The GOP is - and always has been - the party of management, bosses, and owners. Sadly, they've managed to convince a large segment of the working class to believe that unions are the problem.
The Right has also successfully equated unions, collective bargaining, and any vaguely social program to the Communist bogeyman. This is particularly true in the South with the utterly ridiculous “right to work” legislation that permeates.
Yes. Exasperating. But what I don't see or understand is why the big unions aren't helping others. And why they're not LOUD. They have all their benefits because of unions. Do they feel immune from Trump/ Republican anti- working class clobbering?
During the 2011 Madison Uprising protests in Wisconsin I went every weekend for several weekends. There were thousands there. The AFL-CIO had a semi-trailer supporting the public employee unions but there was no effort to educate non-union workers on how to unionize. It was a real missed opportunity. I have gone to a couple union offices and offered to volunteer with their communication and outreach efforts and they look at me as if I'm from Mars. Seems to me, many unions have become pretty isolated and timid.
The new Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin has declared, “There are a lot of good billionaires out there that have been with Democrats, who share our values, and we will take their money. But we’re not taking money from those bad billionaires.”
And, it goes without saying, fall in place for those “good billionaires” — a species that has never existed.
Raise the minimum wage? "Sorry, Mr. President, the Senate Parliamentarian says you can't do that."
What about that national health insurance thing you campaigned on, Mr. President?
"C'mon, Man, I was just jokin' you," 'Genocide' Joe replies. "What a dumb ass, you actually believed that nonsense. Get outta' here."
It’s not just that the Democrats are clueless and indifferent to the experience of struggling families: They…don’t…give…a…crap.
The only ally the working class has is the working class. Time to come together against both oligarch parties.
CARTOON: Corrupted Universities, Rise Of Futzy, Fragile, Failed Left & End Of The Democratic Party
This is it exactly. The republicans didn’t become the party of the working class by doing anything for the working class. I think even most of the working class absolutely knows that. It’s more that the working class had some hope in democrats and democracy, and more and more lost that hope as it became clear that the democrats give less than zero shit about them/ us. And when you lose any illusion that one side will help you in any way, it makes sense to turn to agents of chaos. Yes they’re weird and all over the place, but at least maybe they will shake something up? That’s the thinking that people fall into. Same thing happened in my country for exactly the same reasons. Sad to report our agent of chaos is still in power 20 years later.
Here's the latest Democratic Party betrayal of the people by one of the slimiest corporate shitheel Dems imaginable, Rep. James Clyburn: Top Dem Hires UnitedHealth Lobbyist
Serbia. We literally revolutioned one trashbag out of power, had a decent (like, really decent, surprisingly decent) guy until someone shot him, surprise-fucking-surprise, tried with some other democrats who just kept being….. well, sort of the same thing the US democrats are being, smarmy talking opportunists who know how to sound ‘right’ while betraying every possible ideal for personal profit, until people got sick of it and voted to ‘shake up the system’, the ‘shaker’ was baby deputy to the original trashbag who somehow sold himself as new and reborn into European civility suddenly, and…. yeah. He’s been stealing every election since. Now people are sick of it again and we have massive insubordination, schools closed for months, hundreds of thousands in the streets but it’s hard for it to go anywhere without decent opposition leadership.
Like Occupy Wallstreet was also this great movement of energy but without anyone to lead it to something concrete that energy dissipates.
I was asking a friend from back home what’s the plan, is there any actual core to the protests? Because they’re incredibly massive, it’s impressive to see. She says ‘there’s no plan. The plan is just to piss him off.’
We're really in a worldwide fascist era and it seems everywhere the left -- whatever that means these days -- has collapsed and leaderless. There is no political party, much less a movement, I feel I can align with or have any faith in. In the US the political system is so corrupt and inept for anyone other than billionaires, I have no faith in the political process. Chris Hedges speaks of the need for mass movements of labor strikes -- shut the system down.
Thanks for sharing that. I really respect Chris. I honestly also think a mass movement of determined people is the only way. The ‘left’ got eaten by the money people. The left is uniquely vulnerable to that because the right is already on the side of the wealthy few, and the left is supposed to be on the side of the huddled masses. But there is an inherent rift between gaining more and more personal power (and wealth - all politicians are shockingly wealthy, right and left) and maintaining an interest in protecting those you are socially moving further and further away from.
This is why the left always suffers. It requires a degree of genuine benevolence, and most people find that difficult to sustain. It’s why our socialism failed, in the end. Others failed before ours, for sort of the same reason… you have leaders rising from the mass of the people, with pretty cool sounding ideals, but then they rise up and are suddenly insisting mansions with riches and the rabble outside no longer feels like your brothers… suddenly feels like riff-raff.
