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(Las Vegas Weekly)   Union hires temps to picket Wal-Mart for not hiring union labor   (lasvegasweekly.com) divider line
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    More: Ironic  
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7609 clicks; posted to Main » on 12 Sep 2005 at 8:53 PM (17 years ago)   |   Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook



186 Comments     (+0 »)


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strangeguitar
2005-09-12 4:53:56 PM  
That would be the pure definition of ironic as well as hypocritical.
 
meshman
2005-09-12 4:59:34 PM  
Geez, if you're going to be a blackmailer, at least be a genuine lazy ass union blackmailer.
 
Crosshair
2005-09-12 5:02:14 PM  
"It don't make no sense, does it?" says James Greer, the line foreman and the only one who pulls down $8 an hour, as he ambles down the sidewalk, picket sign on shoulder, sweaty hat over sweaty gray hair, spitting sunflower seeds. "We're sacrificing for the people who work in there, and they don't even know it."

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. I'm only a part time college student at the local walmart. I'm the bottom peon on the ladder and I am making more than this guy. I am eligible for their helth care package, but don't enrole because I am still covered by my parents. Overall, their helth care plan is quite good. Add the discount, profit sharing, and vacation time that I get and it just gets better.
 
Everyone's Collective Imaginary Friend
2005-09-12 5:04:18 PM  
Well this is what happens when you have a government that is hostile to unions off and on since Reagan. (More on than off).

The labor movement in this country is weak and crumbling. AFL/CIO split up recently and I can't remember the last time labor won any big conflicts.

Make fun of the unions all you want, but while you're laughing I hope you notice that all your jobs are floating across the ocean, and your pay isn't keeping up with inflation, and the minimum wage isn't even half of a living wage, and your benefits are slipping into the abyss.
 
Dancin_In_Anson
2005-09-12 5:06:17 PM  
Everyone's Collective Imaginary Friend: The labor movement in this country is weak and crumbling.


I wonder why that is? And no, it's not because of government.
 
goksu
2005-09-12 5:08:12 PM  
Dancin_In_Anson
Because the unions haven't proved to anyone their reason for existance, besides collective bargaining?
 
Everyone's Collective Imaginary Friend
2005-09-12 5:17:49 PM  
Dancin_In_Anson

I wonder why that is? And no, it's not because of government.

Really? I'm willing to bet that if the government was a fair arbitter between business and labor we would see a lot more participation in unions and they would be stronger organizations for it.

But the businesses have this administration (and have had many others) in their pockets. Government sides with business in every conflict and so the unions look weak. They are threatened with jail time if they strike.

As a result no one wants to strike taking away the only real power unions have. Impotent unions fall apart.
 
andrew131
2005-09-12 5:28:19 PM  
Everyone's Collective Imaginary Friend
Go take a labor econ course and come back and talk with us.

One beautiful example of why unions are now useless, airplane mechanics that make $90,000 a year just because they are union versus a non-union mechanic that makes far less. And YOU talk about greedy corporations, ha!
 
Dancin_In_Anson
2005-09-12 5:36:41 PM  
The free market takes no prisoners...

Look at the steel strike of 1957...the point that Big Labor really started to slide. The foreign producers made a comparable product for much less. 20 years later it was the UAW...Detroit could sell pussy in a mining camp and yet the UAW demanded huge wages...In steps the Japanese with a better product for less...

While unions did a great job at the begining for the American worker, they have not changed with the times...something that the marketplace demands.
 
Surf Nazi
2005-09-12 5:51:17 PM  
I don't know who I hate more, Wal-Mart or labor unions.
 
Bladel
2005-09-12 6:04:02 PM  
Wal-Mart has a pattern of firing folks who attempt to organize. I'd use temps, too.
 
ggwen
2005-09-12 6:04:35 PM  
Walmart is the only place to get groceries here within a 50 mile radius. There used to be another place, Akins, but it folded last October. I never believed that there were communities that literally depended on Walmart. Then I moved to eastern Washington.
 
Everyone's Collective Imaginary Friend
2005-09-12 6:51:31 PM  
andrew131

One beautiful example of why unions are now useless, airplane mechanics that make $90,000 a year just because they are union versus a non-union mechanic that makes far less. And YOU talk about greedy corporations, ha!

wait, so your argument against unions is that someone as highly skilled as an airplane mechanic can only make a good wage if he is in a union? I don't understand... are you actually advocating for low wages for the people who keep your airplanes in the air?
 
dmeat
2005-09-12 6:52:46 PM  
Unions, got to love them.

/at least, for entertainment value.
 
Linger
2005-09-12 7:35:20 PM  
For the least comprehensive medical coverage, Wal-Mart workers pay from $17.50 for individual coverage and $70.50 for family coverage biweekly, according to the company website.

