Video from Indiana House Democrats
Indiana House Democrats have started their boycott again in an effort to slow down the Republicans' anti-union bill. The Indianapolis Star ties it to the way Republicans muscled their anti-union bill through a House committee yesterday. They shut down debate on the Right to Work bill, which effectively bans union shops. The Republican chair refused to consider amendments, then called the roll and adjourned the meeting without announcing the vote tally.
At the end of the tape, you see the labor supporters in the room promising that this fight isn't over. Notice the guy in the orange jacket, the one who calls out, "American lives have been lost in wars defending our democracy." In a second clip, shorter overall, he says,
"How do you sleep at night? You're taking wages and benefits out of working families."
Wages in Right to Work states are an average of 3.2 percent lower than in states with strong unions. Indiana Republicans have said that companies are turning down Indiana because it allows union shops, but they haven't named companies that are staying away. Meanwhile, the state is attracting jobs faster than Right to Work states in the region.
In other news yesterday, Honda announced that it will build a new plant in Ohio, which has strong unions and no Right to Work law. The last time Honda offered this particular car model, the Acura NSX, it built them in Japan. Now it makes sense to do that manufacturing in Ohio, where, incidentally or not, the workers have the right to form a strong union. An official with the Center of Automotive Research told the Dayton paper he's not sure whether the presence of a union makes a difference for car companies these days. Yet there's talk of passing anti-union laws in Ohio and Wisconsin both.
Bringing manufacturing back to the states is a new development in the American economy; overseas wages have risen to a point where companies find it cheaper to make stuff in the U.S., so they do. It's also a new development in American politics; see the White House forum on "insourcing" today. The question now is what states will do in the name of courting those insourced jobs -- the "race to the bottom" President Obama spoke against at a fundraiser this week.
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, "American lives have been lost in wars defending our democracy."
"How do you sleep at night? You're taking wages and benefits out of working families."
Outstanding Job to that person!
its amazing that the wrong side party is always 180 degrees off mark. If its good for the people its bad for them.
As we have all seen unions overreaching are destroying our way of life. Hostess is now going into their second bankruptcy because of uncontrolled union demands and may not survive this one.
Is this what we want for our state governments?
I want my HoHo!
How are Union shops a form of democracy? You are removing the right of an employee to not associate with a Union, they are forced into a Union in order to garner employment.
Federal laws already stipulate that no one "has to join" a union, or "pay dues" for political causes they do not support. Getting rid of labor unions is a ploy to take away worker rights, not to give them a Right to Work.
So you are telling me if I was to get a job (before the changes) in the Wisconsin state government I would have had the right to refuse the state from deducting union dues from my paycheck?
You better check your facts
Indiana is attracting jobs...and they have unions! But wait, we're going to ignore reality and pass a bill the Koch brothers like...wth, Indiana GOP?!
Our collective ignorance of labor history is astonishing. I betcha that a random poll taken at any mall in America would discover that a large majority of Americans cannot name or identify The Wagner Act, NLRA, NLRB, or the role played by such labor-friendly leaders like Andy Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick. Ask them about the Pinkerton Guards and their operation in late nineteenth/early twentieth century labour issues. Ask them about the Homestead Strike in Pittsburgh in the late nineteenth century, and yes, I do think that many companies reject location in states that allow unions.
Mike the general public is ignorant on just about everything unless it is a reality show or a new "app' for their fancy phone.
Mike, not to mention the actual original purpose of large stone armories in many towns and cities. Here's a hint: It's not in case of foreign invasion.
Almost nobody knows any actual facts about unions.
A union is a legal non-profit entity that can enter into a contractual agreement with an employer on behalf of members, where membership is restricted to employees. Some unions have no "employer", such as agricultural unions that represent farmers.
Rather than being authorized directly by the secretary of state, unions are authorized only under the authority of the NLRB. The NLRB oversees elections, contract negotiations, reorganizations, etc.
Apart from restricted membership and compulsory adherence to NLRB rules, a "union" is no different from any other 501 charity, except that it is not a 501(c)3. The union can open bank accounts, collect donations (dues), and hire contractors (a lawyer). Unions are generally prohibited from directly influencing elections and can only participate in elections by making donations to other organizations.