I really believe large civil movements followed by introductions of serious checks and balances, and then a serious amount of effort in policing the erosion of those checks and balances, is the only way.
"...you have leaders rising from the mass of the people, with pretty cool sounding ideals, but then they rise up and are suddenly insisting mansions with riches and the rabble outside no longer feels like your brothers… suddenly feels like riff-raff." ...
Yes, they get bought off and compromised. We need to have term limits, corporate and elite money out of politics and ranked choice voting. Until then, it is -- like cancer -- a hopelessly corrupt system designed to perpetuate itself.
When I worked for a newspaper in New Mexico I was the editorial cartoonist and part of the editorial board and would be in meetings with politicians seeking our endorsement or pushing legislation. About the time I got there Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) was elected and met with us shortly after. I distinctly remember he had a really old wristwatch with a cracked crystal that was discolored. His eyeglasses were thick and dorky and his shoes were shined but worn. His suit was Sears level quality. I was very liberal and he was conservative, but I had a lot of respect for him.
Over the years the watches got fancier and the shoes nicer and slicker. and the eyeglasses more stylish.
He became very powerful in the Senate. His career eventually sputtered to a stop when it was revealed the Catholic family values senator had been having a years long affair with some woman in DC. By the end he was just another bought-off, money gouging hypocritical liar.
Two terms in the Senate then out might have saved his soul.
I agree with all your points, so much profound anti-worker action going down with the Republicans, like always. Yet. They have the voters.
When will a pro-labor leader emerge who can hold court in every group of men the way Trump does? Until then, they follow power. To survive, maybe… in the vain hope that sucking up to power will protect. It’s been tried before. Republicans know history is forgotten and fear is present.
OK my friend you need to conduct a thought experiment to modify/upgrade your view/thought process. To wit, I suggest starting with the following:
The American labor market has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past several decades, making the old methods of collective bargaining increasingly obsolete. While unions once played a crucial role in protecting workers from exploitative conditions in the early to mid-20th century, the economic landscape has changed. The rise of globalization, technological innovation, and the shift toward a knowledge-based economy have rendered traditional union tactics ineffective, if not outright harmful, to the modern American worker.
In the early days of industrial America, collective bargaining was essential in securing fair wages, reasonable hours, and safe working conditions. Factory jobs and assembly-line work were the backbone of the economy, and unions provided a unified voice for employees against large corporations. However, the 21st-century labor force looks vastly different. Today, automation has replaced many manufacturing jobs, outsourcing has shifted production overseas, and an increasing number of workers are employed in service industries, gig work, and technology-driven fields. These sectors require flexibility and adaptability, something rigid union contracts often fail to accommodate.
The inflexible nature of collective bargaining agreements often makes it difficult for businesses to adapt to market changes. Many union contracts lock employers into wage structures and job classifications that do not reflect productivity, skill levels, or performance. In industries driven by technological advancements, companies must be able to shift their workforce strategies quickly to remain competitive. Unions, however, tend to resist these changes, prioritizing tenure-based wages and rigid job descriptions over merit-based employment and efficiency.
Additionally, unions can discourage investment and job creation. High labor costs imposed by union contracts can push companies to move operations overseas or replace workers with automation. Instead of securing long-term employment for their members, unions may actually accelerate job losses by making American labor less competitive. This is evident in the decline of heavily unionized industries like steel and automobile manufacturing, where companies have struggled to maintain profitability under union-imposed constraints.
While unions claim to protect workers, their outdated methods often harm those they seek to help. Union dues and mandatory fees place a financial burden on employees, even when workers may not see the benefits. Additionally, union-led strikes can leave employees without paychecks for extended periods, only to end in agreements that fail to justify the lost wages. For younger and more dynamic workers, union structures can limit career growth by prioritizing seniority over skill and ambition. This creates an environment where high-performing employees are held back, reducing innovation and overall productivity.
Rather than relying on outdated collective bargaining, the modern American workforce needs a labor system that embraces flexibility, individual negotiation, and market-driven wage adjustments. Workers today have greater access to job opportunities, remote work, and entrepreneurship than ever before. Instead of union control, employees should focus on acquiring new skills, negotiating personal contracts, and leveraging competitive labor markets to achieve better wages and working conditions.
In conclusion, while unions were once a vital force for labor rights, their traditional collective bargaining methods no longer align with the realities of today’s economy. Instead of helping workers, these outdated approaches can limit job opportunities, suppress wages, and slow economic growth. The best way forward is to embrace a labor market that rewards talent, encourages innovation, and allows businesses and employees to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
I used it as a prompt (my time like yours is valuable)…. That said what was shared is true. If not please feel free to shoot holes in it. I’m most interested in a fair pathway forward for ALL parties.
