One month to the day I originally posted this article, the MTA workers rejected the very generous contract they were offered by the MTA. I had even been pretty annoyed to hear how there were hidden refunds that the union workers were being given. But, apparently, in an economy where people are doing more for less pay, the MTA, like other union shops, wants to do less, earn more and have somene else foot the bill --- even if their employer is unprofitable. Now they are back, basically begging to be given that same offer again!
This is what I wrote on 12/20/2005.
As you are probably aware, the workers of New York City's transit system started a strike. This is something they regularly threaten to do, especially at this time of year, when a huge number of people is relying on the subways, trains and buses for holiday shopping and visiting.
If you heard what "unfair" and "harsh" conditions they are fighting, you'd start laughing. They do not want to pay 1% towards the cost of their medical care. They do NOT want to pay towards their retirement funds. They do not want to work past 55 years of age. All this while they have jobs that do not really require rocket science degrees.
In the meantime, the United States is full of people who have lost jobs, are barely hanging on to jobs or are desperately seeking jobs. People who have to have far greater skills, for much loner work hours in the private sector, pay much more to have health benefits, without an entitlement to cushy retirements at age 55.
So, I think the time has come not to exploit the working class, but to save the economy and the hardworking consumer from the unions that build a wall of blackmail around the economy.
Now, President Reagan, he was the man for this occassion.
What we need is for National Guards and other such service people trained to take over such essential services when these kinds of union thugs hold up the nation, and the economy. From the numbers I have seen NYC will lose hundreds of millions of Dollars in revenue because of the strike.
If I recall correctly, part of Bin Laden's mission was to cripple us economically.... these guys are mini-economic-terrorists in the impact they knowingly want to have on the city.
Here's a thought.... teach illegal immigrants to operate trains (not that difficult and fairly automated) and buses (not much harder to learn than operating a tractor on a farm in Texas)....
Then we will see how quickly these blackmailing Unions will show up for work. AND will be happy to pay 1% for healthcare. AND will be more than willing to work until the age of 70. Then watch the transit fares remain steady, service improve and never hear of a strike again.
Long Live Reagan's union-busting legacy, and may we have such leadership that breaks this vice of vice, incompetence and corruption from the neck of consumers and the American economy.
President Bush, pull out some troops from Iraq, and send them into the tunnels of NYC! That's where the latest economic terrorists are operating. Now, that's a war on (economic) terror that I would support.
Imran
PS: See what that means for "State Of The Unions" today and tomorrow.
10 comments:
I completely agree. I think these workers are being completely selfish. If they want more money and benefits then they should go out and get more education. The timing of their strike and the nature of their positions on the community make it hard to be sympathetic to them.
This is gobsmackingly weird. What planet are you on?
The idea that standing up for yourself against condition clawbacks by bosses by striking is economic terrorism is utterly (I'll add completely in there as well) completely repugnant.
Thanks for the sense of outrage, I'm off to their website to see what I can contribute from New Zealand.
Mister Anderson, please feel free to contribute whatever New Zealand Dollars you wish to the unions.
Since you do NOT live here, do NOT rely on the system, do NOT subsidize it, do NOT finance the deficits, do NOT pay the rising fares, and above all do NOT understand the LAW here, your opinion is as useless as your money going to the blackmailers.
But, send it anyway. At least it will be money coming in to the US economy and it is welcome.
You seem to think it is NOT economic terrorism to cost the economy possibly Hundreds of Millions of Dollars, and go on strike when it is ILLEGAL. Since you have obviously not READ the facts of the matter, I changed my mind.
The money you want to contribute to the blackmailing economic terrorists i.e. out of control union, would be better spent in your buying a US newspaper and reading the details of how the unions want to gouge us all, WHILE breaking the law. Good day.
Imran
Anyone who invokes the name of the great Ronald Reagan is worthy of my comments.
While I would not go so far to use illegal immigrants, I understand your overall point.
President Reagan gave multiple warnings to the illegally strinking Air Traffic controllers, with a final 48 hour warning. Then the hammer fell.
The International Transit Workers Union has gone on record stating the NYC strike is illegal, wrong, and that the workers should report immediately. It is the Local that is driving this strike.
The Governor should tell the head of the International end the strike in 24 hours or we will. This would permit the International to carry out its chartered duty to break the local, take control and order its members to work. Failing that, the rank and file should be fired.
Then invite the terminated employees to reapply for their jobs... at the prevailing starting salaries, or course.
