Why Corporate America Hates Unions

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Unions are having a bit of a moment right now - countless stores under brands like Amazon, Chipotle, REI, Starbucks, and many more are winning victories left and right, and corporate America is pulling out all the stops to crush them. Why is the US so antagonistic towards unions, and what can you expect to face when you try to unionize your workplace?
Why Corporate America Hates Unions - Second Thought
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Citations:
IWW resources
www.iww.org
www.iww.org/re...
Union approval at a57-year high/10% union coverage today/20% union coverage in the 80s
www.npr.org/20...
Union workers make 13% more
www.epi.org/pu...
Union workers make an extra $1.3M dollars
www.businessin...
doi.org/10.117...
Other unionization benefits
www.epi.org/pu...
Unionized workplaces are safer and have fewer fatalities
illinoisepi.fi... www.forumat.ne...
The union threat effect pulls wages up for everyone
www.epi.org/pu...
Amazon puts workers in danger’s way
www.theguardia...
Mo...
www.nytimes.co...
www.nytimes.co...
Union busting is on the rise
www.nlrb.gov/n...
Employers spend $340M/y on union avoidance advisors, paid $350/h or $2.5k/d
www.epi.org/pu...
Starbucks fires workers for organizing
www.theguardia...
sbworkersunite...
• EXPOSED: Starbucks' Il...
Starbucks shuts down unionizing locations
edition.cnn.co... sbworkersunite...
Violating the NLRA only costs employers backpay, no punitive damages or civil penalties
www.epi.org/pu...
Employers break the law in 41.5% of all union election campaigns, illegally fire workers in ⅕
www.epi.org/pu...
Starbucks withholds pay, benefits, perks from unionizing workers
www.axios.com/...
triblive.com/l...
Employers spy on their workers, use heatmaps to stop unionizing
www.cbsnews.co...
www.newsweek.c...
Captive audience meetings
cwad1.org/bann...
Constant anti-union propaganda at Boeing
inthesetimes.c...
Common anti-union rhetoric
unionbustingpl...
Union dues discouragement at Delta and Boeing (and amazon)
pbs.twimg.com/...
ch...
Even more legal union busting strategies
www.epi.org/pu...
Strikebreaking origins of the American police
jacobin.com/20...
Companies stall signing union contracts to get them decertified
time.com/62211...
Presidential strike-breaking
jacobin.com/20...

[@GonzoHenson]

Not being in a union is like playing Monopoly where the other player is the banker, won't let you see the bank, gets extra rolls, takes a share of your $200-for-passing-Go, gives themselves a raise for passing Go, and won't let you read the rules. Then they tell you that you lose because you are lazy and didn't play the game as well as they did.

[@mikafizz1022]

Please keep going

[@modigamin4119]

This is worse in unions. My company cut Sunday pay union did fuck all then the union raised the dues because the president wanted a raise for all he "hard" work he dose by protecting the lazy workers.

[@void2920]

@@modigamin4119 So you got stuck with a union sponsored a corporation. Unlucky

[@Mesasie]

Cry harder communist. Being in a union is like being a whore. Long work days, but no matter how long you gotta pay your pimp just so he can leave you on read when you need his help in a life and death situation. That’s what it’s like working for a union

[@Mesasie]

@@void2920 you mean a regular union? 😂

[@MaxGr33nfan]

I’m fortunate that I work for a unionized corporate job and I hope that everyone is able to get a union job as well.

[@darthbrandon2149]

My father worked for a union corporation back in the 70's through the 90's. The strength of the union allowed him to afford custom building three houses in his lifetime. The United States of America was STONGEST when unions had the most members.

[@Obiwancolenobi]

I'm 30 stepping into the corporate world. Any suggestions for finding a union?

[@MaxGr33nfan]

@@Obiwancolenobi I feel like I got lucky with this job. I randomly typed Bargaining Unit or Union Jobs on Indeed and I randomly applied to multiple jobs until I landed this one. Good luck and I hope this helps!

[@paingain100]

My only contention is that Unions can be just as corrupt as any employer. And when they do become corrupt they can devastate cities and entire industries.

[@Szcza04]

@@paingain100 that’s why you vote the rats out

[@netto6681]

I remember watching the American Office and being shocked by an episode where the factory was planning to unionise and corporate threatened to shut down the whole place rather than allow this. This was treated like it was a natural outcome. It really highlighted how fucked up American attitudes are to organised Labour.

[@ErikLiberty]

Economist Hunter Lewis: "Higher wages earned by unions actually come out of the pockets of other workers, not out of employers’ profits, a point that is now well established but still little understood." Bestselling historian Tom Woods: "Labor historians and activists would doubtless be at a loss to explain why, at a time when unionism was numerically negligible (a whopping three percent of the American labor force was unionized by 1900) and federal regulation all but nonexistent, real wages in manufacturing climbed an incredible 50 percent in the United States from 1860-1890, and another 37 percent from 1890 to 1914, or why American workers were so much better off than their much more heavily unionized counterparts in Europe. American workers had the eight-hour-day well before Europe did, and they earned much higher wages. Unionism never accounted for more than a third of the American labor force, and that was at its height. Most of them seem to cope with these inconvenient facts by neglecting to mention them at all." Forgotten Facts of American Labor History www.lewrockwell.com/2004/11/thomas-woods/unions-lie-and-so-do-their-supporters/ "Labor union membership in private employment has greatly declined over the decades, from about 35 percent in the mid 1950s to about 7 percent today. The reason is the fact that unionization imposes artificially high costs on firms, in the form of above-market union wage rates and reduced efficiency and quality of product as they struggle with union hostility to improvements in productivity, arbitrary work rules, and the difficulty or even impossibility of firing incompetent workers. "Under such conditions, firms cannot meet the competition of other firms, foreign or domestic, that are non-union, and thus sooner or later must go out of business. The most recent large-scale example is that of Hostess Brands. It finally had to close when one of the major unions it had to deal with was unwilling to accept a wage reduction, with the result that 18,000 workers became unemployed. This kind of story, repeated hundreds of times over, explains the decline in union membership." Labor Unions, Thugs, And Storm Troopers mises.org/library/labor-unions-thugs-and-storm-troopers

[@RS-ls7mm]

I think a quick review of history would dispel any desire to unionize. Two things happen: the unions get hopelessly corrupt and the unions force wages so high they are no longer competitive and the company either goes out of business or moves to another country. Short term gain for a long term loss. Not a brilliant strategy. The idea was good, the execution was pure greed.

[@netto6681]

@@RS-ls7mm Do you have a weekend? You have unions to thank. Do you get sick pay? You have unions to thank. Do you get paid overtime? You have unions to thank. Employers will treat employees as scummily as they can get away with; they can get away with a lot more without unions.

[@meltedWax169]

​@@RS-ls7mmyou could say the same thing about communism. Idea was great on paper, got corrupted by greed. Its all about execution.

[@RS-ls7mm]

@@netto6681 So? Like I said, good intent but it rapidly went off the rails. Power corrupts and unions are now synonymous with corruption. Why do you think basically all manufacturing left the country? The US has the most expensive, spoiled, entitled workers in the world. Only a fool would think that's competitive.