In fact, the union contract provides more protection for the employer than the employee in most cases. As an example, union contracts for energy, transportation, and government workers include clauses that require management approval or physician approval for any unscheduled period away from the job site exceeding 72 hours for "essential personnel". That prevents strikes.
These kinds of restrictions create more stable organizations. That is why companies that have a union shop tend to grow into very large organizations.
All companies benefit from having a union so long as managers do not quarrel with the union leadership team.
"Insourcing..." Finally! Perhaps, just perhaps, the corner has just been turned and the course is finally being corrected within this nation's apparent race to the basement of economic decline. Power to the "people," once again? Now is the time for the real party of the people- the Democratic Party- to flex their muscles and take an honest inventory on how it will respond to the urgent needs of the nation. Shucks, in my opinion, bringing our military troops home from its spiraling around-the-globe combat deployment, as well as put an end to the sickening partisan politic, is merely a start.
Psst-the far right is laughing at you. They know that by making the states the battleground they have a chance. After all who votes in off years? National elections rarely draw out half of those of voting age how about your local elections? Could a bloc of committed voters holding less than ten percent of overall voters decide who will run your state? Would a few million bucks from a super pac put a candidate over the top for Mayor?
Conspiracy theory? Most plots are called just that until they unravel.
It is time for Ed Schultz to do a few shows from Indiana. Publicity brings national media attention to what is happening. It feeds the protests by giving the people their opportunity to tell their story. When those protests are going on, the politicians have a difficult time persuading people that the public supports these anti-union bills. The public hears people talk about having problems making ends meet, their meager wages and benefits to which people can relate to in their own lives. Publicity is what made the Wisconsin Republicans rush the bill through and hide from reporters. Publicity is what is making Walker hide behind ads and the friendly media. Politicians do not like the spotlight when they are doing bad things.
If you only want to preach to the choir, then Schultz is probably a good choice. If you want a more informative discussion, then choose someone like Brokaw to air the issue. This whole issue is caught up in particianship politics. Right to work laws don't ban unions. They merely say a worker has a right not to join. They benefit from collective bargaining advances, but don't have to contribute to the political contributions. This is especially true in public employee unions. Look at states like NY, where unions hold politicians hostage to gain unsustainable salaries and benefits.
There is a difference between unsustainable salaries and benefits and "fair" wages and benefits. The former does not equate to the latter nor do either equate to a "living" wage, particularly when it comes to the people who actually do the work. Cutting staff in any government agency does not mean fewer people doing the same work. It means work gets backlogged. I know because I worked for the state of Illinois and when there were layoffs, work did not get done. Later, it cost the state a lot of money to bring in people to clean up the backlog. The state brought in people on welfare to do the work and that was a disaster because the work had to be redone. The same applies to when the state tried to use prison workers to enter data. The pension issues here do not relate to the average state worker, but are found with people in management. If states really want to save money, then they need to update all their computer systems or install them for a lot of the work. But if you cut the budgets, the systems do not get installed or updated until years later when it costs more.
I understand your position, but don't understand the logic. No matter how you define "fair", which no one has, you have to be able to substain it. I don't disagree that issues such as tax code need to be rationalized, but, until we do that, we can't just keep spending. We can't keep mortgaging the future.
Are you suggesting that government should pay wages based on what it claims it can afford? If so, then states are going to claim that other matters have a priority over state employees wages. Scott Walker handed out tax cuts at the same time he is trying to cut wages. Should state employees trust the government that employs them to pay fair wages? When anyone gets a job, the salary has to be based in what is fair, not what the employer thinks it can afford. No one is going to work for a company that keeps crying poverty while paying top execs bigs money or paying dividends to shareholders. Employees will leave and the company will be unable to hire anyone at what they think the company can afford. That is what will happen to state and local governments; no one will work for them. Companies and states will always claim they cannot afford to pay more until there is an exodus and employees cannot be replaced. That is not a way to run a business or a government.
