I was raised to view labor unions as evil, standing in the way of the corporation doing its job of making money. Yes, my dad was "company," a plant manager, titular head of a company town, and very old school. As an elementary school student, I had to walk through the plant area in a fenced walkway to get from my house to the school. I walked by my dad's office where he was indoors in warmth and I walked behind buildings where others worked. I saw men lined up every morning in the freezing Colorado winter, behind one building and I asked my dad why they lined up there. His response, those are the union workers who have to clock in and out to document when the came to work and when their day was over. I swore then and there as a fourth grader that I didn't want to join a union and stand out in the cold. I wanted an office with heat like my dad. Flash forward to the time I had my first big girl job in a poorly managed hospital. There came a time when the hospital workers union started campaigning to unionize and I saw how quickly the hospital changed its tune and started taking care of the employees. I mean, who has a sick policy in a hospital that says if you call in sick, you don't get paid for the first day? I watched as people were sick for two days instead of one. The union threatened and suddenly the policy was changed. Coincidence? I don't think so. I then changed my thoughts toward unions a little. I still didn't think unions were good, as dad said they are just another business, yet I thought the threat of unionization was most excellent. As I moved from 300 bed hospitals to a 1500 bed hospital to the world's most highly rated cancer center in the world, I learned that what my dad had taught me was wrong. He said you don't need government to tell you what is the right thing to do. Let your values, integrity and ethics be the guide. It did not take me long to learn that most people don't do the right thing, especially senior management in corporations, be it healthcare or Enron (yes, my husband worked at Enron). It was the rules aren't made for me but for thee. I know see unions as a positive, a necessity to help those who do the labor which in turn becomes standard practice in the workplace. Unions are the only way to hold management accountable to do the right thing. Go unions!
This is a very interesting story and quite the opposite of mine . I was raised in a union household . After school I was hired by a big corporation at an entry level position which was represented by a union . This union was very active in achieving benefits for the workers while this company achieved global success. They had to fight hard for us. I am ever so grateful to the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers). As you well know ,companies will not share their success unless they absolutely are forced. I am so glad Jen picked unions today. We are contributing members of our country and fight to improve the lives of all workers.
"Let your values, integrity and ethics be the guide." is sadly what not enough people will do. More often than not they will follow the money. Corporations exist to make money for their owners/ investors/ share holders. Full stop.
Starting in 1981 Ronald Reagan sold the people of the US on the failed economic policy of "trickle down economics" or what is otherwise know as supply side economics. That has led to the largest transfer of wealth from the bottom 50% of the population to the top 1% and has created the current massive wealth inequality. President Biden had started to turn the US back to a demand side economy and the success he had was because of unions.
It's the demand for income equity that is driving the return of unions and their influence. It was the growth of them in the early 20th century that stood against poor pay, long hours, no overtime wages, unsafe working conditions, and parsimonious business owners. Unions were a movement that helped to create the middle class. Many of these conditions are reappearing, and as result, the importance of unions (and the rest of us) to reassert the same principles.
On a side not (or maybe not such a side note), the American Foreign Service Association and AFGE (its civil service counterpart) just filed suit against the Administration for its illegal closure of USAID.
[T]he AFL-CIO has launched a new initiative. “The nation’s largest federation of unions is starting a campaign to push back on Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who has been empowered by President Trump to carry out a largely unchecked attempt to purge the federal work force,”
We are going to need these organizations to allow us to reach a critical mass that can stand against a regime who will respect no law. Force of numbers is going to be necessary.
I was never a union member, but ONLY because the career path I followed--variedly--never had one for me or my particular job. I would certainly have joined otherwise.
In spite of that, I knew--and still know--absolutely that we all are much better off because of Unions. My work hours and number of hours per day, my work safety, my salaries, and so many other things were the result of unions for ALL of us, NOT just those who were union members. So I definitely thank unions, union members, and very definitely the people who fought and died to make it clear to the country that We The People are the government, NOT those who think they are!
I have never been a union member, but have always, always appreciated their critical role in countering the interests of business to improve things for workers and ALL Americans. Glad to see them standing up here; I don’t know who else would do it better.
My father was a life long union member. He firmly believed in what unions represented and what it did for him and his family. Because of his belief in unions, we as his family lived a little bit better than most, had insurance, and he had job stability. He is now 86 years old and I can't wait to tell him how the unions are fighting back.