[@Nebuchadnezzar18]

I will never understand why Americans empower a corporate system that does not serve their interest.

[@CrimsonA1]

Constant propaganda.

[@bajabl]

It’s not like we want them to lmao. Don’t you see all the effort we make to try to get them to treat us better? They won’t budge.

[@Interdacted]

​​@@steveweast475That sounds like something management would say if someone isnt moving as fast and steady. They want.

[@ISureDont]

Poor Americans believe they're temporarily embarrassed wealthy persons. They've deceived people into thinking we can all become rich one day if we work hard even though that's impossible. That's why the public supports them.

[@Interdacted]

@@ISureDont gotta love when people bring up other peoples triumphs as a way to dismiss why others haven't became rich yet. "I don't see why you're not making the money you should be. Just look at all the stories of people overcoming their own limitations to make a name for yourself. Your just lazy I can't and won't help you." Mentallility I get. Or they basically help, and then keep a track of all the financial aid they provided to get the money back. It works if a person gets into a position where they have a stable amount of money to support themselves and pay the other person back. Or it becomes another reason they can't save up money cause they got a loan shark to settle. XD

[@brendanc5562]

I remember when working for Home Depot they would force me to watch hours and hours of anti-union videos alone with head phones on in a cold training room. They'd say it's mandatory training. I could spend half my shift just sitting there listening to video after video on how they are bad. I remember once we had a meeting about it and told us how great it is not being in one "we are like a family!" Is a common line they would use.

[@jokuvaan5175]

Holy shit. That sounds like brainwashing from some corporate elitist dystopia novel.

[@mikafizz1022]

What did the antiunion videos say?

[@brendanc5562]

@@mikafizz1022 Its your basic they sound good but really they destroy our family. It makes it harder for us to offer you things as now we need a third party. They dont understand how we do stuff. You'll have to pay union fees so you'll make less money etc. Etc. Pretty much they give you just straight up lies or rather half truths.

[@DarkNia64]

Unsurprisingly, Walmart does the same thing to it's recruits.

[@ciaranbrk]

Yeah the fritzl family don’t believe that bullshit they just don’t want to pay what they should be paying you.

[@fuglong]

I feel like even average joes have started questioning capitalism a little, being especially critical of corporations. Awesome things are to come in my lifetime

[@natesamadhi33]

Because now as inflation & price-gouging is reaching an all-time high while most wages stay stagnant, people can no longer ignore how we're being shafted out of fair pair. The middle-class is literally shrinking out of existence to the point where its going to be only working-class vs rich upper-class: its estimated that atleast half of American middle-class millennial adults will be considered "poverty-level" by age 65 at the current rate. Its getting cartoonishly dystopian at this point, especially in places like Los Angeles; eventually people will have no choice but to see that the math isn't mathing right.

[@big_sea]

yes

[@darthbrandon2149]

@Meian Yep. There is no "free market". The Corporate Oligarchy has purchased the government at all levels, local, state, and federal. The Corporate Oligarchy literally writes the laws, and the bought politicians do what they are told. This is why Americans MUST unionize. Our government has abysmally failed to protect workers.

[@darthbrandon2149]

@fuglong6096 Unfortunately, the changes we are beginning to see post-2020 should have been in place since Unions were strong, back in the 1970's. For the most part, the Boomer generation, and GenX (my gen), have failed to understand that when we turn all power over to the "job creators" (eye roll), we are giving up all of our collective leverage as workers, who actually DO ALL THE WORK. Corporate propaganda, through Infotainment networks (CNN, MSNBC, Fox) has convinced tens of millions of American workers that we deserve nothing from our employer, nor our government. Nothing could be further from the truth. - Americans workers deserve an education system that is centered towards educating workers to be proficient in careers, and not in regurgitation of useless data based upon standardized tests. - American workers deserve a fair living wage, based upon current economic conditions. - Americans workers deserve to have Health Care as a RIGHT, and NOT a Sword of Damocles that their employer holds over them, like some kind of sick threat. - American workers deserve a 40 hour work week, and that does not include answering emails, texts, and phone calls when not on the clock. - American workers deserve freedom from abusive employers, who constantly find creative means of forcing workers to work for free, or does not pay workers overtime. - American workers deserve Child Care, if they qualify, so they can work without being terrified of what will happen to their child while they are at work. - American workers deserve a government that forces employers to give a valid reason to fire workers. - Americans workers deserve to NOT see their boss and their CEO making hundreds times more money than the workers make. I'll stop at that. But American workers deserve so much more than what I listed. We are literally the 'engine of the American economy'. Corporate power screwing American workers over is screwing the entire Untied States over.

[@kurisu7885]

Some do, but some also decide that it's all pointless and everything is against you and there's no point and then try to gaslight others into believing that.

[@makebreakrepeat]

Some say that unions are a necessary evil, but I say they are a necessary good. I remember when Trader Joe's was considering unionizing when I worked there 300 years ago. Our store captain took us back one by one to "check in on us". They wanted to make sure we were informed about how it may negatively effect working conditions whilst feeling out our positions on the matter. It was very slimy :P That was my first interaction regarding unions. My second came around the same time when the medical lab my wife worked at was bought out and had the chance to unionize. The new company promised not to layoff employees, move operations, reduce pay or benefits. The vote failed and they did everything they promised not to. It took a solid year of organizing and strikes before they could scrape back some things, but the real damage had already been done. If I were not a union member at my current job in education, I would be getting nowhere near a competitive pay rate.

[@burningsnow9870]

I think you added an extra 0 to 30

[@darthbrandon2149]

All a person needs to know are these words "Minimum Wage". What that literally means to a corporation is "If we could pay you less, we would".

[@prime_optimus]

@@burningsnow9870 I was there Gandalf. I was there 300 years ago.

[@LA2047]

Your observation is interesting because I once worked for a family-owned global company that while I was employed there, was in the process of switching from the previous generation of owners (who had helmed the company when it experienced its largest growth) to the next generation (who'd grown up with extreme wealth). In my first four years there they practiced a solid (but not legally binding) policy of "one for all; all for one" in which workers all up and down the line, from the president to the guy sweeping the warehouse, made in the 90th percentile of wages. The company had a self-funded medical plan such that workers paid only a $5 co-pay to visit the doctor and paid only 5% of charges up to $1,000 for any non-routine cost (like a surgery or ER visit). They also had a company-funded pension plan that was fully funded, not this practice where the company puts 15% of promised funds in the account and presumes the market will make up the other 85% before the employee retires, IF the company is even still around. No, they put 100% of the pension contributions into an independently run 3rd party fiduciary so even if the company fell on hard times, the pensions would still be there. As a result they had hundreds of employees who'd been with the company their entire careers and had no intention of ever leaving; they loved the place. And the company still made $10B annually in pre-tax profits. So much so that they had ZERO debt; they funded every new expense, from raises to new factories, out of their own treasury (as the corporate financial analyst, that was part of my job). Then the new generation took over and over the last four years I was there it changed dramatically. Pensions switched to 401(k)s that weren't matched. Medical switched to a 75/25 plan with thousands in deductibles, lower coverage, and higher co-pays. Wages dropped to the 65% percentile and suddenly those workers who'd been there for 30 years were told they had to start working to compete with the young kids just starting out (i.e., put in 65+ hour weeks) or your review would reflect your lack of commitment and you'd be terminated on performance grounds (what we called the "rank and yank). And on top of all that, the demands became ridiculous and worker support plummeted. All because the new generation wanted more. There were no shareholders or debtors, so the additional profits went right to the new owners, who'd already grown up as billionaires. So of course the union talk started and spread like wildfire and omg the sudden "but we're a faaaamilyyyy" bs that started coming from these people was laughable. They thought having managers working on the floor instead of sitting in their offices and throwing a pizza lunch once a month would tip the needle. And they tried the same, greasy tactic of "let's have a one-on-one powwow, just the two of us" where they interviewed everyone to ostensibly consider their grievances, but in reality it was to determine who were the most adamant union advocates. I left prior to the vote, so I don't know how it turned out, but I know that today many of their facilities are union shops and I giggle every time a former colleague tells me another is voting on it.

