if these limits may, at any time, be passed by those intended to be restrained?"
-- Chief Justice John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, 1803
Union Jackoff
by Lee
As Michael Moore never tires of telling us, unions are important because they fight for better pay for workers. When you pay them your dues every month, you know that your money is being well spent to ensure that you have a job with good pay and benefits, and that you’re protected against the evil greedy corporate capitalist machine. As he wrote in Stupid White Men,
If you are a worker, and not a boss, who considers himself a conservative and hates unions, I have one question: why? If you want to make more money, “union” is the way to go. According to the US department of labour, union workers make an average of $717 a week. Non-union workers like you make an average of $573 a week. Being a conservative is about you and you making as much money as you can. So why stay non-union?
So it was with great interest that I read this morning’s Wall Street Journal editorial.
If we told you that an organization gave away more than $65 million last year to Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Amnesty International, AIDS Walk Washington and dozens of other such advocacy groups, you’d probably assume we were describing a liberal philanthropy. In fact, those expenditures have all turned up on the financial disclosure report of the National Education Association, the country’s largest teachers union. …
We already knew that the NEA’s top brass lives large. Reg Weaver, the union’s president, makes $439,000 a year. The NEA has a $58 million payroll for just over 600 employees, more than half of whom draw six-figure salaries. Last year the average teacher made only $48,000, so it seems you’re better off working as a union rep than in the classroom.
Many of the organization’s disbursements--$30,000 to the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, $122,000 to the Center for Teaching Quality--at least target groups that ostensibly have a direct educational mission. But many others are a stretch, to say the least. The NEA gave $15,000 to the Human Rights Campaign, which lobbies for “lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equal rights.” The National Women’s Law Center, whose Web site currently features a “pocket guide” to opposing Supreme Court nominee Sam Alito, received $5,000. And something called the Fund to Protect Social Security got $400,000, presumably to defeat personal investment accounts.The new disclosure rules mark the first revisions since 1959 and took effect this year. “What wasn’t clear before is how much of a part the teachers unions play in the wider liberal movement and the Democratic Party,” says Mike Antonucci of the Education Intelligence Agency, a California-based watchdog group. “They’re like some philanthropic organization that passes out grant money to interest groups.”
When liberals want to project an image of a dedicated, hard-working employee who works for terrible wages, they often trot out teachers. Well, here’s the largest national teacher’s union pissing away $65 million dollars on left wing causes. I wonder how much better the lives of teachers would be if this union had put this money to the use with which it was given, namely securing better wages and benefits for teachers? What possible reason could there be for this union to donate this much money to these types of causes, when they have nothing to do with the stated purpose of the union? And, given that there are undoubtedly countless numbers of teachers in this country who don’t share the political leanings of the union brass, why should dues be taken every month from union members who have no interest in supporting these causes? If the NEA has an extra $65 million lying around, why not give it back to the teachers, and let the teachers themselves donate it to whatever causes or charities they choose, or let them (gasp!) spend it on themselves.
Why stay non-union? Because unions are corrupt and useless, and this is just the latest example of what an anachronism they have become. They’re not about protecting workers, they’re about protecting their own existence.
Comments
Teachers - the world’s slackers and academic losers that can’t get a real job.
The NEA has a $58 million payroll for just over 600 employees, more than half of whom draw six-figure salaries. Last year the average teacher made only $48,000, so it seems you’re better off working as a union rep than in the classroom
I worked in a place with a “closed” shop union. Whenever the great and benevolent Union brought us bounties, we got a notice that dues were increasing.
some numbers for perspective:
2.7 million union members - making an average of 48K a year 923.00 a week (200.00 bucks above the moore union quote)
average union dues around 350.00 a year
(currently around .067% of pay)
rough total of dues collected - 1,012,500,000
that 65 million would equal around 25 bucks a member and under 8% of dues collected (the nea also brings in other income besides dues to the tune of around another 45,000,000)
non union teacher’s salaries are $8,000 dollars lower on the average.
How many folks would be willing to give up that 8 grand due to the way under 8% of your dues (which got ya that 8 grand in the first place) was being spent?
not to even take into account that a majority of the members may even support those causes.
just sayin’
This is because a society isn’t free when some of it’s memebers have hardships. And it’s better to democratically make decisions. By this logic, if you elected the unions officions (democracy) then they can do what ever they want so as long as you are in a democracy it’s ok to have a few people monopolize power.
This is the twisted logic of Canada as put down by our leaders.
