Except that unions play an important political role. They receive Democrat political support for votes. The paradigm shift occurred when Trump crossed party lines by reaching out to the angry white votes, many of whom are in union labor, and shocked the nation by winning the election. Suddenly the union vote is no longer guaranteed, even with Democrats doing their best to show their union support, like Biden refusing to recognize the success of Tesla, a non union American company. In my past work environment I encountered a significant number of highly paid union formen and other white workers who are Trump supporters, which to me made perfect sense even if I found it deplorable. But your circular point is valid. Should unions be disbanded? Yes, at the same time as corporations financing political parties to loosen regulations. As I wrote before, labor rights and protections should be apolitical and under the responsibility of a non political government agency. Today's most successful companies in the US are non union. I think that speaks for itself. The battle should be to fight corporate efforts to loosen labor regulations.
Well, as long as they can keep buying politicians, workers have no power in politics. It's the classic "let me get rid of medicare w/nothing else in place". "let me get rid of unions while SCOTUS guarantees citizens united remains and fairness doctrine stays dead".
ah yes, because the powerful are held to account when they break the rules/laws of this country. but can it work with 100% less employees as they collectively walk out over wrongful terminations?
I'm fundamentally anti protectionist, a result of growing up in a time of democratic social humanism and openness to the world and republican corporate globalism. The alternative was nationalism and war. Today I continue to believe in those values regardless of the political party. The plight of the greater number is more important than the success of the few, corporate elites or union protectionism. Some will rile against Musk for his immense fortune while I applause him for creating so much work around the globe and taking humanity towards a better environment. He has no salary, 100% commission. He deserves it.
I think you have a blindspot for the monumental shift in power that's occurred under our cronyism. Some are delighted when the god-tier wealthy throw breadcrumbs at us, never wondering what if that loaf of bread had been available to us all to begin with? One need not look further than Musk's lobbying to kill public transportation projects in lieu of diverting that public work money for his dying underground car tunnels. How 'bout Gates lobbying for COVID vaccines from becoming public domain? Or pharma not willing to share that vax IP w/China as a condition for entry? I'm sorry if I'm not impressed by gatekeepers of human advancement. 10 yrs ago: Quite frankly, while unions are far from perfect I'll side w/the commoner getting their pound of flesh each and every time because the system is stacked in an insurmountable way against him.
I never bet against money vs our justice system. Maybe he gets a few mill fine and a "labor nanny" like he did last time.
I agree with some of your points. I too was very unhappy with Trump selling his tunnel pipe dream as alternative to a bullet train in California. He managed to delay the work and rally anti train Republicans. Case in point, Republicans are against the bullet train for no other reason than it will mean a large Democrat voting unionized workforce. The airline industry and oil and gas are also most likely financing the anti train effort and no politician will refuse money. I agree with their criticism. Looking at the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, it's another proof of unions at their worse. With financing spread over several million potential users, few will overtly complain about the fares, particularly when compared to the high (union controlled) bridge fares. Why are those fares so high? Because they're all union labor. Consequently, BART hires fewer workers and prefers to pay overtime.