Haha. "My time is valuable but please craft a reply to this wall of AI text." Please subscribe at the $1,000 level for a reply. Also do not put any more AI stuff in the comment section. Thank you Roger.
Not too sure you’re worth more than a free reply. You have an agenda - which is to be expected and thus your writing on Substack. All very well and good. The thing is that I’ve worked in both unions and management and have found a team effort is required to succeed. It isn’t an us and them conflict. Also I do agree that both parties play those in unions for their own advantage.
Roger, what you posted via A.I. was the kind of drivel you'd hear from some rightwing CEO, like, I dunno...Musk. Use A.I. as a tool but remember who is driving the bus. Since you had experience in both unions and management, try writing from that perspective. It's human, at least. I believe the lord you follow would approve.
"Workers today have greater access to job opportunities, remote work, and entrepreneurship than ever before. Instead of union control, employees should focus on acquiring new skills, negotiating personal contracts, and leveraging competitive labor markets to achieve better wages and working conditions." ... If only that were true.
And as has been proven over the past three weeks those “workers” with new skills who leveraged this jobs utopia can be fired at whim and have no recourse or protections. Instead of watching out for monopolies or unfair labor practices our newly “efficient” government has the backs of corporations and billionaires. Apparently this is what makes America great.
In the capitalist system all individuals are nothing more than replaceable widgets in the machine. As true as that has been in the past, with techno-feudalists like Elon Muskrat it will be even more so. The American myth of the 'rugged individualist' is even more unhinged and naive to the reality of the meat grinder system.
Spoken like someone who’s career expectations haven’t been met. Here’s the thing…I’ve known personally many people who have started at unions to go out and start successful businesses…I mean like going from one guy in a van to owning a fleet of vehicles to provide service to the public. Today through their rugged individualism and hard work they are now multi millionaires. Why is it that some people turn out like this and most don’t?
Gee, Roger, sounds like someone who had some undeserved "success."
I'm perfectly happy with my professional life. Based on my later career as a psychotherapist, your fleeing to personal attack is a reflection of your own insecurity. And let's be clear, Roger, becoming a multi-millionaire is NOT a mark of success. It is a mark of exploitation and abuse of workers and resources. It is a mark of selfish fixation and need to over compensate for personal shortcomings.
Millionaires are not "worth" millions and they did not "earn" their money. The are not a reflection of a system that works, they are a symptom of a rotted out economic model that privatizes wealth and socializes costs be that in the form of low wages or environmental destruction.
Where did you get your training… the USSR. I shudder to think of what type of psychotherapist you are. And yes I’ve had a modicum of success as have many others who’ve bet on themselves. You speak as if business is a win-lose game … it isn’t … it tends to be a zero-sum game with a positive bent…assuming one wishes to remain successful.
And btw my comments to you were mostly in response to your hackneyed observations…they speak volumes.
I believe you’re right about the outdated tactics of unions. That may partly explain why union membership has declined over the decades. That, and Democrat-introduced legislation that reduced the need for some union interventions. However, shifting the responsibility for humane treatment in the workplace to individual workers is like fighting a forest fire with a plastic beer cup. It takes organization - labor and political - to protect workers from the natural course of capitalism. Capitalism is good, but it needs guardrails to make it work for everyone. And it should work for everyone.
The Reagan Revolution turned the American public against unions and organizing, along with adopting the selfish, short-sighted thinking that making money was the only virtue, the rich being justified in anything they do, the rise of wealthy televangelists and the prosperity doctrine, the willingness to let lobbyists write our legislation (cemented by policies of Congress during Gingrich's tenure), and much more. We don't really have to look further than that. Democrats adopted that thinking because it was popular with the voting public, pretty much continued it through the Obama Administration, basically until Biden threw on the brakes.
Then how do you explain the millions of people who work without collective bargaining to good effect. Here’s the thing … the relationship between labor and management is symbiotic… to neglect this is done at the business peril.
We have seen massive business growth and consolidation. Industries now focus more on stock buybacks and dividends than they do in investing in innovation. Big Tech turned on Biden because under him the government, correctly, was pursuing anti-trust against them. The goal of businesses now is market capture and competitive prevention, which is why they pushed for things like preventing China from having access to the best chip technology. And what did China do? They innovated, funded a bunch of small start-ups, and built a far more energy-efficient AI. Big companies have been telling a fairy tale that American strength is these giant corporations. The ten largest companies in the DJIA now occupy a record high of 37% of the total market value. Nearly every single one of those companies is connected to AI, and the "value" in all of these companies is seen as accumulating more profit down the road by not having to pay human beings. Tesla, from the beginning, has been seen as a company that will one day eliminate the most common job for American men: driver. Tesla produces a miniscule proportion of cars, but is worth more than the entire rest of the auto industry COMBINED. Business peril? IT'S ALL SPECULATIVE BULL SHIT.