The problem with income inequality is that we MUST change the tax system to bring more income to the lower 90% of our citizens. MAGA has managed to convince people that billionaires paying their fair share of taxes is "class warfare" and that the "job creators" must not be burdened with proportionate tax contributions.
We need to all remember that during the EISENHOWER era, the top marginal tax rate was 91%, and yet the economy flourished and the middle class was more prosperous than ever.
High taxes on the very wealthy does not sink the economy, it boosts it, because government can then invest in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and industry so that more people can thrive instead of merely hanging on.
Start with closing loopholes. Easier to do. A tax code re-write is a massive lift and will face tremendous pushback from the lobbyist of the 1%ers. They will fight it tooth and nail and the Rs will do everything to prevent it from occurring.
Thank you for highlighting how unions can make a difference. I’m curious if the leadership of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters is having any second thoughts now, after declining to endorse Harris in the election. Maybe their members aren’t touched by this crisis, not yet anyway? I noticed that Arab-Americans for Trump changed its name to Arab-Americans for Peace after Trump said he wanted to take over Gaza and turn it into a resort. They couldn’t have been surprised by this? I veer off topic. Thank you for staying focused on the people who understand the dangers we face under Trump and how organized action makes a difference.
Thank you for this update. I was not always a union member (exempted salaried employee) but benefitted from their advocacy for better pay and benefits. I support unions fully.
Thank you so much for this shout out to unions, Jen. I'm proud to have been a union member for many years. Solidarity forever!
Yes! A proud past member of the ILGWU years ago, and more recently the IBEW.
I hope the unions, and the judiciary are able to steamroll the lawless executive branch.
You and me both!
I was raised to view labor unions as evil, standing in the way of the corporation doing its job of making money. Yes, my dad was "company," a plant manager, titular head of a company town, and very old school. As an elementary school student, I had to walk through the plant area in a fenced walkway to get from my house to the school. I walked by my dad's office where he was indoors in warmth and I walked behind buildings where others worked. I saw men lined up every morning in the freezing Colorado winter, behind one building and I asked my dad why they lined up there. His response, those are the union workers who have to clock in and out to document when the came to work and when their day was over. I swore then and there as a fourth grader that I didn't want to join a union and stand out in the cold. I wanted an office with heat like my dad. Flash forward to the time I had my first big girl job in a poorly managed hospital. There came a time when the hospital workers union started campaigning to unionize and I saw how quickly the hospital changed its tune and started taking care of the employees. I mean, who has a sick policy in a hospital that says if you call in sick, you don't get paid for the first day? I watched as people were sick for two days instead of one. The union threatened and suddenly the policy was changed. Coincidence? I don't think so. I then changed my thoughts toward unions a little. I still didn't think unions were good, as dad said they are just another business, yet I thought the threat of unionization was most excellent. As I moved from 300 bed hospitals to a 1500 bed hospital to the world's most highly rated cancer center in the world, I learned that what my dad had taught me was wrong. He said you don't need government to tell you what is the right thing to do. Let your values, integrity and ethics be the guide. It did not take me long to learn that most people don't do the right thing, especially senior management in corporations, be it healthcare or Enron (yes, my husband worked at Enron). It was the rules aren't made for me but for thee. I know see unions as a positive, a necessity to help those who do the labor which in turn becomes standard practice in the workplace. Unions are the only way to hold management accountable to do the right thing. Go unions!
This is a very interesting story and quite the opposite of mine . I was raised in a union household . After school I was hired by a big corporation at an entry level position which was represented by a union . This union was very active in achieving benefits for the workers while this company achieved global success. They had to fight hard for us. I am ever so grateful to the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers). As you well know ,companies will not share their success unless they absolutely are forced. I am so glad Jen picked unions today. We are contributing members of our country and fight to improve the lives of all workers.
"Let your values, integrity and ethics be the guide." is sadly what not enough people will do. More often than not they will follow the money. Corporations exist to make money for their owners/ investors/ share holders. Full stop.
Starting in 1981 Ronald Reagan sold the people of the US on the failed economic policy of "trickle down economics" or what is otherwise know as supply side economics. That has led to the largest transfer of wealth from the bottom 50% of the population to the top 1% and has created the current massive wealth inequality. President Biden had started to turn the US back to a demand side economy and the success he had was because of unions.
