We celebrate 'union' in marriage. We revere 'the Union' that fought against secession. Yet, when workers demand a union for fair wages, they face resistance. It’s time to reclaim the power of unions.
When I was a girl in Georgia, Baptist preachers would rail against unions in the pulpit, calling unions the work of the devil. I kid you not. I assume they didn't want people to pay union dues instead of tithes -- and that they wanted to maintain influence over their members. People who are comfortable financially tend to go to church less.
In a similar vein, I had a friend -- still in Georgia -- in my mid-20's who drove a truck for a national food distributor. When his local group consider unionizing, the big wigs flew them all to Atlanta, fed them some steaks, told them they were all family and didn't need a union. The union lost the vote. Four years later, my friend hurt his back and was summarily fired. Georgia is a misnamed right-to-work state, and he had no recourse. That union he didn't vote for would have helped him.
And last, a different friend worked for the AFL-CIO as a secretary for a few years before she was diagnosed with MLS. Twenty years later, she still has a pension and health insurance, despite working for the union for less than three years.
U.S. unions made working conditions better the world over. Unions change people's lives, and I love that you're giving us examples of how they came to being. One person CAN make a difference, something we very much need reminding of right now.
These are amazing stories. Did they ever change their minds about unions? I’ll never understand how people are so snowed about collective bargaining. They have allowed moneyed interests to frame it as communism instead of leveling the playing field.
How exciting to have found that female labor union relative! ( I am fighting a cold, so my thinking is not very clear. I did enjoy reading this, but it’s hard for me to make a super intelligent comment at this time.)
When I was a girl in Georgia, Baptist preachers would rail against unions in the pulpit, calling unions the work of the devil. I kid you not. I assume they didn't want people to pay union dues instead of tithes -- and that they wanted to maintain influence over their members. People who are comfortable financially tend to go to church less.
In a similar vein, I had a friend -- still in Georgia -- in my mid-20's who drove a truck for a national food distributor. When his local group consider unionizing, the big wigs flew them all to Atlanta, fed them some steaks, told them they were all family and didn't need a union. The union lost the vote. Four years later, my friend hurt his back and was summarily fired. Georgia is a misnamed right-to-work state, and he had no recourse. That union he didn't vote for would have helped him.
And last, a different friend worked for the AFL-CIO as a secretary for a few years before she was diagnosed with MLS. Twenty years later, she still has a pension and health insurance, despite working for the union for less than three years.
U.S. unions made working conditions better the world over. Unions change people's lives, and I love that you're giving us examples of how they came to being. One person CAN make a difference, something we very much need reminding of right now.
These are amazing stories. Did they ever change their minds about unions? I’ll never understand how people are so snowed about collective bargaining. They have allowed moneyed interests to frame it as communism instead of leveling the playing field.
How exciting to have found that female labor union relative! ( I am fighting a cold, so my thinking is not very clear. I did enjoy reading this, but it’s hard for me to make a super intelligent comment at this time.)
Oh my gosh feel better! It is a bit frightening how much these times resemble the gilded age