And because the AI technology has not focused on the material problem, the energy cost, all of these tech companies are now building power plants. Instead of increasing efficiency and lowering our energy usage so we don't have to mine as heavily and destroy the environment, they have all reversed course on lowering their carbon footprints. Ultimately, the cost and externalities of that will be born by all of us. Just so that people who aren't capable of efficiently and cogently writing their own thoughts can do so, or so that people can pretend to be artists while using models that are built on the stolen creative output of people with actual talent.
What is your take on DOGE? And interestingly, I agree with your take on AI...but for better or (most likely) worse...it is not going away. And yes I agree that those in the arts are going to suffer the most.
My take is that it's dumb man's idea of a smart man's solution, that it's the kind of thing you'd do if your goal was to maximize harm and distract from more giveaways to corporate America, and that Putin can't stop smiling with joy at bringing us low.
I hear what you're saying, but the fact remains that an increasing number of people are able to be tricked into thinking that Republicans are fighting for the working class. It it obviously false. But it seems like something real is happening beyond just fake news. Can you talk more about what your theory for what is? For example, I could believe that NAFTA + globalization really has led to the destruction of many decent US jobs + immigrants competing for rents + democrats not having an effective response has led people to be willing to accept even wrong explanations because the status quo of democrats doesn't seem to be working. Especially, combined with your recent post about union membership declining to <10%. Even if Democrats are demonstrably better for unions, if Americans are joining Unions at lower and lower rates than this wouldn't necessarily be the strong factor in evaluating which party feels more like the "worker party".
Thank you . The use and abuse of words is critical to understand. The impact of how a story is framed sets so many other aspects of communication into motion. Words are the tools but words are the devil too. The media class is lazy about this. Group think . If the others are reporting using this language then they do too and embellish just to show they are more insightful. Political cartoons have a similar story ( BTW SOME SUGGEST WE CANCEL THE WASHINGTON POST IF YOU GET IT . THE PAPER IS NOW CENSORING THEM BLATANTLY). Substack is becoming the major source for news and opinion for many people. This is encouraging. Yesterday I was in my local gym an and had to have Fox on where I was. If you want to see the use of language and story framing at work , this is the quintessential example.We should all forward this piece to all editors and programs managers that we can. Also forward this to friends.
All true, and all reasons the working class should see through the lie that Republicans give a rip about them. However, union membership, as I understand it, is at an all time low, which indicates most workers are no longer interested in unions. Perhaps they’re buying into the lies that unions are job killers, or are responsible for unaffordable products, etc., etc. I’d bet that reversing that trend requires focusing on the growing wealth gap (never use the term “wealth inequality in a capitalist society) that Republicans are actively enabling. They’re pushing for corporations and their shareholders to keep more profits by holding down wages and raising prices, which is making it worse for the working class. Oh, and they’re protecting these people from the burdens of maintaining a safe workplace and the costs of treating worker injuries that occur as a result of “higher efficiency.” Why aren’t Democrats screaming about this from the hilltops?
All the hype about working people becoming Republicans is as much frustration with the Democratic Party and its shifting allegiances, though Biden was perhaps the most sympathetic Democratic President since Lyndon Johnson, when organized labor was a DC political powerhouse...
The GOP is - and always has been - the party of management, bosses, and owners. Sadly, they've managed to convince a large segment of the working class to believe that unions are the problem.
The Right has also successfully equated unions, collective bargaining, and any vaguely social program to the Communist bogeyman. This is particularly true in the South with the utterly ridiculous “right to work” legislation that permeates.
I’m sorry, HamNo, but I think you need to put out an explainer such as this every single week.
Yes. Exasperating. But what I don't see or understand is why the big unions aren't helping others. And why they're not LOUD. They have all their benefits because of unions. Do they feel immune from Trump/ Republican anti- working class clobbering?
During the 2011 Madison Uprising protests in Wisconsin I went every weekend for several weekends. There were thousands there. The AFL-CIO had a semi-trailer supporting the public employee unions but there was no effort to educate non-union workers on how to unionize. It was a real missed opportunity. I have gone to a couple union offices and offered to volunteer with their communication and outreach efforts and they look at me as if I'm from Mars. Seems to me, many unions have become pretty isolated and timid.
