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Fight for benefits. I am a retired Union worker. Yes, my wages were good. My real benefits were to my family’s health care and now my future well being. My children have broken through the cycle of poverty. That is the real benefit of unionized labor.
I never thought I would live long enough to see unions start to make a comeback in America. I always wondered what it would take for the working class to realise what happened to their standard of living over the last 30 plus years. This gives me hope that the working class will better their living standards thus making America stronger. A thriving middle class makes a stronger America.
Looking at this from Germany, I realize that while unions have the same goal the seem to do quite different things or lets say, seem to things quite different here. But it also is a bad comparison. We may be quite spoiled in comparison. By law in Germany you have the right to join a union, and you cannot be fired because of being a union member. (same with workers councils which work on a company level, they may well be linked) On the other hand, we mostly have something that is called "Tarifvertrag" in German. That would be a collective agreement on wages for one Unions responsibility. Lets say for example IGM, Interessen Gemeinschaft Metall, which would be the Union for workers in any trades regarding metal and electric stuff, agrees with employer representative on a common agreement for the next 2 or 3 years that wages will be raised by e.g. 1.5 % every year. All companies paying wages according to this collective agreement will have to pay the increase. There are usually no negotiations between Unions and single companies. As long as the agreement is valid there usually are no strikes. Only during the time of negotiations those are an option, and every Union worker by law can participate. Also Our Unions create funds to pay the workers on strike what they call a strike pay, as a strike is an unpaid leave. For the example of amazon there had been severe discussions. On the one side there is the union for trade, banks and insurance companies who claims to be responsible for amazon employees as they are a trading company. On the other hand amazon wants to negotiate with the union for logistics, as they see their distribution centers mainly as logistics. And looking what is done at amazon, for a very large part it indeed is more logistics work. But amazons interest in that union is because wages in logistics are way lower than in trade. (Which would be a minimum wage defined by law as 9.82 EUR, from October this year it will be 12 EUR, although certain trades, like roofers, electricians, caregivers and others already have higher minimum wages defined) Sad side of that, although to parts of the world this must be like paradise, unions are so much taken for granted that people easily get annoyed if for example train drivers strike. (Even if I have to admit that some unions involved have union leaders who are less interested in negotiating a fair agreement which is beneficial for the employees and does not hurt the employers to a point where they have to downsize, but are more interested in their own profile and act like politicians.) Also some are afraid things may get more expensive if companies have to pay higher wages. Well, some should realize that for reasons of economy we stopped paying for things what they actually are worth (and not only in material), but all most of us if not even all of us had been interested in over years was where can I get what I want as cheap and as fast as possible. And my bet is, the positive economical impact of a number of people having more money to spend outweighs what little we may have to pay more. So as long as unions don´t act like corrupt politicians, go for it. It may be a hassle, but it may be well worth it.
@@johnjingleheimersmith9259 No, the quote comes from the early 20th Century labor activist, Joe Hill. Hill was convicted and executed for a crime he probably did not commit. He told his colleagues, "Don't mourn, organize."
Also facing Republican Conservatives in their workforce. The white population culture in America has a Sambo ( A person willing to do anything to make a rich person rich. Even if it does not benefit themselves) problem that black people thought we only had. But we recognize the people that we call Sambo. They normally go for the Republican party ideologies. Because they hate themselves more. So they believe in a false hierarchy ideology.
@@tygrkhat4087 What he actually said was "Don't waste any time mourning. Organize!" either way, searching the two phrases against each other, it looks like "agonize" has become predominant slightly. Regardless, considering the synonymity of the two words, it's clear that "agonize" is the far better choice since it rhymes. Just my 2 cents
We live in a country where companies and their wealthy owners and higher ups don’t want to pay living wages, give benefits or support unionization and at the same time complain, belittle and “other” those same employees that NEED government assistance. They do the same thing with women’s bodily autonomy……NO! You can’t get an abortion. You MUST have that baby BUT you’re a piece of crap if you need government assistance for that unwanted child. Disgusting.
