Going back to the very first post, the unions had their place back at the turn of the century. Got better working conditions, better pay, better relations between management and worker. Times have changed though. Better communictions, transportation, and more options for the company owners. Wages went up. It wasn't long before an increase in what the employer paid to get the job done (and make his profit) turned into a corrisponding increase in what goods and services cost for the employee that the Union helped to maintain his/her "new" level of living standard. Home prices shot up, food prices shot up, insurance shot up, intrest rates on loans for just about anything and everything shot up. Just a vicious cycle. Fast forward to todays world. What would it be like today if it wasn't for the Union's participation back at the turn of the century? We can only speculate but I would venture a guess that we would not be much worse off than we are. I am not Union, have never been employed in a Union workplace and likely will never join a Union. I understand the importance of what Union's did for us as far as history. I think Union's have done all they are going to do for/to us and at the same time I see where they have hurt us (raised standard of living and all cost will soon follow putting us right back where we were). Can a Union stop a plant from closing and moving operations out of the country? Maybe, but not likely. Take Cooper Tire. There were 4 plants in the US. Three plants were Union, 1 not. Which plant got shut down (the one in Albany Ga because it wasn't Union but also cost less to operate (this bit was on the News)). Cooper asked for concesions from the Union and got turned down resulting in a plant closer but the Union plants are still open (for the time being anyway). Jobs were lost with not hardly anyone offered transfers to other plants (again on the News-WALB-TV and Albany Hearld reported it and actually had an interview with some High Ranking suit from Cooper, Union Reps had no comment). I knew some people that worked production at Cooper. They were offered job training in other fields of work, some even took it and are now re-employed and making it, others didn't and are still out of work. Bottom line on this plant is that the Union DID protect it's dues-paying-members at 3 other plants, and although no one really admitted it, did it by threatening to strike at other plants if those employees were supplemented by labor from the one plant that got closed. Cooper did the retraining offer, not at the incistance of the Union, but on their on initiative. So, what do these people have to thank the Union for?

Unions do not fight for the working man. Unions fight for the unions.

__________________
The best way to rob a bank is to own one.

He did ask if you have ever been a member of a drivers union. You did not answer. While I am not a union member, you loose credibility if you are not a union driver and try to put them down. Yes it is your opinion and you have every right to say what you want. But unless you have been there....

I still don't know what you mean by your comment. Half way thru, the op referenced all unions. I think that this section should be geared towards unions that represent truckers like the teamsters.

Well, what you think this thread should cover and what the OP said are two very different things.

__________________
Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.-Albert Einstein

"When things look bad, and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb mad dog mean. Cause if you lose your head and you give up, then you neither live nor win, that's just the way it is." --the Outlaw Josey Wales

And you have personally experienced this in what way?

I never murdered anyone, but murder is still wrong.

Get over it.

__________________
Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.-Albert Einstein

"When things look bad, and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb mad dog mean. Cause if you lose your head and you give up, then you neither live nor win, that's just the way it is." --the Outlaw Josey Wales

It doesn't even look like you are a driver.

This thread is about unions, not drivers.

__________________
Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.-Albert Einstein

"When things look bad, and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb mad dog mean. Cause if you lose your head and you give up, then you neither live nor win, that's just the way it is." --the Outlaw Josey Wales

By growing up near union plants in union neighborhoods, having union friends, working extensively with union companies on all kinds of things, and being in a union for a while.

__________________
The best way to rob a bank is to own one.