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Subscribe to RSS“President Barack Obama says right-to-work legislation in Michigan is more about politics than economics. He is criticizing a measure that would prevent requiring non-union employees to financially support unions at their workplace,” AP writes. “Obama received loud applause at a Michigan engine plant when he said we shouldn’t be ‘taking away your rights to bargain for better wages and working conditions.’ The president says that the right-to-work bills are more about ‘giving you the right to work for less money.’”
How big is the right-to-work story in Michigan? The Detroit Free Press is liveblogging it.
“Evidence of Congress’ plummeting popularity is everywhere,” AP writes. “From New Hampshire diners to Colorado coffee shops, weary residents report widespread concern. They relate the debate in Washington over their tax dollars with their own lives: average Americans who are struggling every day to make ends meet. And already distracted by the holidays and tired of politics after a bitter presidential campaign, they are calling on Washington to get its act together.”
Obama and Biden will lunch today.
The president now has an extinct lizard named after him, the Obamadon.
How much would you pay to hear Jim Messina talk about the Obama campaign’s winning 2012 efforts?
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How much would I pay to hear Jim Messina talk about the Obama campaign’s winning 2012 efforts? I'd rather hear him jammin' with Kenny Loggins. Oh, he's not THAT Jim Messina? Never mind!
Your mama don't dance 'n your daddy don't rock 'n roll!!
LOL!
Yes. The Republican Party, with its history of using innocuous language to sanitize its war against the American worker, plows on to enrich their corporate masters.
By removing any potential help that Unions can offer the American worker, the Republican Party clears the way, both for the forced re election of their members, and the continued pillage and rape of the treasury by the rich.
The American people don't have to worry about the Welfare Queen that the Republican Party likes to inflate hatred about.
They have to worry about the NEW Welfare kings and queens, corporate America.
More and more workers will be needing food stamps and government support if the Republicans succeed.
I understand the casual observer's reluctance to force non-union workers to pay union dues, however, I view it the same as requiring a bottle deposit on beverages. You pay up front for the bottle, but you get it back when you return the empty to the store, and that keeps trash our of landfills.
I was shocked to have to pay union dues when I started one job I held in my twenties, but, then, I was equally shocked to get vacation pay, which was rare in my area in those days. I definitely see the benefit of paying union dues, as it can be the only source of security in jobs where one feels expendable.
In right to work states all employees are expendable. If you've held the same job for ten years and a new manager comes in and he doesn't like you he can fire you for no other reason than he doesn't like you. Or maybe he comes in, in a bad mood someday you say the wrong think he fires you nothing you can do. Right to work also means the right to fire. You work at the discretion of the manager. Ever hear of kissing the bosses a$$.
I think a lot of people don't know their history. Workers DIED in the fight to get fair wages and all the benefits we have now--holidays, vacations, 40 hour work week, 8 hour workday, safe working conditions, etc. We have these because our forebearers fought to have the right to unionize. If anyone thinks that corporations will do what is best for their workers in the absence of regulations or unions...well, deregulation of the banking industry didn't work so well in the best interests of consumers, did it? Robber barons anyone?
"We have met the enemy and he is us!" Pogo by Walt Kelly
I work in a right to work state and none of your lefty lies apply. I have been with the same company for 20 years, get a bonus every year and a raise. I also get sick time and vacation time. And I don't have to pay any scum bag union butthead for the pleasure. So pedal your union thug crap to someone who believes you. Like one of the unemployed leeches here at first read. Maybe Fisty, or Racist Bev, or the other dumb cluck, SeekingSanity.
Right to Work to the average American worker means right to deny equal pay, right to deny benefits, right to fire at will, right to remove safety precautions from the workplace, right to discriminate, right to outsource your job, and so many others. This is another insidious GOP ideology march back into time to those good ole days of sweat shops and slave labor to accommodate their corporate donors. If this passes, rest assured Michigan workers will be taking names to hold legislators accountable in the next election. And once again the GOP proves they learned nothing from the Nov. 6th election as they keep digging that GOP grave deeper.
Right to deny equal pay- Yes, they have a right to pay someone more who is working harder than the slug next to them.
Right to deny benefits- The employee has the right to work at a company who offers benefits.
Right to fire at will- The right to fire an employee who is not an asset to the company.
Right to remove safety precautions from the workplace- Ever heard of OSHA?
Right to discriminate- There are LAWS against that.
Right to outsource your job- The unions have made that necessary in too many cases.
Good luck suing your ex-employer. You'll be labelled "disgruntled" in a nano-second. Even if you win, the corporation will appeal, and you'll die before you get any of the judgement that you "win" against them. SCAMERICA. What a country.
70% of the poorest states are Right to Work states.
Since unions tend to favor Democrats what better way to rig elections than to eliminate some of the opposition? Instead of winning on merit of policy, practices and beliefs just eliminate the opposition. It kind of reminds me, albeit milder so far, of Germany in the 1920s when those fellows with the brown shirts went about eliminating the competition. That led, of course, to the funny little man with the Charlie Chaplin mustache becoming Chancellor and, well you know, the rest is history.
When is a "spending bill", which denies you a right to a recall referendum, not a spending bill? When the main purpose of the bill is something other than the spending. If they allocate only one dollar of spending in every bill that they pass, you are then trying to tell me that it then can't be subject to a referendum? That is an insane assertion. Rise up people. Stop letting them PUNK YOU.
The rich in this country are greedy and the working people have to do something about it. I just watched HARDBALL and seen the low life dirty SCUMBAG who more than likely works for the other SCUMBAG KOEGH BROTHERS who are responsible for hurting working class people. IM very happy I dont live in DETROIT now because I would lose my mind. I am 70years young, I worked for 35yrs for a company that folded up and the owners took all the money and the workers got SH@T. I then got a job with the TEAMSTERS and retired 9yrs later with a pension. TRASH who dont like UNION should pack there bags and head down south with the good old boys and work for 5 dollars and hour, but all my fellow union members who live and work in DETROIT dont let them get away with this FIGHT THEM TO THE BITTER END. GET THOSE DIRTY DIRTBAG.
Koch Industries is an S corporation, what the RE-peat-the-LIE-to-the-PUBLIC-ans, "call" a small business.
Lived in Michigan most of my life,never belonged to a union-never been fired for no reason-always made good money-had as many benefits as the company could afford to give. paid vacations,sick days,etc. All i had to do was show up and do my job. As of now been with the same company 10 years,take off as much time as i want,make better money than many college grads. Morrow of the story is that if you go to work and do a good job you don't need any union..............