" don't want to pay living wage.." Then they should get out of our country. Overturn the applecart is the first part of getting what you want. Why do you come ion here and bitch when you could be at work flushing your fucking sweater down the toilet..? Acts of civil/commercial disruption and very cathartic especially when the sub human wage earner knows they will be fired/prosecuted for standing up...
@@jeffyoung2089 do you know how many kids grow up without being adopted? Adoption is NOT the answer. Do you know that abandonment before the age of 3 is one of the elements in creating a repeat offender?
Amazon isn't making a lot of money from selling individuals of household items. Amazon makes a lot of money from selling things to companies and cloud-based computing. Amazon will break up into different companies after it's unionized.
It’s not just about living wages, it’s about working conditions. It’s not going to significantly hurt Amazon in the long run They will adjust prices while still maintaining quick, easy, online marketplace presence at prices that will draw in their consumer base.
@@Debberdoon I've worked in union jobs most of my life. Even with unions, bad intentioned executives will try to save money at the expense of safety and working conditions of labor. That's when labor unions really shine. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Folks think unions are bad for a company. In reality, good unions prevent companies from making rash decisions that can put a company out of business and people out of a job. Good labor unions benefit both workers and company.
Unions built the middle class, and two-thirds of economic growth comes from consumer spending. Trickle down economics makes the rich richer. Put money in the hands of the working poor and the middle class, and they will buy things, create more jobs and drive the economy.
Trickle down economics is putting just enough gas in to keep the engine running while ignoring any idea of preventative maintenance. Then blaming the "lazy" engine when it studders or stalls.
"The real value of minimum wage (adjusted for inflation) is 17% less than 10 years ago and 31% less than in 1968." "If the minimum wage did rise in step with productivity growth since 1968 it would be over $24 an hour today,"
I come from a business owner family. I used to be anti-union, but thanks to being "woke" I became a Union supporter about 50 years ago. It's only fair that the workers have someone to speak for them; business has the federal government and tons of highly paid lawyers. Only fair.
It may be historically instructive to note that one of the very 1st groups that Hitler targeted were trade unionists. It was an excellent way to get the industrialists on his side as they ramped up to make war.
@@blasphimus , The OP did include the word *ethical*; did you miss that part? Your criticism could also be aimed at our government here in America, but does that mean that we simply give up up and let the corrupt politicians have free reign, or do we support and hopefully elect candidates who will go forward in a more ethical manner? Besides which if all unions were as corrupt as corrupt as you seem to believe wouldn't it make more sense for giant corporations to allow unions and then use that union corruption to their advantage, giving the company a veneer of respectability and supposed commitment to treating workers fairly?
"Well run, ethical unions and leadership"...... Seems like that should be sorted out first? . As for being "critical", with proper labor laws in place and adherence by government, the company and the workers, I would say not so much.
It is the truth! The biggest difference in quality of life over the past few decades has been the growing gap between the cost of living and wages that have not kept up! You want more “traditional” families?Try paying enough that one person’s wages can actually support a family!They should indeed claim that goal! They should also remember that they stand on the shoulders of brave generations past who fought and sometimes died to form unions to bring us the things we’ve come to take for granted: 40 hr weeks, OSHA standards for safety, paid leave, profit sharing, etc. Stay strong and keep fighting the good fight!
Well hello Beau! I never thought I would see citizens in a southern state vote for a union. It’s past time for unions. I hope and pray that Alabama Amazon workers vote for the union!
Provided they sober up, and stop going to the hoe downs with their sisters!! 😒 Good old south!! 😏 been voting against their own best interest for couple hundred years!!
Unions or Guilds are the most important thing a worker can be a part of. Having a pension and being vested in union health benefits are a must as you get older. It’s time for workers to realize that collective bargaining gives them strength. They are the economy as we saw during the pandemic, not the owners or the stockholders. Without the workers your stocks are worthless.