Thankfully I don't have to pay for my insurance, but if I did (and I have) I would be paying alot more than that. Last time it was 28.00 biweekly and I was waiting tables for 2.13+tips/hr. At a 10.63 average wage, I'm having problems seeing what they're protesting.
 
Songbird
2005-09-12 8:57:08 PM  
Of course they are hiring temps.

Do you have any idea how much union labor would cost?!
 
Phil Herup
2005-09-12 8:58:07 PM  
Unions suck.

american cars are built like crapola and they bear a lot of blame at $30/hr plus bennies and pension.
 
jimmydagook
2005-09-12 8:59:50 PM  
all i have to say is that unions were created by the mafia
 
brap [TotalFark]
2005-09-12 9:01:17 PM  
Bwah! My jobs are going overseas that's Laissez UN-fair.

/brap is pro-worker
//believe me, I love a Horatio Alger story like the next guy.
 
Triaxis
2005-09-12 9:01:45 PM  
Unions are awesome, I love paying $24K for a $10K car..
 
Durendal
2005-09-12 9:02:30 PM  
ggwen, where in eastern Washington do you live? I lived in Moses Lake for a long time and now live in Ellensburg. Strangely, Ellensburg doesn't have a Wal-Mart. You'd think they would with almost have this town being students at CWU. Moses Lake has a Wal-Mart Supercenter, but Food Pavilion is right across the parking lot from it and is doing okay. Safeway is still kicking, too. I don't like shopping for food at Hole in the Wal-Mart. Their store brand is cheap crap. Safeway's store brand is actually decent.
 
airballrad
2005-09-12 9:03:15 PM  
Some of the unions in Baltimore hire street people to picket construction sites. They really didn't look like members of the Carpenters' Union to me...
 
brap [TotalFark]
2005-09-12 9:03:30 PM  
You also love pissing on your Mexican maid while pelting her with change, but enough about you.
 
Idle_as_a_painted_ship
2005-09-12 9:06:16 PM  
dmeat: Unions, got to love them.

/at least, for entertainment value.

Queue Benny Hill Theme...
 
Coyote
2005-09-12 9:06:56 PM  
Ok, so let me get this straight... Most of you're saying that higher pay, guaranteed benefits, and a pension are a bad thing?
 
Crown Of Negativity
2005-09-12 9:07:16 PM  
brap

You also love pissing on your Mexican maid while pelting her with change, but enough about you.

Quit looking in my porn cache!
 
moops
2005-09-12 9:07:55 PM  
even those temps have better benefits than walmart employees.

/costco rules
 
Ajakk
2005-09-12 9:10:14 PM  
Coyote: Ok, so let me get this straight... Most of you're saying that higher pay, guaranteed benefits, and a pension are a bad thing?


Yes, because it means that the corporation has to pay for all of that. And the way the corporation pays for all of that is by raising the prices of its products. Since the union company must compete against the non-union company, the union company loses because its products cost significantly more.
 
Warlord
2005-09-12 9:10:38 PM  
The UFCW completely sucks. I don't know if all labor unions suck, but I do know these guys do.
I remember one of their reps telling me once that we had to "give the company what they want or we'll all be out of a job"...yeah, that's who *I* want representing my interests.
 
precursor
2005-09-12 9:11:47 PM  
i just joined a union apprenticeship program.

i know nothing about unions; and after reading this thread, i know even less.
 
skinink [OhFark]
2005-09-12 9:12:54 PM  
Interesting union fact, Las Vegas: in March of 1998, the workers of the Frontier Hotel and Casino end their 6 and a half year strike ! I remember when I moved to Vegas, they were still on strike. At one point, I was so desperate for a job, that I did cross the picket line (although, to be honest, the picket line was actually no where near the human resources dept.)


I feel bad though, that the union movement is dying. A lot of good came out of unions, as well as some bad. But I trust companies/corporations less than I trust a union anyday.
 
Coyote
2005-09-12 9:13:47 PM  
Ok, I got it. So it's ok if the workers can't afford to do anything because hey, it makes prices lower.

Geez, you're one of those guys who've been biatching about gas prices because of Katrina, aren't you?
 
mdbirt
2005-09-12 9:14:42 PM  
Andrew131

One thing that labor econ will not calculate is the human dignity that is drained out of the bottom of society and floats to the top. Check the Gini Index and get back with us. Democracy must have a certain level of equality or it will perish.
 
snorkblaster
2005-09-12 9:14:53 PM  
Unions are fading into irrelevancy as:
1) more and more, people see them as nothing but organized shakedown operations and
2) they drive American jobs overseas.
[image from iamaw.org too old to be available]
 
patent holder
2005-09-12 9:15:43 PM  
2005-09-12 09:07:55 PM moops

even those temps have better benefits than walmart employees.


You might want to RTFA before posting such a stupid comment.
 
lerry
2005-09-12 9:16:27 PM  
You know something,

I am union, and I kind of understand what's going on with this whole 'Walmart not hiring union' thing...

