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The fact that it's mostly about Europe is a genuine contribution. I had the (false) impression that in most of Western Europe, unions had won the political deba
by Cupertino95014 4y ago
The fact that it's mostly about Europe is a genuine contribution. I had the (false) impression that in most of Western Europe, unions had won the political debate decades ago and this stuff didn't happen.
As for Amazon: they are the poster child for unionization. They treat their workers as disposable pieces of meat with no rights, and if you want to get unionized, that's how you do it.
People who have actual experience with unions in this country have a more jaded view of them: they tend to be run by cliques of people who enjoy the high life on their members' dime (cf. Teamsters). "Filing a union grievance" is often not at all a wise career move. However, I can still totally understand an Amazon warehouse worker voting for a union.
- gkodpgfdgf 4y agoUnions are crushing the European economy with the constant work stoppages. Why would you think European unions have won the political debate?
- slively 4y agoI think they are referring the initial debate of whether or not to have a large union presence. In the USA that’s still a big debate, and the fact that there are large scale work stoppages in Europe only further proves the point that they decided having a large union pretense is good. After unions are established, then new debates will surely arise which seems to be what you are referring to.
- Cupertino95014 4y agoAs the other answer says: "win the political debate" doesn't mean "everyone loves them." It's not a value statement. It means "unions are highly encouraged, and companies pretty much have to recognize them."
- hef19898 4y agoAnd that's why the US are technically in a recession and the EU isn't yet, right?
- traceroute66 4y ago> I had the (false) impression that in most of Western Europe, unions had won the political debate decades ago and this stuff didn't happen. Your impression is not entirely false. Compared to the US, Western Europe is paradise on earth for employees. There are so many rights taken for granted by Western European employees that your average US-peep could only dream of. Where Western Europe does have problems is around contractors and the so-called gig economy (zero-hours contracts). That's still a bit of a grey area in many respects.
- blfr 4y ago> Compared to the US, Western Europe is paradise on earth for employees. No, it isn't. For example, > 80% of the French earn less than €3k a month (equivalent to $36k a year) and 50% less than €2k a month ($24k a year). This is BEFORE taxes on income. https://twitter.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1564868574879129600 https://twitter.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1564868574879129600
- random314 4y agoIn terms of median income, France and USA don't seem far apart 16K vs 19K https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/median-income-by-country https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/median-in...
- klyrs 4y agoMoreover, a normal work week in France is 35 hours. Assuming Americans work 40 hours a week, the implied median hourly wage is just about the same.
- JumpCrisscross 4y ago> median income, France and USA don't seem far apart 16K vs 19K After taxes and healthcare, adjusting for instability, the median European worker is better off. The top-performing American, on the other hand, is far better off than their European counterpart*. This is the design. Immigration + better life for the ambitious at the cost of a worse life for the median. It’s a recipe for brain drain and it works, though we must be honest at what cost. *non-aristocratic