What I am suggesting is priorities have to be set within a budget. Salaries are not based on a vague notion of what is fair. They are based on a combination of many factors: competition, bargaining power, the impact on prices, etc. I am not suggesting CEO's salaries are fair, only that competion drives them. For example, Company A can produce a product for a dollar, based on costs. Company B produces a competing product at a cost of 2 dollars. The prices reflect these costs. Whose products will people buy?
Agree with you Mike. Ed needs to get down to Indianapolis ASAP, and shine a light on what is going on down there. Also, show how REAL Democrats like these Hoosier Democrats fight for what is right against all odds. Many of these Democratic Representatives have depleted their savings paying the heavy fines levied at them by Mitch Daniels. Let's all thank these Democratic Representatives from Indiana.
"Tom-3671033
Salaries are not based on a vague notion of what is fair."
That is a ridiculous assertion. Minimum wage laws are based on fairness. All private wages are based more or less on fairness. Otherwise employees go to other companies. The market sets wages for a lot of workers.
Tom, are you suggesting Americans shoul;d compete with undocumented workers for wages because that makes a nice fat bottom line? What about opening up companies overseas where you pay the workers pennies on the dollar? Good for the company, screw Americans workers!
But you can only do this so long before consequences catch up. America remains the the market of the world. If Americans remain unemployed, or wages are too low, then you start drying up markets, like...right now. The Great Recession. Companies have never made greater profits. Everyone else is getting shafted.
So, yes. Lets talk about what companies can afford to pay their employees!
Wages are unsustainable. Don't you know that? This is a poor country that can't afford anything, especially anything for workers. We have to pull the covers over our heads and fear the world. We are poor, don't forget that!
I live in a right to work state, Texas, and we are not experiencing big growth in any particular industry, people keep moving to Austin and the ever present service industry jobs seem to be the only substantial growth industry; duh, people need to eat so people need to serve food = job growth. T%he issue is that competition for manufacturing plants is now world wide phenomenom, competition is not from state to state, if you make it so you are managing a macroeconomic issue with a microeconomic solution: that does not work well.
I am soooo sick and tired of the minority ruling the majority!!! And I am ticked off that the republicans are able to force their will down our throats. And I put alot of the blame on the US Supreme Court for allowing "super pacs" to even exist. There is no voice left in this country for the poor or middle class. (Except for the job MSNBC does). The 1% will continue to rule until their "paid-for congress people" are in the unemployment lines, and the first to go should be the speaker of the house and my two senators, because they certainly don't represent me or anyone else who's fighting to put food on their tables.
I keep saying, Vote for Right to Work. Who needs unions when you can cook meth! Doesn't even require a GED or High School Diploma.
Seriously, Tulsa Oklahoma is far outstripping cities with populations numbering in the millions in the area of meth labs and for the very same reason that the crack epidemic spread like wildfire during the 1980s, social decay brought about by failure of the educational system (among lowest per pupil expenditure in the nation) and a paucity of good paying jobs that offer benefits. It is the triumph of Right to Work that causes this. Thus we are a beacon for the rest of the nation, an exemplar of how labor relations must be conducted. Because the stench of meth cooking smells like money and having houses, apartments and cars randomly explode from the meth labs they contain make life exciting!
True.
The more conservative that an area becomes, the more crime springs up out of nowhere.
This might have something to do with cannibalizing school funding to build prisons and hire more police. Every educator knows each $1 spent on education reduces crime spending by about $4 with about a 5 year fuse.
Voting for "lower crime" is like if everyone votes to have the government give them free money without having to work. Crime spending has to come from somewhere else, so this kind of voting pattern trashes the education system.
Crime is the end result of things that cause poverty starting in early childhood.
Cannabis sells for about $3,000/pound and a bachelors degree reduces cannabis crime by about 95% for the most basic reason.
We need money to survive in the US, and the only alternative to employment is crime.
Actually in Oklahoma, it is alittle more institutional than that.
We underfund schools because we don't believe in paying property taxes to educate other folk's children. Nor are we big in insuring children. We have high ranks in teen pregnancy and single parenthood and high school drop outs.