There are exceptions, a union isn't the be-all, end-all. I have worked in the skilled trades most of my working life (40+ years), and never for a union shop although I've had the opportunity. I've seen good unions, and corrupt unions. I've seen unions taper off an employee's hours as they get close to retirement, causing them to fall just short in hours worked, making them ineligible for retirement benefits. Currently, I work for a 100% employee-owned company, and it is in my opinion the best place I've worked. Workers have a voice without paying union dues or being beholden to a union for work. I enjoy great pay & health benefits, without the need for a strike. In addition to profit sharing and a 401K match, we also have an Employee Stock Ownership Plan which accrues company stock based upon your tenure. This is distributed after retirement. If all businesses were run as honestly as my current employer is, there would be no need for labor unions.
@@camwyn256 A union is closer to socialism than our situation. Placing ownership in the hands of employees is the company's decision, something Republicans are all about...right?
@@mikerew9132 hardly any businesses (especially in the US) are run that way though - and even if they are... unions should always be readily available its the insurance against abuse... the checks and balances against employer power just as you cant trust in there always being a benevelong monarch... you cant trust in there being a benevolent boss and if things turn sour...you need to stand united sidenote: i love the idea of co-ops - great way of essentially building the union into the very fabric of the company - though its possible that as it is scaled up there might be concentrations of power one should be wary for but honestly...in an ideal situation we would have loads of small to medium sized co-ops rather than one or two monolithic corporations.... and at that point scaling up becomes a non-issue
8-hour workday (versus 12 hours or more), Saturdays off, worker health benefits, child labor laws, a safe work environment are just a few of the things we take for granted that are a result of unions in the U.S.
We had a great teachers union for years in the parish next door to New Orleans, but it fell by the wayside, as did UTNO after Katrina. They need to get the teachers unions back! We have a lot on our shoulders and usually are not universally supported, especially by parents who sure don’t mind leaving their kids with us, but won’t vote for taxes to support our salaries.
Yes, yes, yes! There's a group that's grossly undervalued, under paid, under-supported and underrepresented--all people working in schools. Teachers, SLPs, OTs, are killing themselves, burning out volunteering tons of their own time... It's definitely time, past time, for more good school unions!! (Needed here in California too, where it's spotty at best)
Did y'all see the video w/Tammy from HR going around an Amazon warehouse, taking down unionization literature/posters in the employee break room? She was told what she was doing was illegal, and she was all, oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know, I'll stop! Then when she thought no one was filming her, she started throwing more pro-union pamphlets/posters away. I propose "Tammy" be the new "Karen" - friendly to your face, sneaky af when she thinks no one's watching. Tammy is proof HR is not the employees friend.
@@karenjohannessen8987 0% labor is what the company gets during a strike! Maybe a negative value of sorts if you count PR and obstruction efforts. It's the alternative to equitable pay.
Anthony Miele.. I retired as a union machinist and we were making $14.00 an hour in 1986. 24.00 doesn't cut it!!! In order to in the world today!!! I would say 50.00 would be a good wage.
@EmbleerHomba Yeah, that too. When I was a union official I had to argue daily with my fellow workers about having a closed shop in a right to work state along with battling management.
And safe working conditions! There have been so many horrific deaths from companies cutting safety corners in order to increase their profits. If we're supposed to treat corporations like people, how come they merely get fined whenever they commit murder, usually a fine that's a drop in the bucket for them, one which they often weasel out of ("Can you prove that the plaintiff died of cancer because of wading up to the waist in a known carcinogen--or was it because she smoked?") and often don't even bother paying, without consequences? I'd like to see corporate execution--not the physical death of any of their flesh components, but all of their assets auctioned off to new management, whenever they are guilty of taking a life. Do that enough times, and the new management will take great pains not to meet the same fate.
