Cognitive Dissonance

"Democracy! Bah! When I hear that I reach for my feather boa!" -- Allen Ginsberg

Posts tagged There Is Power In a Union

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theheritagefoundation: simple truths. Oh, you guys wanna play? Let’s play.  First off, in right to work states, the median income is $6,690 lower per year than in non-right to work states. That’s $555.75 a month. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, full-time workers who are members of unions make over one-third more per week than those with no union representation. Workers who are just represented by unions, without formal membership, still make about 30% more than their non-union counterparts. Here’s an example: Jim works in the construction industry. He pays union dues and belongs to a union. His weekly salary is approximately $1,017. His co-worker, Mary, chooses not to pay union dues or have formal union membership, but is still covered under the contract her employer has with the union. Her average salary is $1,010. Mary’s brother, Bob,  has no union representation. His weekly salary, on average, is $647 — or 64% of Bob’s salary.  Or try this one: Jim works as a groundskeeper and is a member of a union. His weekly pay is, on average, $635. Mary, who is covered under the union contract, but does not pay dues, still makes $626 per week. Bob, who is non-union, makes $431 per week.  Now, Mary is capitalizing on federal labor law if she pays no fees to be covered by the union. Why? Federal law already guarantees that no one can be forced to be a member of a union, but in a right to work state, workers can freeload. According to the Economic Policy Center: Right-to-work laws allow some workers to receive a free ride, getting the advantages of a union contract—such as higher wages and benefits and protection against arbitrary discipline—without paying any fee associated with negotiating on these matters. That’s because the union must represent all workers with the same due diligence regardless of whether they join the union or pay it dues or other fees and a union contract must cover all workers, again regardless of their membership in or financial support for the union. In states without right-to-work laws, workers covered by a union contract can refuse union membership and pay a fee covering only the costs of workplace bargaining rather than the full cost of dues. There’s no evidence these laws increase job growth, and studies show that these laws actually decrease workplace safety. Right to work laws also depress wages through declining union membership, meaning small businesses get hurt. In fact, right to work states employ over two-thirds of the nation’s minimum wage workers and have higher poverty rates, higher usage of the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program [SNAP], and a higher gender wage gap. They also employ a higher percentage of part-time versus full-time workers. Now, you can howl all you like about correlation not equaling causation, and you’d be right. It doesn’t. But then your graphic would be completely wrong. Which it actually is anyhow. According to the latest numbers from the BLS, unemployment in right to work states is actually 7% and 7.5% in non-right to work states. And of the states that saw a statistically significant decrease in unemployment from Oct. 2011 to Oct. 2012, right to work states saw less of a decrease than non-right to work states (1.2% to 1.4% respectively). Oops.

theheritagefoundation:

simple truths.

Oh, you guys wanna play? Let’s play. 

First off, in right to work states, the median income is $6,690 lower per year than in non-right to work states. That’s $555.75 a month. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, full-time workers who are members of unions make over one-third more per week than those with no union representation. Workers who are just represented by unions, without formal membership, still make about 30% more than their non-union counterparts. Here’s an example:

Jim works in the construction industry. He pays union dues and belongs to a union. His weekly salary is approximately $1,017. His co-worker, Mary, chooses not to pay union dues or have formal union membership, but is still covered under the contract her employer has with the union. Her average salary is $1,010. Mary’s brother, Bob,  has no union representation. His weekly salary, on average, is $647 — or 64% of Bob’s salary. 

Or try this one:

Jim works as a groundskeeper and is a member of a union. His weekly pay is, on average, $635. Mary, who is covered under the union contract, but does not pay dues, still makes $626 per week. Bob, who is non-union, makes $431 per week. 

Now, Mary is capitalizing on federal labor law if she pays no fees to be covered by the union. Why? Federal law already guarantees that no one can be forced to be a member of a union, but in a right to work state, workers can freeload. According to the Economic Policy Center:

Right-to-work laws allow some workers to receive a free ride, getting the advantages of a union contract—such as higher wages and benefits and protection against arbitrary discipline—without paying any fee associated with negotiating on these matters.

