Utah Phillips - There is Power In The Union

[AlexanderGreywyn]

@Timko145. The minimum wage affects everyone. If we have a significant chunk of the population unable to buy anything we will go into recession more often, threatening jobs that are not minimum wage. A recession is when we have too much to sell but can't sell it all for a profit. The recent recession was due to a mass overproduction of houses. To the point that we have several million more houses than we have people who can afford to fill them. The minimum wage affects everyone.

[TheWOParmy]

RIP Joe Hill, Died like a true blue rebel

[PtAltmVansanTarr]

@beernutia I believe that,but then problem is the for example a mine that I know of refuses to employ locals,importing workers from Asia,saying the locals are too lazy. I think the problems is the locals have too much power with wives and family- the foreigns don't have a choice if they are injured they are fired.

The 27% more production might not be true if you look at the lives and health of workers being worth less.

[ryskpompa]

DON'T MOUM ORGANIZE!! FFS!!

[DMU555]

I didn't know Santa was an Anarchist!

[TheStephTrudel]

@DMU555 That's really funny. And, yup, a socialist too!

[DMU555]

@TheStephTrudel That explains the free presents and great healthcare plans the Elves get. I'm an AnCap myself but I think other Anarchists are entitled to run their collectives however they chose.

[MrWatchdawg77]

Wage Slavery! LOL That one gets me every time! What a joke!



[nessasmomma1]

I first hears about U Utah Phillips via the folk circuit in the mid-1960s in LA. Then I listened to some Rosalie Sorells songs. I never heard his union songs and It's clear that I missed something important.

[Ashliejae]

TUIF! Thank Unions It's Friday!

[UP58]

We got to see the late Utah Phillips a few times over the years. We were great admirers of his. His story is very interesting. I also have a great recording of the song "Joe Hill" by Paul Robeson. Very moving!

[PhiloAmericana]

The Arkansas AFL-CIO is planning a “Solidarity Rally” at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday on the steps of the state capital in Little Rock. The rally is being organized to show support of union members in Wisconsin and Ohio who have taken to the streets to protest legislation eliminating collective bargaining rights for state and local public employees there.

Arkansas, let us show support to our brothers in Wisconsin and Ohio. Up people power, down Koch brothers!

[MrNanotext]

Support WI workers by making union songs go viral on YouTube.

[guthriewillow]

@MrNanotext Hats off to that virus!

[ZOGGYDOGGY]

So? Join the IWW.  Let's get it on.

[pedroghirotti]

People blame the unions in US for companies shipping their production elsewhere. This is just a lie. With 1 dollar a day salaries in south Asia, how could someone blame the unions?! Blame corporations and their lack of social responsibility. Profit, profit, profit, that's all they care.

The unions in US just defended their own, within a savage working environment: no public health care, no public pensions, every individual by itself.

[UVisionUnlimited]

Utah's son Brendan will be performing at the Historic Fox Theatre, 119 S. Tower Avenue, Centralia, WA with Linda Allen, 'America's famous unknown folksinger' Mark Ross... tickets online:

[UVisionUnlimited]

@UVisionUnlimited This Saturday, July 24, 2010...

[UVisionUnlimited]

Utah's son Brendan will be performing at the Historic Fox Theatre, 119 S. Tower Avenue, Centralia, WA with Linda Allen, 'America's famous unknown folksinger' Mark Ross... tickets online: brownpapertickets com/event/118950

See ya'll there!

[juscurious]

Unions are aritifacts of the past. They existed only in a time & place where America didn't have to deal with international competition. In those days the union companies who paid higher wages were able to pass those higher costs onto the comsumer and the consumer had no choice. Then a little Company called Volkswagon came along with their VW Bug which offered cheap and realiable transportation at a very good price. The world changed and there's nothing the clown or the Unions can do about it.

[solidarity4]

@juscurious : Workers always faced competition. In America, in the 19th century, free labor was undercut by slave labor. Then it was state right-to-work laws that evolved from some of the former slave states. Then increased globalization.

Some of the Volkswagons were built in the U.S. by union workers.

The question remains how does this benefit you? Wouldn't it be better for our tax dollars to have people working than on unemployment?

[juscurious]

@solidarity4 No they didn't. There wasn't slave labor in the Industrial states in the 19th Century. The Slave labor was in the south where nearly all of the slaves worked in argiculture. In order for Unions to benefit their members they must have some other group to pass on thier costs to. If Unions get higher wages then the companies must pass on these costs in the form of higher prices for whatever products or services they produce. This is no longer possible in a global economy. Sorry.

