Do not make the mistake of thinking that because my conclusion is the same as another person's that my reasoning is the same
By Thomas A. Kochan, 9/1/2003
ON LABOR DAY, politicians usually applaud what workers do for the economy and society. This year speeches to this effect will ring hollow to the majority of American workers and their families. The reality is the American workforce resembles a pressure cooker about to blow.
Over the past decade workers and families have had to work longer hours only to be rewarded with stagnant or declining wages in the face of skyrocketing CEO pay, lost or dramatically diminished pensions, rising health insurance costs, and spreading job insecurity. Add to this the scandal induced breakdown in trust and confidence in corporations and their leaders, continued declines in union coverage and power, and a federal government busily reducing overtime coverage, quashing rules that would allow states to fund paid family leave, and unilaterally canceling thousands of federal workers' rights to join a union under the Orwellian guise that collective bargaining would be a threat to national security.
So maybe it is time for workers to say enough is enough. Instead of enduring more hollow rhetoric they might start demanding a new and better deal at work, one that gives them the tools to regain control of their economic destiny and restores trust and confidence in business and government.
From my own unscientific observations, when times were really good in the mid to late 90's people were trending pro labor. There seemed to be a lot of support for some high profile strikes like the UPS workers strike. That was quite different than the prevailing ones in the 70's and 80's.
It could be just be a cyclical swing but it also could be that when people see themselves prospering, they view labor unions (or are less prone to fall for) the propoganda that unions hurt their pocketbook. It'll be interesting to see what views emerge during this stagnant economy.
I think unions formed to oppose excessive corporate power and waned as people had (in their view) less to be concerned about.
They are now becoming very concerned.
Yet people are pretty convinced they are replaceable. And unemployment being what it is, they may be right. It will take a concerted effort to turn all this around.