@Adam Johnson "...more kids..." The single guy in your example is available for more hours, so he has some relative bargaining power. Like, if they're covering shifts and making time and a half. Both should have available paternity leave, medical insurance, and the ability to have a child sometimes. o_O Right? There's a curious proposition there... should a living wage only exist for people who are single? Married to their job? Disincentivized to ever have a family? You just might say, "Yes, it happens all the time," and I'd say, holy sh*t yeah, that's why we need collective bargaining! That's utter madness. When you trade your labor, it's to sustain you as a human being. Last I checked, humans have babies, and those babies need things. However, people self regulate around this very thing! People with higher earnings have more opportunity in life. This means more can consider focusing on education, career, retirement, health, family planning, etc.. and those things naturally temper approach toward child rearing across a population.
@Adam Johnson I know you're not saying that making $13 an hour in a warehouse where you don't have time to piss, though. lol Got any hot takes on slavery for me, babe?
I lived in Allentown over 50 years. Billy Joel is talking about Bethlehem here. But Allentown fit the lyric cadence better. Its about the Bethlehem Steel's demise.
Again, I admire the fight, and it's apparently só necessary! Makes a lot of us Europeans feel like spoiled brats, having the protection for workers most of the time automatically.
Hat's of to you Europeans. Stay strong. It gives us something to point to when needed. The Republicans and wealthy have torn our unions down almost to non existence. Ronald Reagan really got the ball rolling on union busting. It's hard to believe how many American union members vote republican. Republicans are the reason we have lost our strength. Red Hat's look at the label. Now ask to see a Biden label. The red hat label will be made in China. The Biden label will be union made in the 🇺🇸
Us Europeans shouldn't get too comfortable though.. there's constant pressure to erode the rights we managed to wrestle from the owning class. They won't rest, neither should we.
I have been working on labor issues in the blue state where I live & the sheer volume of people who equate gladly eating a corporate sh!t sandwich with patriotism has about broken me. I can't even imagine trying in Alabama.
I am not surprised. People are sick and tired working for nothing. Working in dreadful conditions. Respect your employees and you will see the difference.
Corporations convinced everyone that unions are bad. I would not have the pension I am living on today without the union. Back in '79 I went from $140 a week and almost no benefits in a nob- union workplace, to $193.50 and great benefits and a strong union. Retired 32 years later with a wonderful pension and great medical insurance. A union can make all the difference. A union is all of us together, collective bargaining power. Think of a union as the Borg for corporations.
Imagine a world where representatives of the work force have to have a seat at a companys board and a say in how the company has to be run. Can you imagine what that would look like? Wouldn't it be crazy if there was a country where we could look at for an example? Howdy Beau, it's one of the german internet people again 😏 Greetings from Germany 🙋♂️
As a Spaniard, I can say that ALL the jobs I've held where the company's management board was completely detached from us the workers covered an ample spectrum of all around occupational shittiness. Every single one of them. Anyone in management that operates without any input from the workers is dead weight sucking off resources. Period.
@@danielr.y5261 My hypothesis is that authoritarian power structures make crappy collective decisions. A company where management doesn't get input from or take the feedback of the workers? Just issues orders? Well, they make worse decisions. ...IMO it's the same with governments. It's not just that such power structures make you miserable, they also do a bad job.
@@grmpEqweer The irony is that many of these same inherently authoritarian companies will generally end up spending huge amounts of money on management consultants that will encourage them to set up Kaizen events, which are literally a small-scale method of management getting input from the workers, and yet they never seem to connect the dots and work out that including the workforce in the decision making as a matter of course gets them even more benefit and without having to spend a ton on management consultants and off-site team-building nonsense!
@Adam Johnson the inventor of the company takes all the risks? When has that ever happened to a company large enough to have a board? They do not have any risks. They get loans...and if they fail they default on the loan. Take a guess whos' money actually gets risked here. Hint...it isn't the money of the company owner 😉
My grandfather’s generation was unionized. They provided a good life and a good start to my parents’ generation. My parents’ generation tore apart unions. They sit in self-righteous judgment of all that have come after them while sitting in McMansions that they funded by selling America to China buying cheap goods made by slaves and delivered to their doors by their nearly homeless grandchildren.