[solidarity4]

@juscurious : I stated that slave labor was in competition and inhibited the growth of free labor in the 19th Century economy. 

But it’s not necessarily true that higher labor costs lead to higher consumer prices. You can put two identical cars together at the dealership, one U.S.-built and one imported, and the price is the same, at the same time that labor costs are vastly different.

[laytonjoe]

the i.w.w is coming, join the one big union

[lesrichxxx]

Joined the IWW last Year IU 560 Postie from Bognor Regis UK.

[wid85]

@lesrichxxx

Your guys were great on the picket lines in Cambridge. Good luck to you where you are.

[laytonjoe]

@lesrichxxx i just joined a couple months ago, IU 460 food service from toronto canada

[pleflar]

OBU!

[edgeyp12]

I.W.W!!!!!!

[DeadBunnyLane]

Join the I.W.W!

[Larkin1907]

Already did Fellow Worker!

IU 560. Postal Worker from Liverpool.

[PMishkin]

Starbucks service worker's unite!

[cantecleer]

Yes, and *all* workers of the world unite!!!! Freedom from wage slavery for ALL, Starbucks workers included! ONE BIG UNION!!!!!!!

"Freedom is merely privilege extended,

Unless enjoyed by one and all." ~The Internationale

[Jozi832]

Peter Maurin (France 1877 - USA 1949), christian anarchist activist who co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement, said: 'Everybody would be rich if nobody tried to become richer.' Francis of Assisi was a true christian. The Vatican is not christian. Their Popes say: 'money is not important, so give it to us, the Vatican'. The Popes are as christian as the greedy Italian Maffia Godfathers.

Now bless Utah Phillips for being an unambiguous christian :-)

[Catholicwob]

I picture the old man up in heaven teachin the angels how to sing. hahaha

RIP FW

PDX GMB IU 330

[CMO5569]

There is POWER IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB!!!!

lol.

[bfyau]

There is indeed power in the Blood of the Lamb.

[bodybager]

All I ever wanted was an honest week's pay for an honest day's work.

[Octophetus]

Chords please?

[intrepgun]

it's mostly vamping on G, C, D if i remember correctly. noodle around and you'll get it. i'd test it myself but i'm guitarless right now.

[whiskeyeddie]

Good video! Thx.

[Larkin1907]

The IWW. The first Union to see no difference between race, sex or religion. Class divides the workers and only class.

Arise ye starvelings from your slumbers!

The Scouse Wobbly.

IWW 560 Postal Workers.

[MNsane]

You said a mouthfull FW Larkin1907

FW MNsane IWW IU660

[4220220]

unions do have a real place and purpose...has it been abused? yes...has it helped? yes....there are some companies that cannot be trusted to treat their employees decently, or even care if they work safely...

[mmpresti]

Industrial unionism has no imposed "work ethic" to speak of. It is unionism from the bottom up, organization by workers in their struggles with management and union-officials on the shop-floor. So watch what you're calling a "mob" before reason bites you in the ass!

[4220220]

i'm assuming you were talking to pukeandterror and not me

[beernutia]

Union members are 27% more productive than non-union workers, so your lazy work ethic theory doesnt hold water. Comparing working people banding together for better working conditions to the murder of blacks in the south is insane even by John Birch Standards. Its your arrogance, ignorance and phoney intellectualism that needs to be pitied.

[juscurious]

@beernutia I like to see you back up that claim that Union workers are 27% more productive. Every single state in the United States that has Union Labor is falling apart. Manufacturing Jobs are leaving the US like crazy and Unions are the biggest reason for this. You cannot have workers paid much higher than the prevailing wages and expect to stay in business very long. Silicon Valley doesn't have labor Unions and that's one reason they are sucessful. It's the only way to stay competitive.

[gordonmaloney0]

@juscurious You want to see workers here get paid two dollars a day?

[kimberly9000]

@juscurious Union labor isn't the reason US jobs have gone overseas, greed is. Filthy rich corporations can pay 3rd world workers a pittance compared to the lowest US wage. This is why unemployment is rampant and our economy is in shambles. Want to manufacture your goods in some squalid 3rd world nation? Then go live there! If you want to live HERE, you should pay a fair amount of tax, and pay American workers a fair wage for that privilege. That's how the civilized countries do it.

[gordonmaloney0]

@beernutia Having worked for a long time in places that weren't very well unionised (despite my efforts!) or not unionised at all, I can say that it was quite clear that people didn't care about their job and felt powerless when they had issues. I now work somewhere where almost everybody is in the union and you can see the difference easily.

