Letters to the Editor
Workers Need Protection From Business Bullies
Editor, Times-Dispatch
Your editorial, "Stark Difference," opposing the Employee Free Choice Act was just one more piece of anti-union propaganda.Big business is spending tens of millions of dollars to convince editorial writers to oppose the EFCA for one reason: They want to keep on bullying workers so they don't join unions.
You offer no data to support your claim that unions are bad for Virginia's economy. Let me offer some for the other side: According to a recent study by the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Virginians would recover nearly $1 billion more in annual wages if unionized workers doubled to 10 percent from the current rate of 5 percent. That's good for Virginians and good for Virginia's economy.
Unions raise workers' wages and make their workplaces safer. Union workers are more productive and more innovative than non-union workers. Strengthening unions is the way to rebuild America. Creating more good union jobs is the way to get our economy growing again.
Unfortunately, the playing field is dramatically tilted against workers. In 2007 alone, 29,559 workers received back pay from employers in cases alleging illegal firings and other violations of their federally protected frights, according to the National Labor Relations Board.
The EFCA would make it harder for employers to bully their workers. It would allow workers to join a union if a majority signed up to do so. Majority sign-up has been legal since 1935, and millions of workers have formed unions that way.
H. Joseph Ayers, President,
Teamsters Local 322. Richmond.Practice Do-It-Yourself Stimulation: Buy Things!
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
Regarding President Barack Obama's speech to Congress: I am a Republican and voted that way in 2008, yet in a non-political way I am glad Obama won. I did not realize how important this victory was to the black population.I am a small business owner and as with many others, our sales are down about 50 percent. The president's speech left me feeling as if I had just left the theater after watching a movie in which the good guys triumph over the bad guys and everyone lives happily ever after.
As I see it, until those 93 or 94 people out of 100 who still have jobs go out and buy something, go out to eat, replace that old vanity that's falling apart, and just spend some money, this depression isn't going to end.
The government doesn't have enough money to spend in order to fix this economy -- however those 93 or 94 out of 100 do. We don't need to go back to the insane, out-of-control spending of the past, but if we all do our part responsibly, we can recover. It's going to take one man spending for another man to hire.
How great it will be if Obama is able to turn our economy around. But the only way I see that happening is if all the people (Democrats and Republicans alike) give him a hand to help ourselves.
For those who can, please go out and buy something and give your local merchant a reason to hire those workers back. In case you haven't noticed -- prices are great.
Lisa Berry. Powhatan.
To End Gridlock, Change Redistricting
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
With the 2010 Census and subsequent congressional apportionment -- the division of congressional seats and redrawing of U.S. congressional districts in each state -- looming, time is growing thin for Virginia to institute a redistricting system that is both nonpartisan and built around common sense rather than political whim.Throughout American history, partisan political pressure has exerted undue influence on the reapportionment that occurs every 10 years as majority parties often aim to draw district lines that create safe seats for their own political affiliates and leave their political enemies isolated in other districts. This frequently results in expansive, oddly shaped districts that embrace geographical regions with vastly different (and sometimes conflicting) political interests. History has taught us that such gerrymandering only results in districts that are strongly red or strongly blue, leading to uncompetitive House races and high re-election rates for most congressmen.
As a result of this lack of true political competition, congressional leaders are less pressured to acknowledge public opinion and are often so highly partisan that Washington becomes gridlocked and negotiations between the two parties become incredibly difficult. Likewise, as voters are faced with uncompetitive races and a lack of real choice in candidates, turnout at midterm elections is often frighteningly low (lower than 30 percent in some districts).
Only through a nonpartisan or bipartisan redistricting system -- true political reform that will encourage a national discussion of the issues at the local level in each district -- can voter turnout, enthusiasm, and political awareness be increased. Redrawing partisan district lines every 10 years will only continue to fuel the partisan divide and governmental gridlock in Washington, supporting a system through which representatives choose the electorate rather than the electorate choosing the representatives.
David Casalapsi. Midlothian.
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Reader Reactions
Look, I’m a worker. I don’t own a business nor am I management. Fundamentally, I don’t want to give up money I earned, nor do I want my employer to be burdened with giving up money he earns to a third party - especially a union.