$15 Was a living wage in 2010. According to economic websites I follow a living wage in the U.S. is more like 18 now. Well it's a start. Similar actions are taking place in my neighbourhood in Canada. It's a hopeful sign.
I worked in a warehouse for a retail company (Musicland) in the late 70's and the union we belonged to was a lifeline for us hourly workers who would have otherwise been at the whim of a management that would rather have fired everyone who stuck around long enough to get a raise in pay. We even had a medical insurance plan (which were MUCH cheaper for everyone back then). It also determined when overtime pay kicked in, provided sick and vacation pay, and set break times. That job would have been unbearable without the union protections.
No corporation could exist without its employees, and yet employees ignore that leverage. Even politically: Think of the political power represented by tens of millions of employed voters and their family members.
Yeah, I get tired of hearing rich people called "job providers" as if they were giving us charity out of the kindness of their hearts. They're not doing us any favors--they can't get rich and stay rich without us.
@Adam Johnson ....and they couldn't do it without the educated work force and infrastructure provided by the state. But they don't want to share the wealth fairly with the workers or pay taxes to the state for the services provided.
@Adam Johnson You are right that corporations need those initial risk-takers. But it's still wrong to treat them as though they were doing their employees a favor. Employers and employees need each other. It's a business relationship, not a charity.
Having lost two jobs because of being pro union I can say that corporations are ruthless when it comes to controlling their employees lives its all about whatever they want and to he'll with workers
Come on, Alabama. Remember what the title "redneck" really means. You're Appalachia. The rich folk are not now, nor have they ever been, your people. You deserve this. Unionize.
Miranda.. the large coal companies have proven that Appalachian lives do not matter to them. The destruction of the earth to make a HUGE profit is allowed by the way the governments of those areas pass laws that don't protect the population. Wake up please!!!! The red handkerchief was a symbol of brutal fighting for unionization. Stand up again!!!
I hate that we have to "Fight for $15" as if that's too much to ask from these billion dollar corporations. Fight for a living. Remind the world that family used to be able to survive on one workers salary.
From someone in Birmingham AL, I’m hoping that it was finally the union vote that won here. So many yard signs in favor of the union in my neighborhood!
I'm IBEW Local 46. Best thing I ever did. Before becoming an electrician, I spent 15 years working for people that focused on getting the most out of me while paying as little as possible. I had no protection and routinely put up with abuse so I wouldn't lose my employment and thus my health coverage. When my family's access to healthcare is on the block, my employer held all the power and could screw me as hard as they wanted. Having a union means they can't do that to me now. My health coverage does not lapse if I move to another company. If I'm laid off or quit a job, I sign the books at the hall and take a new call. *I have the power and make my own conditions.* The necessary caveat is this: a union is only as strong as it's membership. Members are leaders. As it is with any other vote you cast, you must participate and be well informed. The problems that plague our political system can be found in unions as well. WE FIX THAT BY PARTICIPATION. We build communities. We develop our skills and the skills of others. We mentor while still learning. Unions will always be relevant because power is always relevant. Unions are power. You can be powerful too.
Always happy to hear about workers taking stands to get what they (more than) deserve 🙂 (Feels fitting that I got an ad for Amazon at the start of this video 🙄)
We need all wages tied to the inflation rate as a baseline by law. We can’t let employers keep pretending that increasing pay at less than inflation is a raise, and oh how magnanimous they are
They will just use "Right To Work" to make any union Toothless. Want proof just go to Colorado Springs, Matrix Shipping. Right to work has made the union toothless at best. You need to explain the "Right to Work" Never favors the employees , only the business. People tend to forget that.