[juscurious]

@gordonmaloney0 Whether you have a union or not you must stay cost competitive. If you costs get out of control, you will not be in business very long. That is unless you have crony captialism with government contracts & the like. But this will not last long and can't last long. The only places where unions will exsit are those who don't have to face competition. Government Workers and a few other jobs like longshoremen and the liket can still get higher wages and benefits at expense of others.

[MrConsideration]

@beernutia

Not that I dont believe it - but could you source that 27% statistic? I'd find it useful, comrade!

[WestFLinfidel]

Sorry about that whole 40 hour work week thing. Oh, and I must apologize for minimum wage and keeping children out of the mines. I know you must hate getting a fair pay for a fair days work, but most of us go to bed every night thanking those who fought and sometimes died for the world's working people. Union mend and women.

[juscurious]

@WestFLinfidel And when you have no jobs left because you have priced yourself out of the market, are you still going to thank those people who created Unions.

[melloyellophone]

@WestFLinfidel Thank you for creating minimum wage, which gives us just enough money to not die. Thanks for making us work eight hours a day, five days a week so there is little time to pursue anything worthwhile that interests our minds and souls. Thanks for STILL giving women UNEQUAL PAY. I just got done working four hours for only enough money to fill up my gas tank (and I work above the minimum). Don't fight for me, you don't fight for anything I want.

[Timko145]

@melloyellophone Dont' fill it up then. I can't remember the last time I had a full gas tank. Eight hours to work and eight hours to sleep leaves eight hours to do what you want, plus the 48 hours on the weekends. You have plenty of time to pursue interesting activities. Don't get all feminist on us because in my job most of the women make more than I do. Don't complain about minimum wage if it doesn't affect you. Just enjoy life, you only get one shot at it.

[MarxBakuninMe]

United we will never be defeated.

RIP Utah.

[RevolutionIsSolution]

The body (Utah) die.

But the soul (solidarity) will life forever.

Worker unite!

[DANxCHORIN]

RIP, solidarity forever!

[andherhunggentlydown]

workers of the world unite, for we have nothing to lose but our chains.

[bouvmama]

Goodbye Utah. I met you about 20 years ago and was truly inspired.  You will never be forgotten and I hope your dreams will come true.

Solidarity forever!

[Ryanandthedude]

Utah Forever!!

[fishinful]

Long live utah.

[rideonice]

union yes.

[davevanfunk]

Solidarity! RIP!

[EmmaYaBasta]

Wherever you are, whoever you are, have a tribute to Utah and get folks behind the unions.

[andreefree]

A deeply respectful and fond farewell to one of the the free-est men I've ever heard ...

I only got to hear Utah sing live once, at the Noe Valley Ministry in SF and won't forget how his vibrant voice seemed to fill the rustic space with sunlight, even though it was an evening gig ... Thank you friend, teacher to all, for leaving us your remarkable and rich legacy. andree free lagerstedt

[foweygal]

R.I.P. utah...sad loss of a brilliant man...

[chiron14pl]

I remember him singing this on Friday nights at the Joe Hill House, after his mentor Ammon Hennacy gave his weekly talk. I started going there in the mid 60s and was proud to have been the live-in office manager of the Peace and Freedom Party in the fall of 1968. It was there he first taught me to finger pick "Buck Dancer's Choice." He was a mentor for me as an activist and a some-time musician, and I'm sure I channel him as best I can when I tell tall tales.

Chiron (Paul Larson)

[opryshka]

What is Joe Hill House?

[chiron14pl]

There's a brief stub in Wikipedia on it. It was a home for transients, hobos and what we now would call the homeless. It was founded by Catholic anarchist, Ammon Hennacy. He was in the tradition of Dorothy Day and Catholic Workers Movement.

[thisperfectworld]

Joe Hill House was a house of hospitality in the tradition of a movement known as "The Catholic Worker", and it was started if I recall correctly by Ammon Hennacy, a total badass activist. U. Utah Phillips became radicalized via meeting Ammon. The Catholic Worker movement is alive and well; google 'em!

[wid85]

@thisperfectworld

The Catholic Worker Movement was started by Dorothy Day and friends.. But I agree that Hennacy was great! And the Catholic Worker houses of hospitality are amazing as well.

[chiron14pl]

Opryshka, How did you come to hear Utah Phillips?

[opryshka]

I studied labour movement when I was a student. Years ago.)) And I was interested in music too.

Elena.

[frndthdevl]

RIP Utah!

there is power there is power in the hand of working folks when we stand hand in hand

[worldoffreeaccess]

Workers of all lands unite.

[ratski237]

Utah Phillips is one of the great ones.

[neibotlai]

thank you utah for keeping the stories and songs for my generation

solidarity