And then we have the Democrats...
The new Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin has declared, “There are a lot of good billionaires out there that have been with Democrats, who share our values, and we will take their money. But we’re not taking money from those bad billionaires.”
And, it goes without saying, fall in place for those “good billionaires” — a species that has never existed.
Raise the minimum wage? "Sorry, Mr. President, the Senate Parliamentarian says you can't do that."
What about that national health insurance thing you campaigned on, Mr. President?
"C'mon, Man, I was just jokin' you," 'Genocide' Joe replies. "What a dumb ass, you actually believed that nonsense. Get outta' here."
It’s not just that the Democrats are clueless and indifferent to the experience of struggling families: They…don’t…give…a…crap.
The only ally the working class has is the working class. Time to come together against both oligarch parties.
CARTOON: Corrupted Universities, Rise Of Futzy, Fragile, Failed Left & End Of The Democratic Party
https://mark192.substack.com/p/cartoon-corrupted-universities-rise
This is it exactly. The republicans didn’t become the party of the working class by doing anything for the working class. I think even most of the working class absolutely knows that. It’s more that the working class had some hope in democrats and democracy, and more and more lost that hope as it became clear that the democrats give less than zero shit about them/ us. And when you lose any illusion that one side will help you in any way, it makes sense to turn to agents of chaos. Yes they’re weird and all over the place, but at least maybe they will shake something up? That’s the thinking that people fall into. Same thing happened in my country for exactly the same reasons. Sad to report our agent of chaos is still in power 20 years later.
Mind saying which country?
Here's the latest Democratic Party betrayal of the people by one of the slimiest corporate shitheel Dems imaginable, Rep. James Clyburn: Top Dem Hires UnitedHealth Lobbyist
https://readsludge.com/2025/02/20/top-dem-hires-unitedhealth-lobbyist/
Serbia. We literally revolutioned one trashbag out of power, had a decent (like, really decent, surprisingly decent) guy until someone shot him, surprise-fucking-surprise, tried with some other democrats who just kept being….. well, sort of the same thing the US democrats are being, smarmy talking opportunists who know how to sound ‘right’ while betraying every possible ideal for personal profit, until people got sick of it and voted to ‘shake up the system’, the ‘shaker’ was baby deputy to the original trashbag who somehow sold himself as new and reborn into European civility suddenly, and…. yeah. He’s been stealing every election since. Now people are sick of it again and we have massive insubordination, schools closed for months, hundreds of thousands in the streets but it’s hard for it to go anywhere without decent opposition leadership.
Like Occupy Wallstreet was also this great movement of energy but without anyone to lead it to something concrete that energy dissipates.
I was asking a friend from back home what’s the plan, is there any actual core to the protests? Because they’re incredibly massive, it’s impressive to see. She says ‘there’s no plan. The plan is just to piss him off.’
It’s all very dispiriting.
We're really in a worldwide fascist era and it seems everywhere the left -- whatever that means these days -- has collapsed and leaderless. There is no political party, much less a movement, I feel I can align with or have any faith in. In the US the political system is so corrupt and inept for anyone other than billionaires, I have no faith in the political process. Chris Hedges speaks of the need for mass movements of labor strikes -- shut the system down.
I had this interview with Hedges in a post a couple days ago that you might find interesting.... https://mark192.substack.com/p/on-reality-and-resistance-what-is
Thanks for sharing that. I really respect Chris. I honestly also think a mass movement of determined people is the only way. The ‘left’ got eaten by the money people. The left is uniquely vulnerable to that because the right is already on the side of the wealthy few, and the left is supposed to be on the side of the huddled masses. But there is an inherent rift between gaining more and more personal power (and wealth - all politicians are shockingly wealthy, right and left) and maintaining an interest in protecting those you are socially moving further and further away from.
This is why the left always suffers. It requires a degree of genuine benevolence, and most people find that difficult to sustain. It’s why our socialism failed, in the end. Others failed before ours, for sort of the same reason… you have leaders rising from the mass of the people, with pretty cool sounding ideals, but then they rise up and are suddenly insisting mansions with riches and the rabble outside no longer feels like your brothers… suddenly feels like riff-raff.
I really believe large civil movements followed by introductions of serious checks and balances, and then a serious amount of effort in policing the erosion of those checks and balances, is the only way.
"...you have leaders rising from the mass of the people, with pretty cool sounding ideals, but then they rise up and are suddenly insisting mansions with riches and the rabble outside no longer feels like your brothers… suddenly feels like riff-raff." ...
