Comments on: “Real Life Card Check Experience” & Wide Open Thread

By: jbjd

jbjd — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:29:33 +0000

The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) obtained $70m and reinstated 1,564 workers in 2008.

http://www.lawatwork.com/news/2008/11/02/nlrb_obtained_70_million_and_reinstated_1564.html

By: jbjd

jbjd — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:10:54 +0000

The Senate confirmed Tim Geithner, who did not pay his federal taxes, to the position of Secretary of the Treasury. So, should we dissolve cabinet positions, along with Congress?

By: Lyn

Lyn — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 02:43:34 +0000

Since this is a WIDE OPEN thread and I know alot of people here are dog owners/lovers, I wanted to share something I just remeberred watching Dog down and a doggie having surgery.
Did you know there are dog Blood banks, like the red cross for humans? They work differently all over, but most large vet hospitals or schools have them, since more dogs have surgery these days. We live close to Philly and they actually have a blood mobile that you can call and have a donor drive at your house, you pick a day and spread the word and they park the moblle at your house for about 4 hours. A friend of ours has a drive once a year to give back because their dog had surgery and used blood. It is easy and the dogs didn’t seem to mind and got treats and a bag of food ect and http://www.vet.upenn.edu/RyanHospital/SpecialtyCareServices/BloodBank/AnimalBloodmobile.aspx

When I just googled it I found a pretty good article about the requiremnts to donate as well as a list of some of the centers that take Dog blood donations http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art32483.asp

By: lorac

lorac — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 02:21:32 +0000

I don’t know if this is true, but I heard that Pelosi can just put it back in when it goes back to the House.

And we know they don’t necessarily read when they sign off on…

By: lorac

lorac — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 02:16:28 +0000

LOL Ewwwwww that was gross!

Mark Fiore has a new animation about the economy – he uses frogs, but no blood!

http://www.markfiore.com

It’s the newest animation, the title has the word “leverage” in it (sorry, can’t remember exact title)

By: FLDemFem

FLDemFem — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 02:02:02 +0000

No one is saying that unions are a bad thing. The problem is what they have evolved into. When they were working men who banded together to get fair wages and hours they were on the side of the angels. These days they have devolved into big top-heavy organizations which have had ties to organized crime, among other things. They have come a long way from the days of Joe Hill and Mother Jones, and the end product isn’t anything like what they envisioned. I doubt either one of them would have wanted people threatened to make them join the union. After all, that’s how the bosses tried to keep people from forming them in the first place.

By: jsparrow

jsparrow — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:46:40 +0000

Before you go and berate the unions, think about the overtime check you get. Unions got you that. Think about the 40 hour work week you enjoy while out on the lake in your boat. Unions got you that. Think about how safe you are in the work place. Unions got you that. Notice, there are no children on the shop floor. Yes, unions got you that also.

Before people were allowed to unionize, children, as young as 12, worked along side adults in sweat shop conditions,six days a week, twelve to fourteen hours a day for wages that could barely support a family of three.

Deaths on the job were common. Injured workers were fired.

I won’t even discuss the corrupt company stores that deducted ridiculous amounts of money for rancid food and cheap products.

Unions changed all of that. Unions gave surpressed workers dignity as well as safe working conditions and fair wages.

So when I here people spouting off about how unions have hurt America, I ask them how many hours a week they work, how many days a week, and do they get sick pay, overtime pay or vacation pay? Thank the Unions.

By: I'mFedUp

I'mFedUp — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:35:24 +0000

My half sister and her mother lived in Miami when Castro cut his criminals loose on us. They were raped, beated and robbed by three of them in a home invasion. My sister was never the same, and her mother died shortly after. I’m sure Obama doesn’t care about what happens to us.

By: Peggy Sue

Peggy Sue — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:31:23 +0000

I love this, Eastan! Too bad we don’t have an Icelandic consciousness.

I agree with Susan. If, in fact, there were many rounded up unfairly, unjustly and thrown into Gitmo, then these people are hardly going to be well-disposed towards the US or her government. “Hoping” isn’t good enough because the sort of hope these folks [0bama's team] have been selling has turned out to be bogus.

I want the American public’s security to come first. If 0bama and his people are so-o-o sensitive about this issue, let them take a few ex-Gitmo people in. Move a few into the White House and chum with the inner circle. Let Emmanuel and Axelrod and Biden put a few up. Pelosi and Reid, too. Oh, and please, add Dodd to the list. Ask Michelle to put down a few extra place settings at the table. I’m sure she’d be open to the idea.

It’s easy to do the PR speak until it affects you and the ones you care about.

Just my humble opinion. But I’d like to see generosity and brotherly love coming from the top. Just for once! Otherwise, it doesn’t mean squat.

By: jbjd

jbjd — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:29:53 +0000

I was a labor major in college (B.A., Worker Advocacy and Labor Law) and so, I could write volumes about this issue. But let me just respond to one issue you raise in opposition to unions. You say, laws now protect workers, making unions unnecessary. Okay, let’s say, your employer fires you in violation of the law. (And let’s assume, you want your job back.) You can hire a lawyer, file a lawsuit, file a lawsuit (depending on the violation you allege, you might have to file a complaint with the appropriate state or federal agency, first, and await their decision before proceeding to court); and, assuming you win, wait another few years for the appeal to be heard. Or, you can grieve the discharge as a violation of the collective bargaining agreement, represented by union officials or attorneys, paid for by union dues, and go through expedited grievance and arbitration. You will have a decision in days. (Private sector employees in most states are employees at will, and can be fired without cause. Union contracts usually contain clauses that require any discharges to be for cause. Again, this means, the employee has job security, as long as the employer documents he is doing his job.)

Finally, unions are corrupt because members who are not do not attend union meetings or run for union office. (Just like politics in general.)

By: WMCB

WMCB — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:51:43 +0000

Yes, I’d like to know what person removed the mandatory clause as well. I’d like to thank them

By: FLDemFem

FLDemFem — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:44:28 +0000

I think the idea of unions is good, but the reality of them has become something we can do without for now. I support in-house unions which would be the collective bargaining of the workers of that particular business without the dues and other interference from the national unions. Many of the people I know in business couldn’t stay in business if they had to pay union wages. They do pay as well as the business allows, however, and have decent benefits. And unions don’t take into consideration many factors that affect the need for wage levels. For instance, where I live the cost of living is much lower than other parts of the country, so one can live well on much lower pay. If the businesses here were forced to pay union wages, they would go out of business, and it would be stupid to ask them to since union pay scale isn’t needed for a good lifestyle here. By good I mean pay the mortgage, eat, pay utility bills and have something left over for savings and vacations. You don’t need unions to guarantee that, the law should cover it and if it doesn’t, we should make sure it does.

By: Tess

Tess — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:43:15 +0000

As long as this is an Open Thread, and since I must leave, I note the Senate passage of the National Service Program, the O’s civilian army. What I want to know is who was smart enough, brave enough to remove the word “mandatory” from the bill?

By: WMCB

WMCB — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:30:30 +0000

I feel the same way about unions. They are a wonderful tool for giving clout to the worker, but there is WAY too much corruption, coercion, and abuse of power in their hierarchies. I’ve seen it, my family members have seen it.

Heck, we all saw it going on at the Nevada primary this past year.

Management does often exploit the workers if you give them a chance. But the solution is not yet another group taking over the bullying and exploitation in the name of “helping” them.

By: candymarl

candymarl — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:08:42 +0000

Remember Biden said there would be a major terrorist event within the first six months of the administration. The best way to ensure that is to let go a bunch of tortured and humiliated, accused falsely or not, people.