mweiss said:
Here's where I'm suspicious of the conspiracy theory (no, I won't call it ridiculous). What you're suggesting is that corporations' boards of directors are hiring CEOs with the goal of busting unions, even if it means shutting down the company.
mweiss,
You have to think a little deeper than that. I believe that Wolf hired the best in the "union busting business". Wasn't Dave S. It was Jerry G. He has his own consulting firm affliliated with Ford and Harrison who specialize in thwarting union actiivity and anit-union organizing drives. Jerry himself brags that he has negotiated over 60 airline contracts with no job actions. I am told he has placks in his office with awards for anti-union activty. Why do you think there was no job action? Look at what he was able to do with U? You don't think Dave S. was able to do this. He knew who to bring in to do this dirty work. Jerry was hired vs. coming in as a consultant to bypass the Secretary of labor and reporting that U hired a anti-labor consultant. This is very important in the beginning of the process in order to not alert the unions that you have a bonified, hired union buster on the property. And it worked. In exchange for Jerry's services, he becomes a millionaire, gets a piece of the action for his part in this "plan", and can go to any firm that has unions and demonstrate what his accomplishments were busting the unions at U.
Simply done... threaten an older work force that is "topped out" in wages and benefits, liquidation, BK are always in this equation; now with every airline that has topped out older population of workers. You will never know what we go through internally on this property. Its like battered children from parents who continually abuse daily. If you speak, (Ethics/conduct policy booklet) you will recieve God's wrath. Management makes union leaders sign cofidentiality agreements not to protect the "entity" for SEC reasons, but actually so we don't share information with each other, members and other union leaders.
Its simply amazing the tactics, strategies, schemes that are used to divide the unions internally and with each other. If I didn't witness this myself, I would call someone else fabricators making up stories because of self-induced paranoia.
You believe whatever you want. And if you ignore what I state on these boards, than you are only conceptualizing half a story. No businessbooks, history, legacy, will teach you what I am telling on these boards and many posters who belong in every union category.
You are correct when you say its all about "capitalism" public for profit. And I guess even if "unchecked" seems justfiable for the sake of money for wall street gambers. Even ok to take the livilihoods of American workers. Hell, its America, its all acceptable if you can beat your competitor for the sake of that buck.
What you are not correct in is unions operate on "democratic principles". Not an entity that is pulic for profit. When you understand this, you will understand one element in the "other part" of the equation in the "checks and balance" economic system. There are no unions who have ever put a company or industry out of business. In fact, if you know history of labor, labor has always stepped up to the plate and have given back even more than they ever were given through binding contacts and negotiations. I don't believe in your business education and circle of knowledge you would know this. I wouldn't have known it through my education. I only know of this from my experience as a union member for AFA and as a union member for nurses 1199P SEIU.
Unions strive for balance; not wealth.