Yes, they get bought off and compromised. We need to have term limits, corporate and elite money out of politics and ranked choice voting. Until then, it is -- like cancer -- a hopelessly corrupt system designed to perpetuate itself.
When I worked for a newspaper in New Mexico I was the editorial cartoonist and part of the editorial board and would be in meetings with politicians seeking our endorsement or pushing legislation. About the time I got there Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) was elected and met with us shortly after. I distinctly remember he had a really old wristwatch with a cracked crystal that was discolored. His eyeglasses were thick and dorky and his shoes were shined but worn. His suit was Sears level quality. I was very liberal and he was conservative, but I had a lot of respect for him.
Over the years the watches got fancier and the shoes nicer and slicker. and the eyeglasses more stylish.
He became very powerful in the Senate. His career eventually sputtered to a stop when it was revealed the Catholic family values senator had been having a years long affair with some woman in DC. By the end he was just another bought-off, money gouging hypocritical liar.
Two terms in the Senate then out might have saved his soul.
*In mansions. Stupid autocorrect.
I agree with all your points, so much profound anti-worker action going down with the Republicans, like always. Yet. They have the voters.
When will a pro-labor leader emerge who can hold court in every group of men the way Trump does? Until then, they follow power. To survive, maybe… in the vain hope that sucking up to power will protect. It’s been tried before. Republicans know history is forgotten and fear is present.
OK my friend you need to conduct a thought experiment to modify/upgrade your view/thought process. To wit, I suggest starting with the following:
The American labor market has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past several decades, making the old methods of collective bargaining increasingly obsolete. While unions once played a crucial role in protecting workers from exploitative conditions in the early to mid-20th century, the economic landscape has changed. The rise of globalization, technological innovation, and the shift toward a knowledge-based economy have rendered traditional union tactics ineffective, if not outright harmful, to the modern American worker.
In the early days of industrial America, collective bargaining was essential in securing fair wages, reasonable hours, and safe working conditions. Factory jobs and assembly-line work were the backbone of the economy, and unions provided a unified voice for employees against large corporations. However, the 21st-century labor force looks vastly different. Today, automation has replaced many manufacturing jobs, outsourcing has shifted production overseas, and an increasing number of workers are employed in service industries, gig work, and technology-driven fields. These sectors require flexibility and adaptability, something rigid union contracts often fail to accommodate.
The inflexible nature of collective bargaining agreements often makes it difficult for businesses to adapt to market changes. Many union contracts lock employers into wage structures and job classifications that do not reflect productivity, skill levels, or performance. In industries driven by technological advancements, companies must be able to shift their workforce strategies quickly to remain competitive. Unions, however, tend to resist these changes, prioritizing tenure-based wages and rigid job descriptions over merit-based employment and efficiency.
Additionally, unions can discourage investment and job creation. High labor costs imposed by union contracts can push companies to move operations overseas or replace workers with automation. Instead of securing long-term employment for their members, unions may actually accelerate job losses by making American labor less competitive. This is evident in the decline of heavily unionized industries like steel and automobile manufacturing, where companies have struggled to maintain profitability under union-imposed constraints.
While unions claim to protect workers, their outdated methods often harm those they seek to help. Union dues and mandatory fees place a financial burden on employees, even when workers may not see the benefits. Additionally, union-led strikes can leave employees without paychecks for extended periods, only to end in agreements that fail to justify the lost wages. For younger and more dynamic workers, union structures can limit career growth by prioritizing seniority over skill and ambition. This creates an environment where high-performing employees are held back, reducing innovation and overall productivity.
Rather than relying on outdated collective bargaining, the modern American workforce needs a labor system that embraces flexibility, individual negotiation, and market-driven wage adjustments. Workers today have greater access to job opportunities, remote work, and entrepreneurship than ever before. Instead of union control, employees should focus on acquiring new skills, negotiating personal contracts, and leveraging competitive labor markets to achieve better wages and working conditions.
In conclusion, while unions were once a vital force for labor rights, their traditional collective bargaining methods no longer align with the realities of today’s economy. Instead of helping workers, these outdated approaches can limit job opportunities, suppress wages, and slow economic growth. The best way forward is to embrace a labor market that rewards talent, encourages innovation, and allows businesses and employees to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Please do not put AI-written stuff in the comments. Thanks.
Where’s the vomit button so I can properly engage with Roger?
I used it as a prompt (my time like yours is valuable)…. That said what was shared is true. If not please feel free to shoot holes in it. I’m most interested in a fair pathway forward for ALL parties.
Haha. "My time is valuable but please craft a reply to this wall of AI text." Please subscribe at the $1,000 level for a reply. Also do not put any more AI stuff in the comment section. Thank you Roger.