Thank you for sharing your story.
Nice story, thank you!
It's the demand for income equity that is driving the return of unions and their influence. It was the growth of them in the early 20th century that stood against poor pay, long hours, no overtime wages, unsafe working conditions, and parsimonious business owners. Unions were a movement that helped to create the middle class. Many of these conditions are reappearing, and as result, the importance of unions (and the rest of us) to reassert the same principles.
On a side not (or maybe not such a side note), the American Foreign Service Association and AFGE (its civil service counterpart) just filed suit against the Administration for its illegal closure of USAID.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-sued-by-government-workers-over-slashing-usaid-2025-02-07/
Standing up and applauding all union members! Thank you the Undaunted
Definitely good to see the AFL-CIO take a positive step.
CSEA Member here!
(We need a better rallying song than "Look For The Union Label", by the way....)
Some of us are even old enough to remember...
"There once was a union maid, who never was afraid
Of the goons, the ginks and the company finks, and the deputy sheriffs who made the raids...
She always got her way, when she struck for better pay,
She'd show her card to the National Guard and this is what she'd say,
'Oh you can't scare me, I'm stickin' with the union,
In spite of Truman, stickin' with the union til' the day I die!"
My mother used to sing that... 😊
I still can sing this song and others..."Miner's life is like a sailor's"
"Is there aught we hold in common with the greedy parasite,
Who would lash us into serfdom and would crush us with his might?
Is there anything left to us but to organize and fight?
For the union makes us strong."
Right on!
[T]he AFL-CIO has launched a new initiative. “The nation’s largest federation of unions is starting a campaign to push back on Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who has been empowered by President Trump to carry out a largely unchecked attempt to purge the federal work force,”
We are going to need these organizations to allow us to reach a critical mass that can stand against a regime who will respect no law. Force of numbers is going to be necessary.
I was never a union member, but ONLY because the career path I followed--variedly--never had one for me or my particular job. I would certainly have joined otherwise.
In spite of that, I knew--and still know--absolutely that we all are much better off because of Unions. My work hours and number of hours per day, my work safety, my salaries, and so many other things were the result of unions for ALL of us, NOT just those who were union members. So I definitely thank unions, union members, and very definitely the people who fought and died to make it clear to the country that We The People are the government, NOT those who think they are!
I have never been a union member, but have always, always appreciated their critical role in countering the interests of business to improve things for workers and ALL Americans. Glad to see them standing up here; I don’t know who else would do it better.
I was also raised by the person in the warm office. Thank goodness adulthood changed my thoughts about equality and fairness.
My father was a life long union member. He firmly believed in what unions represented and what it did for him and his family. Because of his belief in unions, we as his family lived a little bit better than most, had insurance, and he had job stability. He is now 86 years old and I can't wait to tell him how the unions are fighting back.
The problem with income inequality is that we MUST change the tax system to bring more income to the lower 90% of our citizens. MAGA has managed to convince people that billionaires paying their fair share of taxes is "class warfare" and that the "job creators" must not be burdened with proportionate tax contributions.
We need to all remember that during the EISENHOWER era, the top marginal tax rate was 91%, and yet the economy flourished and the middle class was more prosperous than ever.
High taxes on the very wealthy does not sink the economy, it boosts it, because government can then invest in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and industry so that more people can thrive instead of merely hanging on.
Start with closing loopholes. Easier to do. A tax code re-write is a massive lift and will face tremendous pushback from the lobbyist of the 1%ers. They will fight it tooth and nail and the Rs will do everything to prevent it from occurring.
Thank you for highlighting how unions can make a difference. I’m curious if the leadership of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters is having any second thoughts now, after declining to endorse Harris in the election. Maybe their members aren’t touched by this crisis, not yet anyway? I noticed that Arab-Americans for Trump changed its name to Arab-Americans for Peace after Trump said he wanted to take over Gaza and turn it into a resort. They couldn’t have been surprised by this? I veer off topic. Thank you for staying focused on the people who understand the dangers we face under Trump and how organized action makes a difference.
I have a hard time having any sympathy for these groups. Hope you are happy with the results. They have entered the FO phase of FAFO.
Thank you for this update. I was not always a union member (exempted salaried employee) but benefitted from their advocacy for better pay and benefits. I support unions fully.