My boss gave me an opportunity. He hired me to do a job. Unions have no right to the money I earned in an agreement I made with my employer. It’s just that simple. Please make the case that you are entitled to my money. Please make the case that you have the right to make my life difficult should I choose not to join the union (and history shows you certainly will).
Am I anti-union? Absolutely. When you call people like me anti-union, it’s a badge of honor - you’re paying me a compliment. I’m also anti-putting-money-in-a-union’s-pocket-when-they-don’-have-any-value.
Am I anti-worker? No, I am one. I’ve got the government on my back to pay all kinds of taxes - I don’t want to pay more of my earnings to a union when there’s no value or return on investment on it.
You union guys still avoid the issues I’ve been speaking of - which is telling us the pay differential between your union presidents and the rank & file workers. Unions are more than happy to tell workers the pay differential between the management of a business and the rank & file - but, not of their union. THERE’S A REASON FOR THAT. Why do you guys avoid answering that question? Could it be that the differential is equal to or higher than that of management and rank & file?
By the way, did any of you guys see the Union reps who work the docks in Long Beach, California attending the anti-war protests in Washington DC a few years ago? They were calling Bush a terrorist and locking arms with the Workers World Party - a communist organization. That’s a fact, not “rhetoric”. There’s where your union money goes when you work the waterfront in Long Beach - FACT. Where do your union dues go in Virginia? Well, they help fund democrats running for political office - FACT.
Don’t fall for the lies. Ask questions and show these union agitators the door where you work. They will drain the life out of the business you work for.
The Employee Free Choice Act will support workers’ choice between the “secret ballot” and “card check” in a union election process and while we’ve heard the anti-union rhetoric that the same people have posted page after page on this website, what we haven’t seen a real answer to is the reasons why workers want unions. The fact is, as we’ve stated before, if workers are treated fairly and provided liveable wages they usually don’t want a union. The other part to remember is that when workers are members of a union (not non-members) they have the ability to elect union officials, vote for contract ratification, run for office themselves if they don’t like the current officers, etc. Non-members don’t have that voice in the union because they aren’t paying dues. You don’t get to choose the CEO of your Company or to choose your Supervisor, but you do have a vote regarding union representation. It’s simple, if you don’t like something you organize to change it—it’s when workers begin to change the workplace that anti-worker groups launch attacks, like what we are seeing here. It would be great if people would search other Employee Free Choice postings on the website because they would find that those in opposition that are posting on this site are bringing up the same arguments over and over. Plus, there must be some guidelines for cutting and pasting the same comments online to every pro-worker letter to the editor that’s published because that’s clearly going on this page and others.
OSHA, safety on the job, weekends/time off from work, etc. were all brought to you by the labor movement and standards set by labor—by people standing up together for those things and fighting for what’s right.
We should support workers in the state of Virginia and across the country, particularly now, not bash them and the unions that the workers choose to represent them.
Passage of the Employee Free Choice Act provides protections for workers that are crucial. The anger filled union-bashing that’s gone on in the last few months shows the need more than ever.
Mr. Ayers continues the same boilerplate lies the unions have been using for years, hoping people will eventually believe them.
Here are the facts from the NLRB: From 2003-2007, objections were filed in only 5.1% of all RC cases, including employer-objections. Those objections were sustained, on average, less than 1% of the time. Furthermore, in 1995 (Clinton era), unions won 50.9% of all elections; in 2005 (Bush era), unions won 61.1%, in 2006, unions won 60.9% and in 2007 unions won 59.9%.
So where is the ‘bullying’ he speaks of? In the Metro section on the same day, page B9, it was reported that MWV employees were caught between two unions fighting over who will represent the employees after they voted (in a private process) to boot one union out. Meantime, the employees have been without a contract for over a year. The Steelworkers have alleged pre-election misconduct by officers and others at the Paperworkers Union and want another election. And we’re supposed to believe eliminating the secret ballot is a good thing. There’s your bully.
Obviously the employer has an interest. That doesn’t mean the employer should get to determine HOW the employees decide if they want a union or not.