[@burningsnow9870]

@@prime_optimus I was only trying to help cause someone with less critical thinking might think he was being sarcastic

[@JohnDoe-o9r]

As a current middle management worker at a department store that rhymes with Stallmart we had to go to classes. One of these was how to legally dissuade workers from talking about unionizing and what not to do to avoid lawsuit. Examples include advising that unions can't guarantee change and giving stories of unions just taking money and how if you have a problem you can always take it up with a higher level of management. I saw a single store that almost unionized and was then closed for "plumbing issues".

[@bensmith8682]

It’s almost like it’s not worth the hassle of running a union Walmart with the antiwork generation

[@anthonydelfino6171]

Ah yes.... a union will ruin the family vibe at work. Because my parents really treat their adult children like they need to track their every minute of work, or will kick someone out of the family once they become unprofitable. Do people really buy into the BS that companies think of their employees like one large family? Are people really that stupid?

[@Hyperion4K]

yep. humans stupidity knows no bounds

[@annekekramer3835]

In the USA? The fact that unionized work is only 10%, says to me that people really can be that stupid.... sadly.

[@anthonydelfino6171]

@@annekekramer3835 most states passed laws starting in the 1940s that made it illegal for unions to attempt to collect union dues from their members, which really weakened the ability of unions to exist. Unionization definitely needs more help, but because of how the laws are written, lack on unions doesn't mean that people actually believe that their bosses think of them like family.

[@goth_ross]

Technicallly. Big Brother is “part of the family”. I’m laughing but there’s nothing funny.

[@cossaizy6309]

Well they didn't say if it's an extremely abusive family or not 🤷🏽‍♂️ ever wondered why all these billionaires have failed families?

[@AGirlofYesterday]

Businesses spending $350 million a year to avoid unions reminds me of when Uber and Lyft spent multi-millions on political ads to keep their drivers from getting benefits. Throwing money away to avoid giving it to workers is perverse, wasteful, downright evil. I'm so glad people are fighting back.

[@myronidasvestarossa]

It’s speaks volumes of the truly dark malice of the human heart, but hopefully unions will become more commonplace.

[@AGirlofYesterday]

@@JETAlone12 Yes, I understand it's the "smart business move." But the money is still wasted in the sense that it only goes to make rich lawyers and businessmen richer, when it would be better spent on those who need it.

[@AGirlofYesterday]

@@saagisharon8595 Right. It's all about control and power. And the ammassing of more short-term profit, even if the corps would benefit more in the long run from having happy loyal employees! They don't think about what's good for the whole company or the whole city or the whole society. Their view is so narrow -- like animals who seek to dominate other animals and who seek food, and that's all. It's evolutionary regression.

[@AGirlofYesterday]

@@stuckinthemud4352 If I wanted a Marxist revolution I would have said that. 🙂

[@SamSitar]

at each branch which manager negotiates with the head office?

[@matthuck378]

When I worked at Walmart about 14 years ago, you'd get fired for even mentioning "unionizing" Also, they made all their employees watch a corporate video about how unions are actually bad for us as workers. It was terrible.

[@matthuck378]

@@daniellarson3068 Most of them. especially the youngest and most vulnerable (single moms, people who'd be literally homeless if they lost the job, etc.)

[@Matthew.E.Kelly.]

They still do it.

[@ArcticFoxer12]

Unions are great. Just be careful you dont become complacent with them. I've been in good unions and bad unions. It all depends on how involved you get with the union itself.

[@DanknDerpyGamer]

THIS. Member activity or lack thereof makes all the difference in the world from what I understand.

[@70blue63]

You are the UNION

[@eldizo_]

One thing missing that's very relevant is the co-opting of these very unions. When all else fails, union infiltration is a very big problem.

[@danthadragnman99]

This happened at my step dad's job, he says the union jacked the dues and doesn't do anything for anyone, it's just kinda there and everyone there says it's been hijacked.

[@musicdev]

This is why socialists must be in the unions. A union that does not constantly push a socialist (I mean abolishing capitalism btw, not the soft Bernie ‘socialism’), it’s ripe for co-optation by capital (i.e. turning the union into a worthless org that just takes dues)

[@darksid007]

@musicdev usually having people who have a basic understanding of class relationships is enough. The good thing about unions is that you can elect who you want, unlike your boss.

[@ChrisSudlik]

A union is less a thing you buy and more an organization built by continuous participation. If it's become co-opted, look into the material conditions of why, reach out to broader unions for help cleaning up your union, such as the IWW, read or listen to the literature it has a lot to teach on class relations and helps you make convincing points to co-workers. A democracy has to be kept up by action.

[@stephen8342]

@@musicdevdumbass shit like this is why so many people are anti union. As long as people wrongly think Union=socialism we will never change the momentum

[@popkick8350]

“When you cut out a man’s tongue, you’re not proving him a liar. You’re telling the world you fear what he might say.” - George R. R. Martin

[@williamlopez8983]

Ive worked for a lot of non-union companies, and just a few months ago i started working for a unionized company, the difference is like night an day. Never again will i ever work for a non-union company.

[@Deter872]

I'll never forget my first job's onboarding training sessions that had an anti union section. They told me all the BS like oh you will never get hurt in a grocery store and thing like "this isn't a coal mine, so why would you need to be in a union". I'm pretty sure the anti union stuff went on longer than anything else. I was 18 at the time and was incredibly nieve about the usefulness of unions and how they protect workers. I got hurt at work a bit later due to being asked to do something unreasonable and the company wouldn't do anything for me. TLDR if you can be in a union, be in one.

[@icarvs_vivit]

>I was asked to do shit that was dumb and I blindly followed instead of refusing and/or threatening to quit on the spot. Bro it's just a job you need to get a backbone. Companies that get rid of all their competent workers by firing those with self preservation instincts go bankrupt unless they're propped up by the government.