Salinger,
I don’t think anyone on this blog is against workers having rights or workers getting more money (when they earn it). The problem is that unions are hypocritical and full of shit. Unions have long accused corporations of being corrupt power hungry and greedy. HOwever, most unions are just as, or more corrupt than the corporations in their fantasies. The only difference is that Unions (and Moore) shroud themselves in the working man mantra even though it’s a total lie. Many people would prefer a happy lie (such as we do it for the workers) than the cold hard truth (Unions are power hungry organizations that don’t give two shits about the people)
Here’s a quick question for everyone. What do you think the consequences would be of giving employee groups more legal power? Essentially unions on a small scale. I mean an employee group at a small company that can oversee (with legal authority) safety issues, fair treatment in disciplinary matters, and maybe even set out contracts. All this without the need of the larger corrupt union.
Essentially unions on a small scale. I mean an employee group at a small company that can oversee (with legal authority) safety issues, fair treatment in disciplinary matters, and maybe even set out contracts.
I see where you’re going, but to what end? In practice, the real solution is to recognize the tiniest union of all: The individual worker.
We need to detach health care from employment and stop pretending that “employment” is some special relationship that has a set of rules somehow different from any other agreement from two parties, give workers and employers the power to negotiate freely and protect workers from union strongarming.
All politics are local.
I have several friends that are the union reps and or on the negotiating teams for their local branch of the teacher’s union.
These people are indeed looking out for their fellow members interests.
So within the umbrella of the larger national union there are smaller divisions acting much like the small company employee group Jabba envisions.
On a grand level a few elected officials may decide the stance of the union as a whole on national scope issues - but local issues are still handled by local reps. For example, there is a school distric north of Chicago that went on a work action over class size a month back and right now another near Pittsburgh is bargaining over healthcare benefits. Local issues, local bargaining - backed up by the clout of a larger national organization when needed.
I think the 8,000.00 dollar difference in union and non-union wages speaks for itself.
I’m not saying that unions are bastions of pure goodness - but I do believe most do more good than harm.
I’m not saying that unions are bastions of pure goodness - but I do believe most do more good than harm.
My inherited legacy with labor unions essentially consists of a mass murder, a bomb attack, and a stunt where they hired goons to harass the customers of a non-union shop, just because they were mad that the non-union shop treated their employees better than the deal the unions had been able to strongarm.
I think the 8,000.00 dollar difference in union and non-union wages speaks for itself.
First, because the United States pays our teachers more than any other country in the world except Switzerland (and has one of the lower costs of living in the industrial West), I think it’s extremely dubious to suggest that their alleged increased wages are a good thing, particularly considering the absolutely pathetic results we get for our dollar. Much like the transit workers in New York City, there is a “too much”, and those gains often happen at the expense of other neccessary programs, much like in Illinois where the state is literally shutting down everything they can find in order to continue funding the all-consuming education monstrosity.
Secondly, it’s a valid point that the distinction between their wages also reflects the zero-sum nature of many personnel budgets: If Union Teacher A can strongarm herself another grand, that’s a grand some non-union teacher therefore will be screwed out of because they chose not to join the local gang.
In the end, while your “local” point is valid, the main issue in this post is that the “local” workers are having their dues vacuumed away to bankroll projects that have a thing in the world to do with teachers.
If you’re a hard averge joe worker, who doesn’t want your 9-year-old girl to be lectured on how to give boys blow jobs, then vote conservative…
How many folks would be willing to give up that 8 grand due to the way under 8% of your dues (which got ya that 8 grand in the first place) was being spent?
What a load of crap! My first job was food service at the San Diego Zoo, and it was a “union or no job” place. The Teamsters to boot. The union didn’t get us jack, espcially since we were “seasonal” and due to the contract couldn’t even work afternoons if we wanted too after school.
I was one of the best people there, regularly had leads of the different food stands fighting to get me (and my friend) for closing, because we were the only ones to do it right, do it fast, and not complain the whole time. But because of the union, we couldn’t get a damn bit of recognition in the form of any raises, bonuses, etc. We made a bit over minimum wage, but nowhere near enough to justify everything we lost due to the union meddling. Watching some slack ass that barely did the minimum required of him to get by, get a raise while you didn’t, simply because he was hired a couple weeks before you will really open your eyes.
That job is where I learned to loathe unions and swear that I would never work for one again.
Unions are bleeding corporations and taxpayers dry. Even when the books are opened and the red ink is shown, unions are still seeking wage increases and increased pensions. It’s as if they have no perception of reality. Or, they simply don’t care.
Well, they may care when they bargain themselves out of a job.
we were the only ones to do it right, do it fast, and not complain the whole time
If you ever want to see the difference between union-hell and real business, just compare operations at UPS and FedEx.
I was in LTL freight and international shipping for years, and after what I experienced, I would never allow anything to go by UPS if given a choice.
That said, oh my god: Union Songs? Oddly, “The Trees” is not listed.
