the commie union thugs will come down and want to destroy him.
    He fully deserves what happend to him!, he did not tick the correct box, the way the unions acted in this matter, 90% of the other workers will be out of work.
    Nearly all employers aroud here here have said that even when things do pick up, all workers will be on short term contracts or sub the work out.
    Well done Commie union ideology, now people will finf it hard to get loan and houses, because they are and will always be on short term contracts.
    (more)

See Votes by State

The map above displays the winning answer by region.

News & Politics

2013/05/21 17:45:38

Hot Questions on SodaHead
More Hot Questions

More Community More Originals