[@VisonsofFalseTruths]

@@icarvs_vivit he was 18 at the time dude. Most people in their 30s don’t know their full rights as employees. Decades of what amounts to indoctrination have had a serious impact, and when it’s your first job fresh out of high school losing the job seems like a much bigger problem than it is.

[@icarvs_vivit]

@@VisonsofFalseTruths I did this at 19 and again at 20. It's not an age thing, it's a courage thing. Also, people being young and, allegedly, less independently minded cannot by definition excuse the vast majority of union labor in modernity whom are older, more educated workers like pilots, teachers, writers, etc.

[@icarvs_vivit]

@@MayhemRhythm Generally speaking, all companies have to pay people what they are worth. $10 an hour for a cushy retail job seems unfair because the labor market hadn't caught up to inflation (there is always hysteresis to these things) not because Dollar General was anti-union. For such a low IQ and low responsibility job, you would probably be paid less overall in the long run with a union because your labor there is just not actually very valuable in the first place and highly replaceable. Your only move (striking) will still do jack shit if you aren't actually worth the raise. And if you are lucky to actually get a small raise you're still paying people to do nothing but organize and threaten strikes on top of, and irrelevant to, the heavy taxes you already pay. Dollar General definitely wants to prevent having to fire their staff and get new workers but what they say about it taking longer and vastly overcomplicating your raise is correct. It will take longer AND you will probably have less afterward anyway. Just ask for a raise when you actually deserve it. If he refuses and it's unfair, threaten to quit. If you want higher pay for petty work, the only way to actually do that is to reverse monetary inflation so the hysteresis works in the opposite direction, in the worker's favor, which is a purely governmental issue and not a private sector issue.

[@icarvs_vivit]

@@MayhemRhythm That IS a cushy retail job, just not for $10 an hour in 2022. You have a skewed perspective of what a hard job actually is. Go work in a wood mill, or a steel foundry, or as a logger, or as a roughneck drilling oil. And the same shortstaffing problem OFTEN applies to these jobs as well. You have no idea how easy and simple and safe such a retail job is. And my point still stands: it's inflation that makes that cushy job not worth it to work at that wage, or you would not have taken the damn job in the first place. Thus it's not being anti-union that allows Dollar General to not raise wages but that inflation is actually slowly destroying the value of labor itself.

[@Krisk236]

Such a great video! Currently trying to organize at work and this is so damn prescient

[@SecondThought]

Nice! Best of luck and solidarity ✊

[@lasttarrasque6223]

Good luck!

[@Allysinwonderland1]

Let's gooooooooo!

[@haiguyzimnew]

It's a good time for unions!

[@goldencash]

I believe in you 😎👍👍👍👍😎😎😎 Keep fighting never give up

[@ogami1972]

As Gen X (now known as "The yeah-but-let's-just-ignore-they-exist Generation"), I am stunned at the loss of collective bargaining amongst the worker class. When I was a kid , "look for the union label" and "Buy American" actually meant something. When Reagan crushed the ATC union, he cast the spell for the end of worker's rights in service of the owner class. That whole ad campaign vanished, and we were told to complain about immigrants. We were told to worry more about the people who could be exploited for less than us, not the exploiters. Smh.

[@Lonsoleil]

I never listened to that bullshit. Tom Morello was my hero growing up.

[@ogami1972]

@@Lonsoleil Well, then you're my younger brother's age. I was listening to Consolidated when I was growing up.

[@pattayaesl7128]

Gen X sold out so massively.

[@pattayaesl7128]

Surrender Dorthy. Back to work slaves

[@don8244]

Gen X is my favorite generation, many of them make for great managers and half-decent CEOs. Baby Boomers have screwed them out of these higher positions by literally working until being on their death bed. The Boomer gen is unbelievably selfish

[@dudono1744]

The very fact businesses can get away with breaking the law is a problem in and of itself

[@dudono1744]

@@saagisharon8595 never said it was the only problem.

[@Lemont5236]

When I worked for Target, I was forced to attend at least 4 "anti union" meetings over the course of the 7 years I worked there. I always knew it was a crock of s***. Years later when I worked for Sodexo at a hospital in Valhalla, we voted to have 1199 be our union, and sure enough Sodexo used the wait it out tactic you discussed in this video. Where I work today we have a strong union.

[@TheOneManWhoBeatYou]

Because working at Target requires less than an hour of training and little education, a stoned teenager could do your job, get educated

[@TheRuralUrbanist]

When I moved to Germany, I started talking with one of my coworkers about unions and how to unionized... he was French and asked me why I would always lower my voice and start whispering when we discussed this topic 😅. He was shocked when I told him we'd get fired for this conversation in the US and told me that I didn't need to whisper anymore!

[@advisorywarning]

😂😂😂

[@richardcostello360]

I left a country where you're legally obligated to join the union of your job field/occupation to go to America where unions haven't destroyed industry

[@TheRuralUrbanist]

@@richardcostello360 unions don't destroy industry, industry destroys itself by only focusing on profit and not long-term investment in their people or plants.

[@FlatEarthKiller]

​@@richardcostello360 Are you an oligarchy?

[@marlonbryanmunoznunez3179]

The only thing you can trust about corporations and their billionaire owners is that they will never do the right thing unprompted. They must be FORCED to do the right thing either by government regulations or the strength of labor. Unionization is the thing that gives me hope that the Neoliberal Ere is finally over.

[@DV-zv4ox]

I'm not from the US but the not-for-profit organisation I work for was unionised about 5 years ago and it was the best thing to happen. Not only did pay rates increase, but executives were held accountable for their decision making and there was much more transparency at all levels of the organisation. I don't understand how anyone from the working class could be anti-union.

[@peacekeeperbabe]

Classism/Racism/Sexism; now the popular response is they don’t exist. U r just not working hard enough (people would rather feel it’s better 2 not b a woman than 2 improve the conditions 4 everyone (why work towards equality when u can feel better?).)

[@jorgenoname6062]

​@@achaean7615 this is practically ripped from fox news verbatim and its hilarious

[@wilsonh1058]

@@achaean7615 fundamentally, there is a sense of responsibility on both sides when the vast majority of employers have the same bs working conditions, all of the jobs available to people entering the labor market are under these conditions. Yes, deciding where you want to work is important. When everywhere is equally bad, however, then unions are a solid way to reverse that change.

[@Diggy77]

Workers unionized at my job. After one month of we all got a 40% salary increase, flexible hours and other benefits from our employer :)

[@Nick84525]

That's awesome sauce

[@andreamarino6010]

That's good but not enough comrade, do not rest in the arms of social democracy.

[@edbrown6985]

That's great for you bro.

[@protoretro1290]

It is disgusting just how far bosses go to whip employees. Employees have no rights. They are practically enslaved.