Oddly, “The Trees” is not listed.
Ya, shut up you trees or we’ll send in Paul Bunyan!
“And the trees are all kept equal by hatchet, axe and saw.”
If you’re a hard averge joe worker, who doesn’t want your 9-year-old girl to be lectured on how to give boys blow jobs, then vote conservative…
????
I’m sure that’s not in their manifesto you know.
Too bad union teachers, on the whole, turn out students that score worse on tests than non-union teachers.
Yeah, unions are all about the working man, just look at the TWU fucking over the working poor of NYC, during Christmas no less.
You know why I’m not in a union? Because I want to be FREE to excel and get mine, and not to have my fate tied to some HS dropout slacker who wants to get by doing the absolute minimum (because that’s ALWAYS what the strikes are about, the marginal cases, and the toothless discipline processes and lax work rules the union requires to keep them happy)
I’m not union because I want my business to succeed. Look at GM. Unions have (in part) helped to bankrupt then, while the Japanese car mauufacturers (PS- no yelling about that type of outsourcing I notice) are working. Sure the Union employees may make more than the non-union ones....but do the Union members actually have jobs? Better to have a non-union paycheck than a union-fueled strike/layoff/attrition. Ask the airline employees who won’t consider givebacks how wonderful the parent company’s bankruptcy is for them.
First of all, Seattle Outcast, a hearty fuck you to you and yours. Go piss on an electric fence.
Second of all, I loathe the NEA, and I take the opportunity to tell my union reps that on a regular basis, but I am a member. Why? One reason only: Legal Insurance. I have access to free consultations and representation by the lawyers. And with all the crap that gets thrown at teachers these days, I think it’s a good investment. Twelve years so far, and no issues, but I’ve known dozens of teachers who got targeted by administration and parents and were damn glad that the Union backed them up. Closest thing to a confrontation I had was a black lady threatening to sue if I made her granddaughter read Tom Sawyer in freshmen honors English.
Couple years ago I was asked to be on the negotiations team, but I told them as long as the official policy of the NEA was to vote for whoever had the “D” next to his or her name regardless if it was Satan himself, I won’t do a god damned thing to help the union out.
I wrote a letter to Ron Paige after he called the NEA a group of terrorists. In support.
But they get my whatever-the-hell it is each year, not because they speak for me, not because they advocate positions I agree with, but because of insurance. If I pay my mortgage company thousands in insurance for my house, I can do 350 or so for my livelihood.
That doesn’t mean this isn’t bullshit, and I’ve printed the article out and am going to slam it down on my school’s rep’s desk tomorrow, but realize that there’s more to the story.
much like in Illinois where the state is literally shutting down everything they can find in order to continue funding the all-consuming education monstrosity.
Aaron - if I’m not mistaken Illinois passed the Lottery to fund Education - would be interesting to audit the books for the state.
I’m not saying that unions are bastions of pure goodness - but I do believe most do more good than harm.
Really?
More good then harm?
Not according to champion of the Working man and Unions (including teachers unions) Mr Moore. To Moore, we Americans are stooopid, as he’s said many times. We can’t even find Iraq on a map. And who’s responsible for that? Why, TEACHERS! Basically, Moore puts down the very people he supposedly supports.
Too bad union teachers, on the whole, turn out students that score worse on tests than non-union teachers.
But but but, according to the NEA, that is not true. Who should I believe? A group of people just trying to protect their own asses, or believe in the private sector that doesn’t make a peep nor boast with web pages about how they’re trying to get better or are better then others (like every car commercial that comes on TV saying they were rated #1 in something).
Goodnews!
This webpage just screams “We’re desperate!”
"Aaron - if I’m not mistaken Illinois passed the Lottery to fund Education - would be interesting to audit the books for the state.”
Been there done that, depends on who you ask: Some say the money was stolen, others say education outgrew it. I say both.
Ronald Regean had it right about unions in the end, they are basically communist enterprises.
There has never and will never be a reason to exceed the basic minimum requirements of a worker in a union. They are idealistic in thier attempts to create harmony between workers and owners.
If you don’t like your job you have the right to leave. If you stay it is because either A. that is what you are worth at the time or B. you really want to be there (albeit maybe you wish you could change aspects of it).
You know.. CA has a lottery too, and I remember the commercials way back, about how it was going to benefit education. I think the claims were even something like 1/2 of every ticket sold went to education. Yet education is still the largest single expense in the state budget, and our public school system sucks ass!
Oh, but the solution is to continue to pump even more money into the system… yeah, that it.
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I belonged to a union once (CWA, in the ‘60s). It was the same then as it is now. Unthinking support of the Democrats and relatively little concern for the ‘bread and butter’ issues of the membership.