Not too sure you’re worth more than a free reply. You have an agenda - which is to be expected and thus your writing on Substack. All very well and good. The thing is that I’ve worked in both unions and management and have found a team effort is required to succeed. It isn’t an us and them conflict. Also I do agree that both parties play those in unions for their own advantage.
Why should other people bother reading what you figured wasn't worth writing?
Roger, what you posted via A.I. was the kind of drivel you'd hear from some rightwing CEO, like, I dunno...Musk. Use A.I. as a tool but remember who is driving the bus. Since you had experience in both unions and management, try writing from that perspective. It's human, at least. I believe the lord you follow would approve.
Hmmm good company if you ask me 😂. I wish you much happiness in your worker’s paradise 👍
If you actually respected other peoples' time you would not have posted that.
"Workers today have greater access to job opportunities, remote work, and entrepreneurship than ever before. Instead of union control, employees should focus on acquiring new skills, negotiating personal contracts, and leveraging competitive labor markets to achieve better wages and working conditions." ... If only that were true.
And as has been proven over the past three weeks those “workers” with new skills who leveraged this jobs utopia can be fired at whim and have no recourse or protections. Instead of watching out for monopolies or unfair labor practices our newly “efficient” government has the backs of corporations and billionaires. Apparently this is what makes America great.
It is all how one sees things….are you a widget or an individual who knows his worth and will take steps to realize maximum potential/value?
In the capitalist system all individuals are nothing more than replaceable widgets in the machine. As true as that has been in the past, with techno-feudalists like Elon Muskrat it will be even more so. The American myth of the 'rugged individualist' is even more unhinged and naive to the reality of the meat grinder system.
Spoken like someone who’s career expectations haven’t been met. Here’s the thing…I’ve known personally many people who have started at unions to go out and start successful businesses…I mean like going from one guy in a van to owning a fleet of vehicles to provide service to the public. Today through their rugged individualism and hard work they are now multi millionaires. Why is it that some people turn out like this and most don’t?
Gee, Roger, sounds like someone who had some undeserved "success."
I'm perfectly happy with my professional life. Based on my later career as a psychotherapist, your fleeing to personal attack is a reflection of your own insecurity. And let's be clear, Roger, becoming a multi-millionaire is NOT a mark of success. It is a mark of exploitation and abuse of workers and resources. It is a mark of selfish fixation and need to over compensate for personal shortcomings.
Millionaires are not "worth" millions and they did not "earn" their money. The are not a reflection of a system that works, they are a symptom of a rotted out economic model that privatizes wealth and socializes costs be that in the form of low wages or environmental destruction.
Where did you get your training… the USSR. I shudder to think of what type of psychotherapist you are. And yes I’ve had a modicum of success as have many others who’ve bet on themselves. You speak as if business is a win-lose game … it isn’t … it tends to be a zero-sum game with a positive bent…assuming one wishes to remain successful.
And btw my comments to you were mostly in response to your hackneyed observations…they speak volumes.
It's called luck, Roger. "Successful" egotists consistently underestimate the role of luck in their success.
https://hbr.org/2021/06/dont-underestimate-the-power-of-luck-when-it-comes-to-success-in-business
Yes, luck, and often unethical exploitation, duplicity and deceit. I'm sure Roger could give a riveting lecture on the topic.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26597345-success-and-luck
A human being has already written a concise summary, so you don't have to let ChatGPT tell you what it's about.
Preparedness + Opportunity = Luck
I believe you’re right about the outdated tactics of unions. That may partly explain why union membership has declined over the decades. That, and Democrat-introduced legislation that reduced the need for some union interventions. However, shifting the responsibility for humane treatment in the workplace to individual workers is like fighting a forest fire with a plastic beer cup. It takes organization - labor and political - to protect workers from the natural course of capitalism. Capitalism is good, but it needs guardrails to make it work for everyone. And it should work for everyone.
The Reagan Revolution turned the American public against unions and organizing, along with adopting the selfish, short-sighted thinking that making money was the only virtue, the rich being justified in anything they do, the rise of wealthy televangelists and the prosperity doctrine, the willingness to let lobbyists write our legislation (cemented by policies of Congress during Gingrich's tenure), and much more. We don't really have to look further than that. Democrats adopted that thinking because it was popular with the voting public, pretty much continued it through the Obama Administration, basically until Biden threw on the brakes.
Then how do you explain the millions of people who work without collective bargaining to good effect. Here’s the thing … the relationship between labor and management is symbiotic… to neglect this is done at the business peril.