[@ravenhorn3148]

I am personally a member of a union, and if I add up my union dues it comes to about 806usd per year, but the way that many union busting situations I hear talk about it is that I have to pay that in a lump sum every year. While I know some unions can do things like that, most tend to just take it out of your paycheck. I pay ~31usd out of my paycheck. But when I'm making gross pay of north 2k per paycheck? I don't even notice it. And since joining the union, it's been the first time in my adult life I haven't had to stress about getting my health looked after. Something I repeatedly would complain about in America often comparing it to Australia where I grew up. Join a Union. I can't stress enough how important they are. They aren't perfect, but when told I can fight a corporation alone or with an army, my odds are better with the army. Negotiation with a company without a union is like trying to say you're gonna take down a demon king with your bare fists blindfolded and hog tied. With a union. You may only get movement, vision, and a pointy bit of metal, but you still have more of a chance.

[@richardcostello360]

You've compared a country that has a healthy relationship with unions versus a country where the unions directly killed off heavy and most medium manufacturing companies AND destroyed ship building.... I've lived in America for 20 years and if it wasn't for aging parents and the crapshoot called COVID I'd still be there..... living in Australia these past 3 years has reminded me why I left to make real money in a country where I'm not penalized by unions and taxes for unemployed bums because I studied a desirable qualification and worked hard.

[@greyarea805]

@@richardcostello360 boo

[@nemesisurvivorleon]

Unions are the dodge-roll. Any demon king can be defeated with enough dodge-rolling and well-timed strikes. ( haha, "strikes" )

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

@@richardcostello360 Unions have never, at any point in history, anywhere in the world, had a negative effect on any industry. Period. It has literally never happened. And it makes sense, because at a fundamental level that's quite literally not possible.

[@420BLUNTLEY]

They make it impossible to fucking loin!!!!

[@kurtsherer8211]

Imagine spending millions of dollars in technology to try to avoid paying employees that same millions of dollars so they stay loyal.

[@420BLUNTLEY]

It’s a Jewish thing.

[@aazhie]

I guess having the ultimate power is worth it? Spite and control, since they are out the money anyway

[@grampi68]

I am a former UAW tradesman and 100% Union believer. I have worked in "Right to work" states (Florida) where employers don't hesitate to tell you that they already have people who want your job if you don't like working here. When you are an "Employee at Will" you have NO security or rights. Employers are afraid of Unions because of control issues. Unions made this country great, and it's not just about wages. I've said enough, you get the point.

[@smileyeagle1021]

So, my union dues are set at 1% of my gross pay. In 2020, our organization tried to force everyone to take 96 hours of unpaid leave (or about a 5% pay cut). Our union negotiated that down to 48 hours of unpaid leave (already I've come out ahead by paying my 1% of gross pay to the union). Recently they were able to negotiate to get that retroactively changed to paid leave, so sometime in January we will get paid out for those 48 hours of leave we were forced to take. If our union made no other wins between now and 2025, I'd still be ahead. People really need to stop seeing union fees as an expense and start looking at it as an investment. Invest a little today to get a bigger payout tomorrow.

[@alistairmackintosh9412]

Yes! That is actually a useful tactic for discussing unionization with "free market" type workers if you're trying to organize. Point out to them that union dues are a kind of investment that provably gives a much greater than 1000% return.

[@richardcostello360]

But the burning question is ........are you FORCED to be in the union or do you have a choice? My home country of Australia tells me "if you want to work in a certain industry then you've got to be with this union" When the unions dictate what you can and can't do or what job field you're able to work in......then the problem is worse than the original issue at hand

[@smileyeagle1021]

@@richardcostello360 you aren't forced to join a union, but for most employers, if you aren't in the union, you don't get any of the benefits that the union negotiated for. My union is somewhat unique in that our negotiations are for all employees, not just members (you do have to be a member though to receive union representation if you end up in mediation). Most places though, you have your choice of joining the union and taking the union contract or negotiating a contract with the employer directly. You almost always end up with a better contract with the union than without.

[@richardcostello360]

@@smileyeagle1021 you're American right?

[@smileyeagle1021]

@@richardcostello360 yes, in the state of Nevada (each state is slightly different in how labor laws impact union representation, but no state, except I think Montana, makes it legal to force someone to join a union as a condition of employment).

[@tonypuga2502]

I'm part of the IBEW local 613, best decision ever

[@jimmymac2292]

Amen brother, L.U. 756 here ✊️

[@Human9391]

Local 640 ✊

[@stephhanley3167]

1455 here, 15 years.

[@manuelmarrujo8197]

Ibew local 428.

[@skahg4771]

The IBEW was the first union I ever saw. I was a part of it briefly while working at frontier communications. It’s crazy how much leverage unions afford to its members. Frontier was scared shitless of the union.

[@nelliesmith5699]

Unions are there to protect you. I got a 5% wage increase cause of inflation. I work 38 hrs a week but last week it got cut down to 29hrs. It was not my choice and because of unions I ended up getting paid for 46hrs. Keep it up guys!

[@Pomeray8]

The Pinkertons still exist. Their HQ is in Ann Arbor Mich, and Amazon has been using them to union bust.

[@kurisu7885]

Ugh, I had no idea. I live about an hour from some of the worst monsters in this country. Well, I live about 2 hours from Grand Rapids and Steven Crowder is from Michigan so I already knew we had POS people from here.

[@agravery223]

Very sad.

[@BigDonkMongo]

Wait it's in AA? I could totally bomb that building tonight, in a video game roleplay of course

[@JoshuaRoberts333]

Yeah and Starbucks has used them, and a manager with ties to a Saudi Arabian child sex trafficking ring, to union bust local stores, especially the one on Glencoe.

[@AndrewThoesen]

@@BigDonkMongo Minecraft has many interesting mods ;)

[@ubgsdrubgudhtufgchvu]

Some guy said once: "We are equal , but some are more equal than others"

[@jessetorres8738]

Before Covid, I worked at a biodiesel plant in Central Texas, & there were 4 crews totaling about 2 dozen guys where our shifts were 4 12 hour days, 4 days off, 4 12 hour nights, 4 days off. The last 15-20 minutes of every 12 hour shift had the leaving crew filling the incoming crew of everything that happened, especially everything that went wrong or broke, including leaking pipes, broken glass jars, missing tools, tires going flat on forklifts, & so much more. This was important for 2 key reasons: 1) If something went wrong that got reported to higher ups, they could find out who or what caused it & if it could be fixed or needed to be replaced as soon as possible, & 2) It was a means of providing a safety check for the incoming crews of any potential issues they might face over the next shift. That company clearly cared more about keeping all of its 20-30 employees safe despite having a much smaller yearly profit margin the Amazon does.

[@zombieminecraft4213]

I can imagine someone complaining about union employes getting more money and better deals in general.

[@reallyman7131]

American workers do exactly that

[@sapphirejade5029]

As the daughter of a union worker, I'm ALL in for union. That's one thing I want to know within a job. For anyone wanting to do a union or currently fighting for one, I wish you the best of luck!

[@littlestone1541]

Workers of the world unite!

[@littlestone1541]

@@stuckinthemud4352 And Capitalism kills far more.

[@littlestone1541]

@@stuckinthemud4352 Good because I wouldn't have wasted my time reading an "explanation" about anything from some random guy in the KZbin comment section.

[@littlestone1541]

@@stuckinthemud4352 how about you go and bother someone else then?