Good for Walmart! Walmart is not a place for unions. Honestly, the jobs that are provided there aren't meant to help provide for a family.

THat's the reason unions split off of the ALF/CIO. THe unions are pissed that they are trying to unionize Walmart because those jobs aren't even there to provide for families.
 
farkeruk
2005-09-12 9:16:36 PM  
Coyote

For an individual worker, no. For a company, yes. Which eventually means it's bad for all the workers.

Once you start paying people more than they are actually worth in the market place, you cut down how profitable a company can be. Investors put their money elsewhere, meaning you can't keep up with the competition.

In the end, get the best deal you can. Don't like an employer? Go elsewhere.
 
Ajakk
2005-09-12 9:17:31 PM  
Coyote: Ok, I got it. So it's ok if the workers can't afford to do anything because hey, it makes prices lower.

No, you don't get it. The prices are going to be lower anyway because of non-union competition. Because of the non-union competition, the unionized shop will not be able to stay in business. Thus, the union people will lose their jobs.

Plus, I love your ad hominem attack regarding gas prices. My only complaint has been about gas availability when I was down on the Gulf Coast helping with recovery during the past two weekends.
 
carridin1
2005-09-12 9:17:46 PM  
Yes, this one anecdote has settled the issue once and for all. Unions are all bad, corporations are all good, and there is no such thing as "shades of grey"!
 
lerry
2005-09-12 9:18:00 PM  
/Just wanted to note that I didn't RTFA.
 
MrBelvedere
2005-09-12 9:18:23 PM  
Robots: [Chanting] No more bending, No more work Give us a raise, you big fat jerk.

Manager: Nevers!

(Robot mafia car drives by and stops)

Mousepad: Yo, the Mafia supports you but don't tell no one. Spread the word.

Donbot: As the duly elected mobsters of this union it's our duty to supportthe struggle of these proud lazy slobs.
 
misanthropologist
2005-09-12 9:18:34 PM  
Ajakk

Yes, because it means that the corporation has to pay for all of that. And the way the corporation pays for all of that is by raising the prices of its products. Since the union company must compete against the non-union company, the union company loses because its products cost significantly more.

Okay, if the company doesn't pay for benefits and penions and living wages, and the government doesn't do it, then it's left to the employee. If someone's making a decent wage they might be able to afford health care, etc, but if companies are able to keep wages low enough to maximize profit, workers often can't afford health insurance. So what happens then? Well, owners get richer and richer while workers get poorer and poorer relatively. Classic Marxist description of capitalism. Fwiw, Marx was anti-union too.
 
mdbirt
2005-09-12 9:19:15 PM  
ggwen

They depend on Wal-Mart because WM has deconstructed the local economies by strong-arming local government and clobbering small business with unchallengeable marketing and operational budgets.
 
SamWalMart
2005-09-12 9:19:25 PM  
10 years working at the Big "W".
Started pushing carts,making $4.50 an hour. Now I'm Banking 65+k per year with company car and well over 50k in my profit sharing account of which I contributed a total of ZERO...OH YA AND I NEVER WENT TO COLLEGE...UNION FARKERS KISS MY ARSE!
 
Dancin_In_Anson
2005-09-12 9:20:17 PM  
Perhaps you should lerry...
 
Coyote
2005-09-12 9:20:59 PM  
That dosen't make any sense! If you go by "what they're worth" on market, the market will try to get away with slave labor if they could! And what if the employers all pay lower than the one you're unhappy with?

I would rather pay more for a product than not be able to afford to buy it in the first place.


Now, don't get me wrong. My dad's in a union, and the local at his plant are all idiots. Most of the employees in it, since they're young, are short sighted, grabbing for the quick pay rather than planning for the benifits. But there's gotta be some checks on the free market.
 
precursor
2005-09-12 9:21:09 PM  
SamWalMart

a great american success story.
 
Roger Arseways
2005-09-12 9:21:20 PM  
If you want conditions to improve, vote out the Republicans. It's that simple.

If you support big business, ruthless capitalism (to the point of collusion) and corporate interests and greed being put ahead of human interests, keep voting for G.W. Bush's party.

Things will only change when we vote these greedy Republican bastads out of every facet of public life. I'm in a labor union and damn proud of it. I don't make enough to support a family, luckily I'm single. Everyone I work with has at least a bachelor's degree, and yet our company won't give us more than 20 cents an hour per year. Not because they can't afford it, but our CEO makes millions in salary and millions more in bonuses. So, what are we going to do about it?

We'll mobilize and get ready to fight for what's right.

If you want to curb corporate corruption and greed, don't vote Republican. Human need before corporate greed!
 
lerry
2005-09-12 9:21:28 PM  
yeah, but I gotta shower...
 
steamingpile
2005-09-12 9:22:19 PM  
Unions are for mommas boys
 
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