That’s because the union must represent all workers with the same due diligence regardless of whether they join the union or pay it dues or other fees and a union contract must cover all workers, again regardless of their membership in or financial support for the union. In states without right-to-work laws, workers covered by a union contract can refuse union membership and pay a fee covering only the costs of workplace bargaining rather than the full cost of dues.

There’s no evidence these laws increase job growth, and studies show that these laws actually decrease workplace safety. Right to work laws also depress wages through declining union membership, meaning small businesses get hurt. In fact, right to work states employ over two-thirds of the nation’s minimum wage workers and have higher poverty rates, higher usage of the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program [SNAP], and a higher gender wage gap. They also employ a higher percentage of part-time versus full-time workers.

Now, you can howl all you like about correlation not equaling causation, and you’d be right. It doesn’t.

But then your graphic would be completely wrong. Which it actually is anyhow.

According to the latest numbers from the BLS, unemployment in right to work states is actually 7% and 7.5% in non-right to work states. And of the states that saw a statistically significant decrease in unemployment from Oct. 2011 to Oct. 2012, right to work states saw less of a decrease than non-right to work states (1.2% to 1.4% respectively).

Oops.

(Source: foundry.org)

Filed under michigan right to work politics Snyder organized labor union There Is Power In a Union

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I taught Charlie to raise his little fist in solidarity

He was looking at pictures of Walmart workers with me and asking questions. I’m indoctrinating my nephew — one opportunity at a time.

Why? Because I’m the best aunt ever:

Charlie: “What’s that?”
Me: ”People getting ready to strike.”
Charlie: “What’s that?” 
Me: ”What happens when bosses are mean.” 
Charlie: “Oh.”
Me: “Should bosses be mean?”
Charlie: “No!”
Me: “Do you stand in solidarity?”
Charlie: “Okay!” 
Me: *raises fist* “Solidarity!” 
Charlie: *raises first* “Solly-dary!” 
Me: “Do you stand with workers?” 
Charlie: “Okay!”

My work here is done. For now.

(Source: cognitivedissonance)

Filed under organized labor Thanksgiving Charlie union There Is Power In a Union workers

587 notes

Walmart Workers Threaten Black Friday Action

YES!

The latest news in the Walmart labor protests — which have included walkouts and marches in Dallas, San Diego, Chicago and Los Angeles — is the threat of a strike on Black Friday. That’s the day after Thanksgiving, widely considered the busiest, and most lucrative, retail day of the year. Some 200 angry protesters showed up at a meeting of investors and analysts earlier today at Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. 

I hope they do it. Seriously. No day like Black Friday.

Filed under Walmart There Is Power In a Union organized labor strike black Friday politics economy labor injustice

180 notes

“I’m Excited, I’m Nervous, I’m Scared…” Walmart Workers Walk Off Jobs

This is fantastic:

Today, for the first time in Walmart’s fifty-year history, workers at multiple stores are out on strike. Minutes ago, dozens of workers at Southern California stores launched a one-day work stoppage in protest of alleged retaliation against their attempts to organize. In a few hours, they’ll join supporters for a mass rally outside a Pico Rivera, CA store. This is the latest – and most dramatic – of the recent escalations in the decades-long struggle between organized labor and the largest private employer in the world.

“I’m excited, I’m nervous, I’m scared…” Pico Rivera Walmart employee Evelin Cruz told Salon yesterday about her decision to join today’s strike. “But I think the time has come, so they take notice that these associates are tired of all the issues in the stores, all the management retaliating against you.” Rivera, a department manager, said her store is chronically understaffed: “They expect the work to be done, without having the people to do the job.”

I wish them all the best. Where are the political candidates standing with these workers? Do I even have to ask? 

There are few locations where any Walmart workers are unionized. Perhaps this will help wake some folks up to the power of banding together.

Filed under Union There Is Power In a Union politics economy organized labor Walmart organize