[@mrpudgepudge]

Just recently started a new job, and in the benefits section there was a clause that stated the company is allowed to terminate my health insurance if I participate in a strike... absolutely disgusting

[@angelbueno5609]

Wow what the fuck, everyone has the right to strike

[@Deadliner-svd]

that is illegal

[@eddyvideostar]

Dear MrPudge: Maybe the company should pay you full wages for not working, eh?

[@floralpoboop]

My contract with the UFCW union had it in the contact that if we protested in any form for any reason they would terminate us. We were not even allowed to reject write ups or defend ourselves from them. All they did was act as another form of management and tried to get us fired as soon as we met our 90 day mark because that meant they were suppose to start defending us from there on as they took union dues from people that they wouldn't even let fully into the union under a probation period, where it was fire at will and any more than 3 write ups was termination, and sick days consecutively each day was a write up. I had 2 write ups in that probation period, my kid was born via c-section and I had told them what days they would be when they hired me, I told them repeatively I couldn't work that day and the day after and why, and they tried to guilt trip me into coming into work over making sure my spouse got to the hospital and got her c-section so my child could be born. The union did jack shit for 6 years of me working that shitty job. Not even for disabled co-workers that died due to management ignoring their health restrictions.

[@eddyvideostar]

@@floralpoboop: Dear Undeadbop: What job was this? Were you there for six years?

[@stephenford8139]

I’m a Pest Control Technician and we are in dire need of union representation nationwide badly. The exterminators at my company pay everyone’s salary at our company, but are severely under appreciated and under compensated for their efforts. Currently there are not any pest control unions in our industry.

[@kendiaz5109]

Without a Union you don't stand a chance when a punk manager puts you in his cross hairs!

[@marissaojeda7517]

Be the first one. Change the world. 🎉 You can do it.

[@zmoney1212]

Why not start your own pest company and take better care of your employees?

[@jimmymac2292]

Proud dues paying member for both the IBEW and IAM and honestly I hope more people push to organize. Best decisions of my life

[@chazbennett7771]

Both my father and grandfather worked through the union, I know just how valuable they are but it's sad some people won't even research it and just write it off as something that will give them problems at work

[@freedomdude5420]

Union workes their best when usual is it apply to PROPROFIT COMPANY! That is why Government union are not good at Unions AKA Union leader are bums. Look at Philp. and Chicigo, tax dollars vacation. You want Union Leaders and Company owners always on the edge. So they don't screw the workers, specially the newbies and force to make good products and a wages. Also these companies will try to weasel there way out by going to other countries to try to get away for unions, children laber laws heck, a politician in the south that tried to lower age of worker, I don't remember which state it was, though it is not good. Also remember the MCDONALD'S 11 year ago work at MCD's. O did I mention they don't want to give up pollution the environment. I sick tired hearing over and over it is my problem when you got India, China, and Russia somethings specific are companing projecting to clean the environment when there pollution somewhere else. Alot the problem points to the seventies and the sneak acts that led us in the position we are in to day.

[@MissSanctus]

Just remember one thing: If your job has Human Resources, the workplace is calling you that directly. You're a resource they can exploit, nothing more, nothing less. Unions are your only chance to become more than just a resource to be exploited and profited from.

[@Darqshadow]

Most unions in my state give money to politicians that I don't agree with. How do I balance that out?

[@MissSanctus]

@@Darqshadow find others that don't agree with what your current unions promote, and look for opportunities of change that you may be able to enact. Some unions don't fight for what's right, and I cant sit here and deny that, but if there's things you personally don't agree on, there's bound to be others, you need to find them and figure out a best course of action, be that reforming your current unions you participate in, or if you have enough people, and can secure the resources, starting your own with those people. Neither of these steps are easy, nor do they take each and every particular factor into account, but perhaps these might give you ideas on how to get started on a path you and others can fight for. Unions require people just as much as places of work do, if the people don't agree, change can happen.

[@kevinroscom]

One of the first few Starbucks that unionized is in Superior, Colorado and they also fired one of the people responsible for unionizing that one. They had a strike not too long ago and they were talking about how Starbucks illegally fired that person. Can't remember the name

[@randomtinypotatocried]

If I recall a few other Starbucks that were close to that store was doing similar things. I'm glad one of the Greeley stores have been working on unionizing

[@SamSitar]

DO NOT leave when fired. instead call local police to help you keep your job.

[@pansexualdickhaver6878]

@@SamSitar lmao police gonna arrest you for trespassing

[@kylespencer2192]

16-20 year olds need to see this

[@U1ysses6204-Royal]

I honestly love your channel sincerely. Its provided me with necessary information, dialogue and tools to realise the desire state of the world. And most importantly how it can be changed and improvedfor the masses. Thank you for providing me with a second thought.

[@SecondThought]

I’m glad I can help! Thanks for watching

[@gavinrushing12]

I agree entirely.

[@big_sea]

yes

[@astroproletariat5294]

My father is a tradesman and the union is how my family eats, I'm just a kid in Canada and the life that I live is owed to the union, I couldn't be more proud of that, thank you for this video.

[@Vaushgg]

Workers of the world unite. You have nothing to lose but your chains.

[@TemmieContingenC]

Gives me Blair Mtn vibes

[@karenbole7130]

Power to the people!

[@vinsanity982]

I got a high paying union job and I can say that one pleasant side effect, other than wages keeping up with inflation, is that supervisors have to treat you with respect. The whole threatening attitude "When I say jump, you say how hi" doesn't fly. Technically, they aren't even allowed to ask you to do any work, if they need something done, they must go to the leads first and the leads will delegate the task. If they want to ask you to do something directly, they need to have a rapport with you and ask you as a favor. One thing to note is that it's the supervisors that have a high turnover and once in a while, we get a new supervisor that comes in with the wrong attitude. They usually don't last long. And all of the sups that treated their workers with respect, they are in upper level management now.

[@pixelgoat7317]

When I used to work at the Walgreens Distribution Center in Windsor, CT, we would have frequent mandatory captive audience meetings where we got the union-busting shakedown from a well-dressed and highly smug lady from HR. It was really unsettling and anger-inducing.

[@hawkrose2698]

Nursing assistants and home health aides need a union big time.

[@obiomajronyekwere4469]

Honestly a great informational video, a pro union voice isnt heard as much lately

[@kidslovesatan34]

Or ever.

[@darthbrandon2149]

Second Thought has many great videos.

[@jamesjohnson2394]

I wonder why!

[@nocreothatyoumichechtentie1492]

As part of my apprenticeship I have to write a report about aspects of my job every week. My boss was happy with almost every report I wrote, he only rejected a single one, the one about unions being a good and beneficial thing.

[@mangof.6054]

5:06 as a unionized barista, you missed a city where people were fired, a person in Ann Arbor got fired too. Some of the management that was involved in the process got fired for it, but not all. Wasn't my store and I didn't know the barista, details are fuzzy.

