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...and all of that is true, to a much greater extent, of the corporations whose workers unions represent. Do you think Amazon warehouse workers agree with the
by betterunix2 5y ago
...and all of that is true, to a much greater extent, of the corporations whose workers unions represent. Do you think Amazon warehouse workers agree with the views of every politician whose campaign received a contribution from Amazon?
I am a big fan of taking money out of politics and banning campaign contributions from unions, corporations, PACs, lobbying firms, and basically any entity that is not an individual citizen. Unfortunately, until that happens, unions must engage with political campaigns to counter corporate political engagement. Corporations push for politicians to pass union-busting laws and to block pro-union laws; unions push for politicians to block such union-busting and to pass pro-union laws.
As for your other comment, I have to wonder whose interests you think unions are representing when they actually sit down to negotiate pay, benefits, work rules, etc. Do you think that when a union rep says, "No, we need a healthcare plan that has a lower deductible," they are doing so because some politician somewhere benefits from it? Do you think "power people" tell a union that, actually, employees should have their wages adjusted according to both their seniority and the local cost of living? The day-to-day business of a union is its workers' interest, just like the day-to-day business of a corporation is its shareholders' interest, regardless of campaign contributions or support for politicians. If the workers feel that their interests are poorly represented, they can vote for different union leaders; likewise, when shareholders feel that their interests are poorly represented they can elect a different board of directors.
- chrisseaton 5y agoFor example in the UK unions funded politicians who voted to invade Iraq. Which worker was that in benefit of? And powerful people in unions can have regressive ideas. For example pay based on seniority is ageist. At the end of the day a union is a group of bullies like any other.
- betterunix2 5y agoWhat else did those politicians vote on? If your claim is that the union funded politicians because of their support for the invasion of Iraq, that is an extraordinary claim that demands extraordinary proof. Let's see your proof. [Edit: At the end of the day, union leaders are elected by union members, and if the members do not like how their contract is negotiated they can elect different leaders or otherwise make their voices heard. Call it "bullying" if you want, but I fail to see how non-unionized workers are not being bullied by the companies they work for, given how one-sided negotiations between individual workers and companies are.]
- chrisseaton 5y agoWhy does it matter why they funded them? Why are they funding them all all? What is going on the unions are funding one particular political viewpoint?
- betterunix2 5y agoRead the post you replied to; unions fund politicians who are friendly toward unions because corporations fund politicians who are antagonistic toward unions (or, if we are being charitable, let's say "politicians who are friendly to corporate interests").
- chrisseaton 5y agoThey’re friendly forwards unions… oh but by the way they’re also anti-Semitic. No thanks. I don’t want to fund that. Imagine if for example you were a Green or a Liberal. The idea of funding Labour could be seriously offensive to you.
- betterunix2 5y ago...because the corporations on the other side of the table would never support antisemites [0], white nationalists [1], fascists [2], or political parties that harbor and support such deplorable people [3]. Not that the workers have any say in who their employers make contributions to. [0] https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/marjorie-taylor-greene/summary?cid=N00044701 https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/marjorie-tay... [1] https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/steven-a-king/summary?cid=N00025237 https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/steven-a-kin... [2] https://www.opensecrets.org/pres16/contributors?id=n00023864 https://www.opensecrets.org/pres16/contributors?id=n00023864 [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_States) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_(United_State...
- chrisseaton 5y agoI don’t get your argument? Other people fund evil so workers might as well do the same?