[quote=AN][quote=CA renter]The “I don’t get it, so why should they” argument is foolish and dangerous. This is they way the PTB are taking us ALL down. Time for all of us to rise up and take back what belongs to the workers in the first place.[/quote]
Sorry but I think those who don’t embrace change are the one that’s foolish. We can’t turn back time, we can only adapt to what is and what will be. Those who fail to adapt will be left behind. Like it or not, automation and globalization are here. You can’t put the genie back in the bottle.
BTW, what do you really think belongs to the workers? A service is only worth what the buyers (employers) are willing to pay for it. A contractor who want me to pay them 2005 wage will not get my money. The only thing I think that belongs to the workers are their brain and energy.
[quote=CA renter]It’s not a secret…join a union. It’s the best possible way to fight for your rights in the workplace.[/quote]
Sorry but I will never join a union. I don’t like collective thinking. The idea of getting paid the same or similar to other coworkers, regardless of how well they perform drives me bonkers. BTW, as someone already stated, public union is greatly different than private union.[/quote]
Public and private “businesses” are not different. I don’t care if the entity my money goes to is “public” or “private.” If I’m overpaying (or underpaying) for a particular good or service, that’s all that matters. IMHO, there is far more overcompensation in the private sector (and it’s concentrated at the very top) than in the public sector.
What belongs to the workers? The value of the goods and services created by them. Unfortunately, the way our system works, the “gatekeepers” of money/capital — management, financial elite, well-connected dealmakers, etc. — get to control who gets compensated for the value created by labor…and they make sure their personal cut is far greater than those who’ve earned it.
Just because you belong to a union does not mean that you “think” collectively, nor does it mean that you think everyone should be paid the same regardless of how well they perform.
Belonging to a union means that you **negotiate** with the “gatekeepers” collectively. Since they will ALWAYS have more power than individual workers, the only way for workers to ensure they get their share of the profits is to bargain collectively.