Beau, I'm glad everyone here seems to realize, as you've shown, it's not just the hourly wage. And I think the pandemic showed people that the workers are the , or should be?, the power. Before it, many, many companies, mostly big ones, were hiring only part time workers, to avoid benefits. Of course, the gqp were deregulating even those. But they didn't rush as it was easy to get around regulations. But until we get better health care and child care, too many still must do part time. Unions can at least provide them with some of that security. I so wish those miners could be put right into training for green energy jobs. Or, at least get some support. Had the BBB budget passed, much would change. Hopefully, still will. Thankyou! 👍🥰💖✌
If you can't pay a living wage, separate from government subsidies, you should NOT even be in business. Either your business works or it doesn't - unless the workers are given a stake in the company's success.
If corporate capitalism doesn't work for everyone it must be challenged and changed.If your not Unionized you will never have the power to make the change.The reason that corporations fight Unions is they don't want you to have that power.The reasons Republicans fight unionization is for financial support from the corporations that don't want you to have that power.
I was Union labor for 18 years I was devastated when Rick Perry killed mine Its been a struggle evr since I'm working my ass off for just enough Anytime you hear a Repub talk about the Working Man, he's lying his ass off
After Governor Rick Snyder, of flint water fame,passed right to work laws teachers lost pensions,tenure, advancement steps, and gutted health care. Now there's a teacher shortage. Why would the best and brightest bother?
Keep it up, people. Worked at a warehouse, not Amazon. But I did get fired for talking to my co-worker (now a good friend) about unions. Yes, some places can fire you for even just saying the word "union", it's ridiculous. I didn't believe that was a thing, until it happened to me about 8 months ago.
But Beau. . . why would Amazon try and rip its employees off? Why would Amazon workers need SNAP assistance? Make the ultrarich pay their share. We do. It is inhumane how Amazon works.
Voting for, and getting (Union membership) doesn’t automatically mean that “management” will have to negotiate ANYTHING with the Union when you live in a “right to work” State…
@@rpfs2691 - It’s a whole lot bigger issue than just voting for Legislation on a State level. Big business and Corporations have MOST of the power when it comes to negotiations with Unions.
The megacorps need to look beyond the next quarter and realize that a happy, thriving workforce is more productive, quality-minded and actually *want* to help their employers.
I have a friend who used to work in an amazon warehouse. He had to "retire" at the age of 26 because he destroyed his back, hip, and knee. No breaks, no days off, just keep working 'till you drop.
Historically you’ll find that that drop in membership coincided with conservatives Republicans passing right to work legislation in , often requiring unions to recertify. The states that have _laws against union membership as a condition of employment_ are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and 29 states have‘Right-to-Work’ laws include Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
@@RamenNoodle1985 Too many people who know nothing about unions believe they’re experts (classic Dunning- Kruger effect sufferers). One of the biggest fallacies is that unions take your dues and contribute only to Democratic candidates. Campaign contributions are governed by laws and must be separate from dues; you can demand yours returned and give them to any candidate you wish.
Pretty much rebuilding the middle class from the ground up. I hope this activity continues because it appears, at present, the middle class is pretty much GONE.
The minimum wage in 1962 was$1.15 per hour. Comparing the national median rent in 1962 to today's median rent you will need to be making $18.00 per hour to stay on par with the minimum wage in 1962.
I am unfortunate enough to live in SC, when Boeing moved here to build an enormous facility the workers had a vote on whether or not to have a plant wide union. This being SC they voted against the idea and condemned themselves to being at risk of termination at the whim of management for anything at any time. It is sad when people go against their own interests through ignorance or misinformation. I hope the Amazon workers fare better.
As more and more production industry moved over seas the closer the paradigm shift had to happen where the service industry replaced the job market of the production industry. It was very very common for unions to be in on the production industry. This union build is capitalism balancing itself. Course the oligarchy is still keeping fingers on the scales
I work as an office manager for the largest higher education union in the country. I grew up in a union household and believe in the power of negotiations, fair wages and for people to not have to work in horrid conditions. Together we are stronger.