[@aquietwhyme]

There's a tweet floating around that goes something like this "somebody ought to remind the rich that workers banding together to present list of formal grievances to address is the alternative to beating down the door of the factory owners house with murderous intent" And I think that the rich haven't forgot, but many workers have, and I think that there are several tipping points that we may be approaching where things could get very ugly very fast here in our post-developed dystopia.

[@Lonsoleil]

*Corporate GREED is the bane of human civilization!*

[@666MaRius9991]

We are all gonna die because of this and i'm not even exaggerating

[@paddenstoel95]

corporations are a fairly new enterprise my friend

[@denelson83]

No fucking wonder greed is one of the *seven deadly sins.*

[@emmasilver2332]

I'm trying to unionize the student employees on my college campus. That's a massive undertaking, but I believe it's possible.

[@BostonRobb]

So much respect for educating our people JT. All power to all working people 💚🙏💚✊💚

[@erikkennedy8725]

It blows me away how prevalent and effective anti-union propaganda has been in this nation. Simply say "union" and there's always someone who starts saying how bad and lazy they are.

[@davidchase9424]

If your enemy hates you, then you are doing something right.

[@Dumbstuffwatcher]

Your rights do not come from a creator. They are written in the blood of your fellow Americans. The Battle of Blair Mountain proved this. Someone make a biopic about Mother Jones already, for God's sake

[@darkhobo]

I mentioned unions one time at a job. They shut that place down like there was Anthrax in there. Everyone had to come into meetings with management and HR one by one. Not shit got done that day. It was a huge mess. I just wanted to not get hassled for getting some water in the +100° warehouse.

[@Henoik]

I'm a Norwegian, and to me, the state of the workers rights in the US is absolutely appalling. Over here, unions run pretty much everything. In fact, it's considered to be threatening workers rights over here to have a legal minimum wage, which is why we don't have a legal minimum wage over here. Every other year, workers unions and employers unions in their respective industry get together and negotiate the terms of an employment. Often it leads to strikes, and once in a blue moon, it ends with lockout.

[@Henoik]

@@saagisharon8595 The whole point of why a legal minimum wage would be bad over here is because we have strong unions. Regulating the minimum wage by setting a legal standard instead of leaving that 100% up to the unions would make it difficult for the workers unions to bargain for increased wages as the employers unions would just argue that the legal minimum wage was increased with so-and-so, and thus, the rest of the wages should not exceed that increase. If you don't have strong unions, then a legal minimum wage might be the way to go.

[@Anhedonxia]

I believe channels like these are our only hope 🙏

[@FairBeautyEssentials]

So companies rather spend millions for attorneys to fight this instead of just spending that same amount millions to make their staff happy giving them a pay increase? OK, got it! I hope they keep shutting down as a result. All they’re gonna do is shut themselves out of business, locally. GREEATTT!!! GOOOO!!!

[@tw8464]

Exactly!

[@PCproffesorx]

I live in Canada and am part of a union. Its great for the most part and we still get lots of protections for employees getting unjustly fired etc. The problem is that we were deemed an essential service by the government and are no longer allowed to strike which has significantly weakened our position during negotiations.

[@Gorpfield]

yeah im part of a canadian union of essential healthcare workers, and the fact we can't strike really screws us. instead of that, I've been planning to try exclusively doing duties we've been hired for, instead of the insane amount of duties that have been shoved on us

[@weasellylittleliardude]

I have a medical condition that requires me to have access to a chair while I am working. I worked for the busiest location of a certain rental car company in one of the busiest, tourist friendly states in the US. At the time I had two wounds on one of my legs that were struggling to heal due to swelling and infections (overall it took nearly 2 years of specialized wound care and painful treatments). Anyhow, there were chairs provided, so technically we had "access" but not enough for each employee on duty. They were also very s*itty, many in disrepair, and rarely would the newer employees have a chance of snagging one for their shift over the more senior employees. I explained my condition to my managers. They told me that I needed to provide a doctor's note, which I did. They said I and my doctor would need to provide paperwork and that there was a "process" involved before a determination could be made. They made me feel so terrible for asking for reasonable accommodation. They were not discreet and disclosed my condition to some of my colleagues. Mind you, all I was asking for was access to a chair so that I could slightly elevate my leg and mitigate further damage. I was so humiliated, anxious, and upset every day I had to go in to work and deal with their little mind games. Finally, my grandpa reminded me that I was part of a union and that I should stop all communication with HR and my managers and contact my union rep. It took my rep less than a week and ONE phone call for me to receive my accommodation. I got laid off due to the pandemic but to be honest, I don't miss that job. I DO miss being part of a union and still think about how kind and awesome Chris from Teamsters was to me. I hope one day we meet again so I can thank him again for helping me through such an awful time in my life. P.s. never forget that ultimately, HR is not your friend.

[@codbdup88]

NLRB just passed a rule saying if the employer does ANY union busting tactics during a union election they automatically lose and contract negotiations must start immediately

[@firstlast9916]

Much easier to just close down the company and fire everybody.

[@codbdup88]

@@firstlast9916 NLRB rules state if a company fired anyone over a union election they must be hired back with any missed back pay.

[@firstlast9916]

@@codbdup88 not after declaring bankruptcy and leaving. Like all the car manufacturers in Detroit left.

[@veronicalee5937]

At my job we have a union....I'm mixed on my opinion on them. I"m all for the Better $$$ and stuff but I have a VERY big Issue when it comes to employees that either DON'T do their jobs or SHOULDN'T be doing the job......Case in point, we have a driver who wracked up 10 accidents in LESS than 3 years sending multiple people to hospital and causing TENS of THOUSANDS of $$$... Company Fired the individual and Union took it to the wall and got their job back! A LOT of Members disagreed with what the Union did under the Circumstances....that was absolutely NO COMMON SENSE......It will only be a matter of time till this particular member gets into another crash....I just hope and pray no one is killed when it happens.

[@Malignantt1]

If management cant fire them, its because management isnt doing it correctly. Or just not doing anything at all. All a union does is make sure the worker has due process. A lot of times, management when trying to bust a union up will pretend that they just cant do anything when thats just blatantly false

[@Bookslayer10]

Unions are democratic, corporations are dictatorships. One of these systems is easier to make better. If you union sucks, the workers need to fix it.

[@Johnston212]

Apparently there has been some interesting changes to the rules for establishing a union recently. My understanding is somewhat limited, but if a company is found to be trying to interfere with the vote for a new union, the union is now effectively automatically established or something along those lines.

[@Random_alias_JP-tl5xz]

Hearing anti union propaganda every day would skyrocket my motivation to unionize. It just shows how necessary it is. ❤️✊

[@joeym5243]

We wouldn't need unions is companies treated employees right and they were happy, but that usually is not the case

[@lynnjudd9036]

You are right about the benefits of being in a union. It works well except when the governor (as here in Montana) messes things up by changing the probation period to up to one year to increase the time frame for employers to fire at will.

[@Abaudahdine]

THANK YOU for sending folks to us. Not only are we a proven ressource that can help a vast majority of workers who want to unionize or need help when they don't have a union, we can also always use the help of others to grow and make our work better-known. Thank you!

