Labor Unions

[Janice]

Are labor unions losing ground. With auto plants, etc. laying off or shutting down and outsourcing, do you see any affect on unions? Could you ever see unions a thing of the past?

I rewrote this so we would not get off track.

[gtalum]

Labor unions can't really represent illegal immigrants, because illegal immigrnats generally try not to rock the boat, so to speak.

Further, as wages go up, there are actually fewer jobs available, because it becomes more economically feasible to automate.

[Janice]

I am not talkling about illegal immigration. I am talking about American workers and jobs that are present below minimum wages. There are employers in the US paying below minimum wage. Why are not unions stepping up.

[gtalum]

There are employers in the US paying below minimum wage.

Who is here legally and being paid below minimum wage?

[coriolis]

You can be sure that no union job is paying below minimum. What I think you're asking is why don't the unions step up to show solidarity with employees that are being exploited? I don't have the answer, but thought I could help clarify the question in the second post.

As for the first post, I think: Yes, Yes, and Probably.

[Janice]

It seems like in the old days, a union could save your job. I don't know if they are that powerful now. One thing, unions sure make sure their employees have good benefits. Many a union retiree has really good retirement benefits.

[gtalum]

Unions are also partially responsible for the decline in US manufacturing jobs (this despite massive growth in the US manufacturing sector).

[jax]

i belive unions are socialist by nature...
they have great practical ideals... but
once you engage humans into the system...
they end up being counter productive.

[Pburgh]

Don't talk to me about unions. We are presently in negotiations with the steelworkers union. Our employees make a good wage and have the best benefits,(medical, dental, vision, life, std). Now we are a small struggling company and can't afford a big increase at this time. The union is being totally unreasonable. If our employees go on strike, this company will be history - we'll be out of business - And you wonder what happened to the steel industry in the United States. Hmmmmmmmmm

[Camille_2_Katrina]

Don't talk to me about unions. We are presently in negotiations with the steelworkers union. Our employees make a good wage and have the best benefits,(medical, dental, vision, life, std). Now we are a small struggling company and can't afford a big increase at this time. The union is being totally unreasonable. If our employees go on strike, this company will be history - we'll be out of business - And you wonder what happened to the steel industry in the United States. Hmmmmmmmmm

i'm prayn' for ya buddy. unions can be tough. hang in there.

[Pburgh]

Thanks my friend.

[Camille_2_Katrina]

Thanks my friend.

[GalvestonDuck]

i'm prayn' for ya buddy. unions can be tough. hang in there.

Ditto that...

"And the union people crawled away..." - Allentown by Billy Joel

[MiamiensisWx]

It would be great if companies (we) could raise wages without unions...

By the way, you have my thoughts, Pburgh!

[SouthFloridawx]

Don't talk to me about unions. We are presently in negotiations with the steelworkers union. Our employees make a good wage and have the best benefits,(medical, dental, vision, life, std). Now we are a small struggling company and can't afford a big increase at this time. The union is being totally unreasonable. If our employees go on strike, this company will be history - we'll be out of business - And you wonder what happened to the steel industry in the United States. Hmmmmmmmmm

How many steel companies remain in pittsburgh by the way?

I wasn't that many when i left 5 years ago.

[Pburgh]

In the Pittsburgh area we just have USX remaining. In the tristate area we have Wheeling Pitt and whats let of Weirton Steel (Mattel). From what I understand Weirton is just running their tin mill. They make excellent tinplate. We have three converters within 40 miles and another at 60 miles. That's it!!!!! It's really sad. We are a small steel slitting facility and slit domestic and imported steel. We also slit titanium and stainless. Most of our slitting is galvanized material.

[SouthFloridawx]

In the Pittsburgh area we just have USX remaining. In the tristate area we have Wheeling Pitt and whats let of Weirton Steel (Mattel). From what I understand Weirton is just running their tin mill. They make excellent tinplate. We have three converters within 40 miles and another at 60 miles. That's it!!!!! It's really sad. We are a small steel slitting facility and slit domestic and imported steel. We also slit titanium and stainless. Most of our slitting is galvanized material.

I remember when I was a kid everyone knew someone in that industry in that area. Even the coal mines have gone away!

[Pburgh]

I was of the era when the cities were pretty much covered with graphite (gold dust) and the air was pretty bad. Now there is no gold dust and the air is clean. Too bad we have no steel industry left.

[Aslkahuna]

Union membership has declined greatly which is why the Unions want the illegals legalized so that they can go and try to organize them. The Unions do NOT support a Guest Worker program but DO support amnesty. At least that's how I interpret the report on the response of the AFL-CIO to the Senate Committee bill as reported today.

Steve

[george_r_1961]

Labor unions got their start during the sweatshop era many years ago when workers were forced to toil for mere pennies sometimes for 16 hours a day. In the ensuing years unions fought for, and got, decent wages and benefits for their members. Unfortunately many unions became corrupt and began using illegal tactics and violence to achieve their goals. Big corporations decided it was more profitable to relocate their factories and call centers to third world countries and pay a fraction of what they would have to pay an American worker. Point being: corporations have decided in order to keep their profit margins up they are going to offshore jobs rather than pay what the unions demanded. Sad to say, but intentionally or not unions have literally priced their members out of jobs.