I would kill for a union in the medical insurance space. The companies are so corrupt, and the people who work at these places are horribly underpaid, treated poorly, and mismanaged. Cambia needs a union.
I am the daughter of a teacher. When teachers go on strike, it's because the students will suffer because of what the ministry is trying to shove through. The teachers will fight for their own interests , sure. But they become rabid animals if they think the kids will do without.
For context, the area in NYC he is referring to is Staten Island, where I grew up. There is definitely a sour mood over work conditions over there. Someone who was fired by Amazon over there a few years ago is still active in trying to organize the workers there. Hopefully the workers prevail. MASSIVE UPDATE!! JFK 8 has successfully accrued enough votes to form the first ever union within Amazon.
I just heard that the NYC police are going old school Pinkerton on Amazon union organizers. Amazon Corp is intent on union busting and is buying support from NYCP. Support Unionization!! Fight for the Workers!
here i tried to explain that section 8 housing funds ACTUALLY go to the rich landlord to a few people on nextdoor in a politics discussion group … and that subsidizing the wealthy landlords help keep cost of housing higher for everyone and they refused to comprehend then i told them to do the math for a landlord with, say, 40 apartments … and every one of them is section 8 and the landlord gets $500.00 for each one from section 8 every month ..and then i said remember who is paying that to the landlord … and food stamps, too i think they finally got it … and i said that is welfare for the rich and if the section 8 vouchers actually went to the renters they would be able to use it to buy a house
You either pay “rent” to the “wealthy landlord”, or you pay “rent” to the “wealthy mortgage company”. And do you think the “wealthy landlord with, say 40 apartments” got them FREE? Do you think he pays NO mortgage? Do you think he pays NO interest on that mortgage? Do you think he pays NO property tax? Do you think he pays NO insurance? No, let’s just keep hating on the “wealthy landlords”, because they get everything “FREE!!”
i can’t edit my post now? what is youtube doing? anyhow i wanted to add that walmart used to inform new hires that they could apply for food stamps during the hiring process isn’t that something? basically all walmart workers were told how to get food stamps by walmart themselves so walmart workers were fed by the middle class for all these years … so the waltons wouldn’t have to pay their workers enough to feed, clothe and house themselves walmart - in effect - was paid by the middle class to feed their workers i guess it’s cheaper for walmart to buy a few dozen politicians every year! and the entire country suffers for this
@@ernestgalvan9037 yeah and when the housing costs soar, the landlord gets to raise the rent and profit from the higher price of property if he decides to sell the renters get to move to another apartment if they can find one, and the RENTER IS NOT able to build wealth via property ownership EVER
Where in America is $15 an hour a living wage? If the minimum wage had kept up with inflation, it would be around $23 and hour, that is the least we should be fighting for.
👋🏾Amazon ‘unfairly’ influenced the Union vote for Union??!!! Gasp!!! No!!! Couldn’t be!!! On a similar note, have y’all been seeing the ads for Amazon now? All about the fantastic lives of employees. 🙄
While I support the fight for $15, shouldn't the real solution be changing fed min wage from a specific number to a series of guidelines linked to the cost of living that's applied at the county level that adjusted annually ? seems a single number cant really work when cost of living varies so wildly. But I also have no idea to how to simplify that idea down to use in a chant, put on a sign, or on a tee shirt.
I'd like that to actually work? But the thing is, county officials would probably be easier for big businesses in those counties to capture, and get lower wages.
@@grmpEqweer that wouldn't be an issue if the minimum is defined at the federal level. For an example, If the federal guidelines say the minimum for that county is $15, how would county officials override federal law?
The Union of Health workers is going on strike in my country, beginning tomorrow. Rarely, the main newspapers are actually publishing some articles that are sympathetic towards their cause. Maybe in a global pandemic it would look too bad to be openly against nurses getting decent pay.
I’ve cut down my Amazon shopping A LOT since I became aware of how bad the working conditions are for those working hard to make sure our orders arrive correct and on time. 😑
I have a lot of Amazon Bucks in my account, because my SIL worked for them for years. They gift me, and I'm conflicted about spending that money, b/c (see the whole topic of this column)!
