Labor unions, labor pains

Labor Day is this Monday and it is met with barbecues, lounging around and waiting for the first day of school the next day. Labor unions were once a key reason Americans celebrate Labor Day but have they taken a backseat to something else? Alan Maass says that the labor unions of today have become increasingly out of touch with the people that they strive to represent.

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[capt251978]

@blumenthol The poor are the true enemy of the working man! Unity, solidarity, and democracy are dated ideas that need to be eliminated totaly so that the good people, the "job creators" can afford to get that 3rd Lexus and continue to outsource any decent paying jobs that remain in this shambles of a country. I know for myself I want to work more and more hours for less pay. I pray that my wife will be forced to enter the workforce so my children have to go to daycare. Fuck the unions!!

[Whitehorze]

Same old socialist BS... The reason why Unions are dieing is because the unions aren't needed anymore.

[blumenthol]

Alan Maas is not as bright as he feels he is. What a load of crap failed ideology he peddles. Socialism... he'd have us like cuba, china, North Korea, the old USSR ... what an asshole to try and push that bullshit on America. We get enough of that fropm Obama. Yeah, everybody has equality - but who is going to pay for this? The bluecollar working man. Thing is Maass, most of the people you support DO NOT CARE TO WORK. Illegals dont pay taxes and they dont want to.

[themodpoet]

That's why, especially in times of economic crisis, the Republicans whip up racism, immigrant bashing, Muslim hating, and other crap. The Democrats do the same thing with their voters. People vote for the Democrats because they want change and the Dems blame everything the Republicans. Then when they get into office (even the White House and majority of Congress), they still have their own "distractions" and, as always, blame the Republicans. It's called Divide and Conquer and it works

[themodpoet]

is as the "good cop" to the Republicans "bad cop." The Democrats get away with pro-business, anti-worker policies and laws that would outrage voters if pushed by a Republican. Your rehashing a tired conservative cliche, "unions = big and powerful and control the Democrats". That's' how the Republicans manipulate you: they take your real anger, your real concerns, your real demand that we can't go on this way and things need to change and point it in the wrong direction.

[themodpoet]

@mcap52

Show me ANYTHING Obama has done that helps unions and I will show you a dozen things Obama has done to further empower or profit corporations. Hell, the single thing the unions were proposing the Democrats do, the Employee Free Choice Act, was dead in the water the moment Obama was sworn in. The Democrats have the IMAGE of being the part of labor, but they are as obedient to corporate America as the Republicans. In fact, the particular role of the Democrats in the 2-party system...

[mcap52]

@themodpoet If unions don't hold any "sway"in government,why is Barry bending over backwards to keep them happy?

[themodpoet]

@blackiron60

But don't forget. Karl Marx also said we build and strengthen unions as a way of training and prepare ourselves for a revolutionary period. And, even if it is in the short term, it is pretty good for the working class to actually win some reforms. You can't win a revolution if you're kids are at home starving. Unions are just one of many contradictions produced by capitalism whose only solution is revolution.  That's change we can not only believe in, but make happen.

[themodpoet]

It's sad that with less than 12% of the workforce unionized and 100% of the government corporatized, some silly people will still lie and say that unions hold any sway in government. Yeah, the health insurance complex may spend millions of dollars to buy "health care reform", but my measly $20 is what really makes things happen. Sigh. American ruling class ideology, making working people think they have common interest with the wealthy since 1789. It sure is powerful and invasive.

[blackiron60]

This is why Karl Marx thought unionization ultimately did not work and why revolution was the only solution to capitalist oppression. In a capitalist society you can unionize, you can push for progressive reforms, you can win as many concessions as you want - but its still a capitalist society based on exploitation and those reforms will inevitably be undermined and destroyed by market forces in collusion with governments. The only solution in the end is to change the entire system.