We imprison among the most people in the nation, right up there with Texas Louisiana and Mississippi. And incarcerate more women than ANYBODY.
But the prison industrial complex is actually a form of back door welfare on the public dime. It hides the evidence of social decay, is a wonderful tool to scare the straights with, and politically disenfranchises the underclasses who fall into the catch-all under the cracks.
If you want to clean all that up, invest in quality public education and abundant good paying jobs.
The crime of drug abuse isn't that so many people use drugs, its that the dealers and manufacturers don't feel they have prospects to earn money legitimately. The crack epidemic was borne of the Reagan era union busting, factory closing and social spending cuts. Now meth cooking is climbing in Oklahoma. Basically the same climate.
Making and selling drugs doesn't even require a GED.
All true.
California bankrupted itself doing that while Adolph Swartzeneger was governor.
These corporations have used these unbalanced tariffs and "free trade" agreements to ship our jobs and small businesses/factories overseas thus reducing the number of jobs available here therefore being able to bust unions, hold down wages and eliminate benefits. They blame all of this nations financial woes on the worker when it has been corporate malfeasance that has caused everything essentially. Seriously, all of the horrible political decisions can be traced to political favors to corporations in return for lush jobs promised to politicians in those corporations at the end of their political careers.
We however never get the full story and rarely even get any story at all from the media because the media itself is now all owned by these huge corporations and they represent the other huge multi-nationals. Did you know that the Apple plant in Asia now has permanent nets outside the walls of its buildings to catch the huge number of employees attempting suicide due to extremely low wages and harsh conditions there? Last week 300 employees threatened mass suicide. Yet the CEO of that company is making now what $375 million annually? I guess because of the problems there they will probably move their plant to where, war torn Congo, or another nation where people are starving to death and they will literally work for peanuts? Then those people committing suicide will learn their lesson when there are no jobs at all wont they? Maybe if they get down on their knees and beg the "job creators" will come back and give them their jobs back at half what it was before just like they're doing here in America. How do you like capitalism now?
So maybe the next time the reich voters might do their homework and "investigate the candidate" before they choose! This isn't a "new phenomenon" with the GOP screwing over Americans, they've been doing this for 30+ years along with the help of "division" politics!! So now that the sheeple are starting to wake up because "now they are feeling the pain" - everyone is supposed to understand that they are angry and upset!!
While I understand your pain, and am more than willing to "stand with you" right now - when it's all over and we've beaten those traitors to the American people out of the system, we need to have a serious dialog on the meaning of "E pluribus unum"!!
William I so agree with you! I live in Austin Texas and let me tell you, job competition here is out of control! People have fled here from all over the Country to escape dire situations in other States and now it is near impossible to find a job in any carer that isn't the service industry. I have a friend that just graduated from UT with a masters in social work, it has been 6 months and she still can't find a job. She is going to have to go back to waiting tables. Even here the jobs that are being created are just service industry jobs that pay bare minimum to get by, and almost never offer things like health insurance. Texas is a right to work state, and let me tell you, that also means you employer has the right to fire you without giving a reason. In a city where people are battling each other for jobs, you don't want your employer to have that kind of flippant power. I worked in a restaurant recently where I was payed $2.50 for labor! Not waiting tables, for doing dishes and other manual labor. When I contested I was told "You should be grateful because people are desperate for jobs!" This is the state of the Nation, and that is what a "right to work" environment will get you.
Yes this a tradgedy people dont care about the little man at all anymore. These will have a bad time on judgment day
Republicans act like bullies, out of fear: fear of unions, democrats, democracy, equal rights, religious freedom, gays, women's contraceptive rights, free speech, the right to assemble peacably, etc.. Basically, they are afraid of American ideals.
because they know it exposes them to the fact they dont like or have those American Ideals.
Unions protect the consumer from unsafe workmanship also; e.g., is someone an electrician/mason/plumber simply because s/he says so? So you hire a union electrician/mason/plumber and know that s/he will do the job hired to do.
Without unions, labor negotiations may look like this someday! http://www.gamespot.com/news/6348437.html