I still don't understand how it didn't pass the first time. Even without sufficient contact with union reps I would have still voted to unionize. How else do you gain power in your work environment if your company does not care about you or your safety?
You don't understand? Are you not aware of how brainwashed and misinformed conservatives are in America? They have been poisoned against unions. Alabama is one of the most conservative (and poorest) states.
@@johnjingleheimersmith9259 I know...it's sad. My neighbor has reaped so many benefits from her union job but consistently votes for candidates that want to bust unions.
I just got a large settlement for wrongful termination BECAUSE we unionized where i worked. Unionize. Its worth it. They take a little of your paycheque, but in return you get better working conditions and protections. Its the same as getting insurance.
Today's environment feels a lot like a second "Gilded Age" where the haves get more, and have nots get shit upon. And we're seeing the beginning of the workers being done taking that shit.
Would not mind a nationalized Amazon either, for that matter, or one organized as a cooperative owned and operated by the people working there and the people using it. Same for any other monopoly or near monopoly.
Solidarity from Norway! All of the social good in my country comes through the blood, sewat and tears of the unions. The three part model has secured that the oil boom money went to all, not just the few. It meant that job security, holidays and decent wages is the norm, not the outlier. Honestly the unionisation of the American workforce would be good for all of humanity, as the export of American culture (specifically corporations) has put pressure on countries like mine. So even here across the ocean we are many hoping for a win in Alabama, New york or wherever the next battle is.
Amazon advertises heavily that they pay $15/hour minimum, which is just barely on par with a lot of places (Target, several fast "food" places), but the working conditions suck. The last retail gig I had is hurting for people, but only offering a starting pay of $13/hour, and they want more technical brain power than Target, so they're having a LOT of trouble finding good people. It's not a worker shortage, it's a shortage of people willing to give up their lives for oligarchs.
I drove through the states several years back and Alabama was one of the places I could see rampant poverty wherever I looked. A truly dreary place. Also, it was surreal to drive across Mississippi/Arkansas state lines. Went from trailers with busted out windows to governor's mansions and gates everywhere soon as you crossed. The wealth I equality is horrendous.
I'm a teamster, well former teamster. I left UPS during the pandemic because even though I was a union employee the union didn't have my back, or anyone else's either. We were deemed essential and expected to be business as usual, except it wasn't. We worked harder because everyone was at home ordering non essential stuff. When my school district did virtual learning and i HAD to have 1 day at home with my kid because we weren't having a stranger watch our kid during a pandemic i was told that was not acceptable. no FMLA, no leave of absence, nothing. So I quit. You cannot count on the unions to look out for you. We had great pay and benefits but zero protection. What we need is true work reform, nationwide. We need to change the systems that make us all beholden to employers. The relationship shouldn't be one sided. I suppose however that Unions are a first step in that process, we can't consider that the solution.
I’m all for ethical unions. But if the multi billionaire owners of the companies paid a living wage and treated their employees respectfully unions wouldn’t be needed. But alas that seems to be impossible. So unions become necessary.
We need unions in places that are decent to their employees first. Places like Wal-Mart need hiring competitors before they'll change, and they are far more capable of preventing unions within their own echo chambers. What is the advantage to Dunkin' Donuts employees if a Starbucks in the area unionizes? Starbucks becomes far more attractive to work for, meaning Dunkin' will have problems hiring...unless they agree to some of the same concessions the unions get for Starbucks employees. Same goes for Amazon competitors, so on and so forth. Why work for a company that won't give you benefits, won't hire you full time, won't pay you as well, won't treat you as well, when you can go work at their competition 3 blocks away who does give you all of those things? We need unions in large companies with reach so that those options exist. Right now, many people only have the choice between 3 equally bad work options and living on the street. Introduce even one decent option, and more people will feel empowered to ask for more.