[@whyus2000]

The labor history of the U.S -or any country really- is enough to radicalize anyone in my opinion, which is presumably why it’s rarely discussed in mainstream education or media.

[@ToomanyFrancis]

It's funny how corpos always say unions act as an "intermediary", when there is no intermediary with a union, the union is the workers and the workers make the demands.

[@cjschneidt9089]

A good union is the family your boss wishes you would think the company is

[@Pssnmeoff]

Home Depot needs to Unionize.

[@angelgjr1999]

They all do.

[@vckard6793]

Great video! A step in the greater push toward the proletariat not being viewed as resources, and more like actual human beings, with rights and smiles on their faces 😁

[@billmcdonald4335]

My favourite uncle was one of the instrumental Canadians who worked to bring our country socialised medicine. He was also involved with organising several national unions. He ran for premier of our province _as a socialist_ in the 1960s. The man was a gen-u-wine socialist in the days when being one in the open meant you took on the role of social outcast, complete with threats, verbal and otherwise. He was ahead of his time, and I took up his socialist ways but in a much more low-key and personal form. Yup, when it comes to my Heroes of the Left short list, my uncle Ed Finn is right there alongside Tommy Douglas as 1a and 1b. Ed's 1a. Family bias.

[@jedimasterpickle3]

...as much as I really hate my retail job, I am glad at least that we are unionized. After a certain amount of time working there, I was brought upstairs to sign a contract to be entered into the local union. And we just passed a new contract with small wage increases. Dunno how much it helps employees from getting fired for BS reasons, but hey, my $10 a paycheck goes to getting 8 hours of holiday pay so....

[@rhythmandacoustics]

There are negatives with unions that are not mentioned in this video. 1. It is hard to fire unproductive employees. 2. Unproductive employees pass more work to productive employees. 3. You cannot negotiate your own salary and must be inside a bracket wage within the union rules. 4. Some people are paid higher than you because of seniority and despite that you work more, you cannot negotiate for a higher pay because the union rules states what your wage is. 5. Some unions are corrupt. 6. Some unions are gatekeepers from outsiders coming in. I am in a union and there are some bad things. Some unions are good some are bad.

[@dagrizzla6252]

You are right but they are still overwhelmingly good if unions are done right.

[@rhythmandacoustics]

@@toxicbavariankitten I see that you like and promote other people leaching of others. I see how people like you are a problem on communities and why some social welfare could not work.

[@jasol9245]

The success of the many outweighs the wealth of the few 💯

[@bloodofjhezos]

I swear to GOD we need a general strike followed closely by a revolution! If we don't get one in 2023 I want a refund 😭 [Keep up all the good and important work JT, these videos stay brilliant!]

[@Matthew.E.Kelly.]

Revolution is a process. A long, agonizing one. It's not an event. One day folks may look back at this very era as "the beginning" of a revolution, remember that. But also remember that until everyone stands in solidarity there is no hope. Before we can break the chains of capital, we have to destroy the foundations of nationwide acceptance of wage labor under capitalism. We have to successfully counter, & continually strike out against, bourgeoise cultural hegemony. It's a long long road, but if we're all aware of the struggle & what it means... I'd say the revolution has already begun. Now go forth & radicalize your friends, neighbors, coworkers, & everyone else you know. We're gonna need massive numbers.

[@pocketsycho8720]

NLRB budget 274 million NYPD budget 6.7 billion

[@Rose_Haw]

The US is really weird.. As 17 year old student in Finland I'm a part of an union.

[@eric45]

Union Stewart here .. I've had to save 3 people from being put out the door for silly issues. Unions help . Unions organise and make sure employes are heard ! Unions unite !

[@palerider2132]

I'm 19 and I work as a butcher in a grocery store, and I feel like I don't get paid enough tbh. I work about 10 hours a day(only 1 break too). I want to start a union but idk if I can do it. Idk how expensive it can be and all that. But I also can't keep busting my ass off for hardly anything.

[@rokkfel4999]

Oh that’s bull shot it’s 2 15 minute breaks for 8 hours ugh I’m sorry dude

[@gavinrushing12]

Needed a Second Thought upload right about now. Thank you.

[@j.ericsandoval566]

If you want to unionize, you need to remember that unionization alone isn’t what made things good back in the day. You need to read up on the labor history of the US. It was violence that made the bosses back down and capitulate to worker demands that improved working conditions, raised pay, and created employee benefits. It wasn’t picketing and striking alone.

[@Nick84525]

The labor laws need to change time to reduce the amount of hours being worked all workers get paid more and have mandatory paid vacations

[@nihilisticbarbie]

My uncle has been a union blue collar trade worker all my life and they helped him get through losing his job and having surgery after the 08 financial crisis. I support SAG-AFTRA and the UAW being on strike, we need to support workers hat stand up for themselves against the corporations and their greed 🙌🏼

[@TheAnticorporatist]

They should make a provision for making easy loans to closed locations to take them co-op (and, of course, keep the company from not letting the employees do so).

[@pizaclatonddd3081]

I hope to live and see Unions take over companies and make them Worker Co-ops.

[@groveavenue]

This video is about the USA. In the UK I was working for a computer taxi circuit in London. The permanent government (the former secret service) found out I was in a union and bribed a director to fire me for trivial reasons. I was then unemployed for a year :)

[@KevVIII]

As a person who works in finance, I tend to see negatives in companies with unions. However, recently I have been seeing more and more CEOs trying to cheat the books by firing thousands to get their already insane bonus just a few billions more. We have come to a point where unions are not only good for laborer's well-being, but good for shareholders in keeping these grubby, myopic management honest and actually improving earnings in a company rather than keep cutting more and more of corporate assets to trick shareholders with more dividends.

[@Smitty19966]

As an Aussie, this is just sickening. You guys need to push back, and hard. Australia went through a similar thing back in the day. Now we have an 8 day a year sick leave pay, minimum 4 weeks annual leave pay, including other paid bonuses. Social Democratic like ideals aren't looking so bad...

[@trail_mix24]

One field that desperately needs unions is semiconductors. I've been making $10/hr more than my lead, when I only started a year ago and he's been there for a few years. There's unions for the trades companies like steamfitters, hvac, and mechanical, but nothing on the field service side. I've been talking to my coworkers about it little by little but they all seem to be more of "if it happens, it happens without me" kind of people. Either that or the "i don't want to pay dues" kind. The protection and equality provided by unions is unmatched, and really overlooked

[@Thrna_1]

Watching a video about union-busting while at work. Bloodmetal

[@e.and.f]

I'm here trying to help my neighborhood gas station/convenience store unionize. Its a wal mart owned corporate Murphy's. It's so f'd, always sketchy crackheads outside. Usually just have a single person working. Super unsafe. Gas station/convenience stores are one of the most dangerous jobs in the us. Because of these greedy corpos. Let's try to hold them accountable.

[@LuigiMordelAlaume]

Bernie Sanders is really the only politician I've seen significantly break the "ratchet to the right" in politics since the 70s

[@heyzeuscreestow9394]

@@garyjohnstone6422 your mother

[@denelson83]

More like _try to_ break it. It has not worked from what I have seen.