So, an employer shouldn’t have a right to demand a secret ballot? Why should an employer not have any say in things such as this? It’s the employer’s business - he should be able to have a say in such things. You’re treating the employer like a disinterested party to all of this. This is akin to allowing pre-school aged children to make the rules of the house without the input of the parents.
Look, someone came up with an idea that he/she turned into a business. They grew the business, they understand the economics, they hire people who come to work for them voluntarily, they pay the salaries and benefits, set the business hours. Somehow, I don’t see a union having an entitlement to the money that flows through that business, particularly when the services are not comensurate with the value offered.
Did you guys know that even if you’re a republican, unions use part of your dues (taken from your paycheck) to donate to democrat candidates? There’s a great use of your hard earned money.
Have any of you insisted on knowing how much union management is paid versus the rank and file worker? Do a linear comparison - you’ll puke.
What Mr. Ayers and all of the other pro-union supporters shy away from is how much of your pay raise goes to the union in the form of dues. They also fall woefully short about being honest about their history of stirring up dissension and trouble amongst co-workers and bringing production to a screeching halt unless the union gets its way. Have a look at what happens at unionized coal mines in West Virginia. Take a look at the airlines, the automakers and trucking industry. Everywhere the union goes, so goes trouble - not always, but, a union that doesn’t cause trouble is the exception rather than the rule.
I understand that it’s unfair to paint all unions across all industries with a broad brush, so I’ll just relate my personal experiences with them.
One of my summer jobs was working in a factory, producing the cores of electromagnets that are in everyday electronics. Pretty mindless stuff, but it was shift work, you were on your feet constantly, and for a decent amount of your day you were in front of an open oven.
I was paid $10/hour, which was my highest paying job by far to that time. I worked next to union folks, who were all making at least $19/hour for the exact same job. My first couple days, I was informed by my coworkers to only produce X number of cartloads, or else management would always expect that higher performance. On midnight shift, a few of the people would quickly fill their “quota” and then find a quiet, dark corner to sleep in. Looking back, it saddens me because after that summer, the factory started laying people off to transition operations to a new factory in China. I wish union members would realize their place in the global economy is not needed. Instead of complaining about jobs being shipped overseas, maybe they need to understand that they’ve overpriced and underproduced their way out of a job.
EFCA does not take away the secret ballot. It takes away the employer’s right to demand a secret ballot.
Mr. Ayers letter demands a response. We live in a free country. Nobody is coerced into working in a place they don’t want to work - everyone is free to leave and even take their employer to court for a remedy for wrong doing.
Mr. Ayers takes issue with the Times Dispatch having no data to show that unions are bad for Virginia - but, makes the claim, without any proof, that Union workers are more productive and innovative than non-union workers. It would be nice to see some non-biased data to support that completely counter-
intuitive claim.
Do you want to see what unions do to jobs? Take a look at the big three automakers, take a look at the airlines, take a look at what unions did to International Paper in Louisiana. All of these unionized industries are in deep financial straits. Just about EVERY industry served by unions is in trouble and has problems regardless of economic conditions. Yeah, you might make a little more for a while as a unionized worker, but, when the business goes bankrupt and you’re out of work and the union management is slapping each other on the back with all the money they’re walking away with - I guess you’ll feel good about being a faithful union member then won’t you?
If you have a safe workplace, thank either your boss or OSHA.
Finally, take a look at the Union’s payroll. Take a look at how much money Mr. Ayers makes. Do you think he’s ever looked at his salary compared to that of a Teamster’s shop steward and said, you know, “I make too much money?“ and taken a pay cut to benefit his rank and file people? No, he most likely has not.
Do tell us, what is the pay differential between the Union President and the rank & file workers in the union? Here’s a clue fellow workers, IT’S HUGE, especially in the context of the value that the union management offers.
Unions create far more problems than they solve and drive up costs making U.S. businesses non-competitive in the global market. Why would anyone in their right mind want to give up a chunk of their salary to a union?
Why do unions want to take away the secret ballot - which is a sacred American institution. Even George McGovern has come out against card check. Why no more secret ballots? It’s simple, it puts unions in the position of identifying and intimidating any workers who does not want to be a part of the union.
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