John Anderson,
You have it backwards. It is the UNION that has the monopoly and is the big bully in this situation. The ones suffering are the citizens of New York, and the city's Transit Authority.
John, you are stuck in the 1800s. Back in the days of monopolistic capitalism, Unions had their place as a counterbalance. Well, nowadays in America monopolies only exist in the form of UNIONS. They have become the problem. They put strangleholds on companies and on entire employment sectors.
Ive actually been part of a union before. Have you John? It sucked let me tell you. Today I am working in a non-union industry and it is WAY BETTER in EVERY WAY than it ever was when I was in the previous unionized job.
Charlie, Thanks for the great comment, and adding some very valuable angles to be aware of into the discussion.
I am vehemently opposed to illegal immigration (and the PC BS of calling them "undocumented workers"). I mention hiring them for MTA in my posting only in jest.
Keep up the good work. Thanks for the post.
Imran
No, I live in the 2000s, which I'm quite grateful for really. The smashing of the unions in New Zealand has meant wage stagnation, and loss of conditions for workers throughout our country.
I've worked in jobs where there is a collective and where there isn't. Even in New Zealand with the most boss-friendly unions, it is better to be in a collective than not.
"Since you do NOT live here, do NOT rely on the system, do NOT subsidize it, do NOT finance the deficits, do NOT pay the rising fares, and above all do NOT understand the LAW here, your opinion is as useless as your money going to the blackmailers."
This is laughable considering your country has illegally invaded two countries since 2001 and interfered directly in the elections of Venezueula.
Good luck to the striking workers!
Great post, Aaron Kinney. Hello again, Mr. Anderson.
I see you made it here again today. Methinks the transport system must be working again. i.e. the blackmailers may have had their bluff called and had to actually start working again to be paid.
Your post did not surprise me, as you sounded like a union guy. By the way, it IS possible to be stuck in 1800s (as Aaron said) even in 2005. Look at the Taliban, they were stuck in the year 600AD even in 2000.
What I find delightfully (and I will add completely) amusing is how, perhaps after reading that the unions did cave in as they should have, are changing the topic to how the USA attacked other countries. Amazing.
Ironic, especially since I (and many AMERICANS) are critics of the war this President Bush started in Iraq (for oil and his buddies). BUT, that is a WHOLE different topic which I invite you to read here ( http://imran.com/media/blog/2005/12/2125-more-americans-dead-mission.html ) and comment on. That topic has nothing to do with the fact that THIS was an ILLEGAL strike called out by greedy unions. One hopes that more unions (especially that hold US business hostage) are busted, and people learn to live in today's modern competitive world. Get paid for what you produce or serve.
Merry Christmas to you. I am sure that Santa's reindeers and elves are non-Union, or who knows how many Christmases past would have been ghosts of what they are meant to be. ;-)
Imran
Imran,
You do not live in New York City, nor do you rely on the MTA. I do and I will happily pay for their contributions. These people EARN their pay in miserable conditions every day. They do not get paid an exorbitant wage and the fact that they have enough leverage to defend a benefit program to which they are entitled -- and more workers should be -- is all to the good. Destroying those few unions which still have some economic clout is NOT an answer to any problem here in the NY, or in the USA generally. Rather, the unions which have been chastised by endless givebacks and undercutting by corporations such as Walmart, are the key to restoring some sort of balance to the American workplace in the future. It's you who are living in a 1980's paradigm, Mr. Anwar, not John Anderson. Wake up and smell the coffee. The American working class is being systematically destroyed by globalization and the impact of that is acidic. Here's a clue: George Bush Jr. was (re)elected by disenfranchised workers who have lost all hope of a better work situation BECAUSE of Reagonomics and it's descendants.
I see what you are saying but the timing of the strike by the union was hurting way more people than it was helping. They picked the busiest time of the year to strike and I'm sure they thought that was opportunistic and they could get their message across but that is just being too selfish. I don't think that the notion of a union is inherently a bad thing at all and one look at Wal-Mart will tell you that. There are certain occupations (e.g. airline traffic controllers) and times of the year that it is just irresponsible to try to make more money or benefits at the expense of the general population.
"The American working class is being systematically destroyed by globalization and the impact of that is acidic."
Globalization is inevitable and it is actually spreading the wealth across the world over time. I'm not saying that it isn't abused sometimes but in the long run it's giving some countries opportunities that they would never have had. It is something that will happen no matter what so it's important to create as many safeguards as possible but simply denouncing it is ignoring too much.
Post a Comment