We have seen massive business growth and consolidation. Industries now focus more on stock buybacks and dividends than they do in investing in innovation. Big Tech turned on Biden because under him the government, correctly, was pursuing anti-trust against them. The goal of businesses now is market capture and competitive prevention, which is why they pushed for things like preventing China from having access to the best chip technology. And what did China do? They innovated, funded a bunch of small start-ups, and built a far more energy-efficient AI. Big companies have been telling a fairy tale that American strength is these giant corporations. The ten largest companies in the DJIA now occupy a record high of 37% of the total market value. Nearly every single one of those companies is connected to AI, and the "value" in all of these companies is seen as accumulating more profit down the road by not having to pay human beings. Tesla, from the beginning, has been seen as a company that will one day eliminate the most common job for American men: driver. Tesla produces a miniscule proportion of cars, but is worth more than the entire rest of the auto industry COMBINED. Business peril? IT'S ALL SPECULATIVE BULL SHIT.
And because the AI technology has not focused on the material problem, the energy cost, all of these tech companies are now building power plants. Instead of increasing efficiency and lowering our energy usage so we don't have to mine as heavily and destroy the environment, they have all reversed course on lowering their carbon footprints. Ultimately, the cost and externalities of that will be born by all of us. Just so that people who aren't capable of efficiently and cogently writing their own thoughts can do so, or so that people can pretend to be artists while using models that are built on the stolen creative output of people with actual talent.
What is your take on DOGE? And interestingly, I agree with your take on AI...but for better or (most likely) worse...it is not going away. And yes I agree that those in the arts are going to suffer the most.
My take is that it's dumb man's idea of a smart man's solution, that it's the kind of thing you'd do if your goal was to maximize harm and distract from more giveaways to corporate America, and that Putin can't stop smiling with joy at bringing us low.
Begs the question - what would be a smart man's solution?
I hear what you're saying, but the fact remains that an increasing number of people are able to be tricked into thinking that Republicans are fighting for the working class. It it obviously false. But it seems like something real is happening beyond just fake news. Can you talk more about what your theory for what is? For example, I could believe that NAFTA + globalization really has led to the destruction of many decent US jobs + immigrants competing for rents + democrats not having an effective response has led people to be willing to accept even wrong explanations because the status quo of democrats doesn't seem to be working. Especially, combined with your recent post about union membership declining to <10%. Even if Democrats are demonstrably better for unions, if Americans are joining Unions at lower and lower rates than this wouldn't necessarily be the strong factor in evaluating which party feels more like the "worker party".
https://open.substack.com/pub/michaelmoore/p/overwhelm-overreach-overthrown?utm_source=direct&utm_campaign=comment-list-share-cta&utm_medium=web&comments=true&commentId=93456753
Please connect with me in LinkedIn. Would really like to connect re strategy and tactics to help unions.
The shamelessness of the grift is matched only by the cluelessness of the victims who continue to support it.
Thank you . The use and abuse of words is critical to understand. The impact of how a story is framed sets so many other aspects of communication into motion. Words are the tools but words are the devil too. The media class is lazy about this. Group think . If the others are reporting using this language then they do too and embellish just to show they are more insightful. Political cartoons have a similar story ( BTW SOME SUGGEST WE CANCEL THE WASHINGTON POST IF YOU GET IT . THE PAPER IS NOW CENSORING THEM BLATANTLY). Substack is becoming the major source for news and opinion for many people. This is encouraging. Yesterday I was in my local gym an and had to have Fox on where I was. If you want to see the use of language and story framing at work , this is the quintessential example.We should all forward this piece to all editors and programs managers that we can. Also forward this to friends.
All true, and all reasons the working class should see through the lie that Republicans give a rip about them. However, union membership, as I understand it, is at an all time low, which indicates most workers are no longer interested in unions. Perhaps they’re buying into the lies that unions are job killers, or are responsible for unaffordable products, etc., etc. I’d bet that reversing that trend requires focusing on the growing wealth gap (never use the term “wealth inequality in a capitalist society) that Republicans are actively enabling. They’re pushing for corporations and their shareholders to keep more profits by holding down wages and raising prices, which is making it worse for the working class. Oh, and they’re protecting these people from the burdens of maintaining a safe workplace and the costs of treating worker injuries that occur as a result of “higher efficiency.” Why aren’t Democrats screaming about this from the hilltops?
France just called - something about wanting the statue back since it no longer applies in its present location….?
All the hype about working people becoming Republicans is as much frustration with the Democratic Party and its shifting allegiances, though Biden was perhaps the most sympathetic Democratic President since Lyndon Johnson, when organized labor was a DC political powerhouse...
Do people actually think this? Jesus fucking Christ 🙁