Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted (edited)

While we're posting movie clips..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTGGCquwLgM

Has Jimmy Hoffa been active recently in Wisconsin? j/k

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forget Prank ‘Koch Call,’ Wisconsin Gov. Takes Call From Jimmy Hoffa

By Don Davis

satiricalpolitical.com

“David, I have to go, I've got my favorite labor leader on the other line, who I hope can show me how to bury the entire labor movement in the Giant's Stadium end zone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a more serious note...

Hoffa Praises Wisconsin Demonstrators

Teamsters President Calls Protests "Inspiring"

By Galen Munroe

teamster.org

Edited by Silver Rider
Posted

Has Jimmy Hoffa been active recently in Wisconsin?

Yes he has as a matter of fact:

"Still that hasn’t stopped protesters from trying, even bringing in national Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa Jr. Wednesday."

source

Posted (edited)

Yes he has as a matter of fact:

"Still that hasn't stopped protesters from trying, even bringing in national Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa Jr. Wednesday."

source

I was kidding in reference to Jimmy Hoffa, Sr.

No one calls Teamsters' president Jim P. Hoffa Jimmy. That nickname is reserved for his father, the famous and infamous Jimmy Hoffa, who earned respect for building the Teamsters into a powerhouse organization and went to jail for pension fraud, amid allegations of ties with organized crime.

articles.philly.com

Edited by Silver Rider
Posted

Aren't you kind of stepping on your feet? They support the left because the right is trying to eliminate them. A union is there to negotiate contracts for a group of workers. If you feel you can get as much, or more, on your own, then quit and save yourself the dues. Many people, myself included, don't see the need for a labor union for my job. But , I don't and never will, support anyone, group or party that tries to eliminate them. It's as much a part of freedom as the right to free speech and once you give up that right, you'll have to literally fight to get it back.

I'm not stepping on my feet, I'm just thinking freely. Two things I hate about unions....They only support Democrats and use member dues and fees to donate to their campaigns without any say FROM the members. And what gives union members the right to beat and smash people? I worked on one job that had union plumbers and non-union electrical workers (the 2 gate system) and what did the plumbers do? They sabotaged the electrical workers equipment and screwed up the locks on their tool boxes. On another job the asshole ironworkers fucked up my friend's portable welder because our company hired an independant welder to weld some plate steel for us. And I never heard such squawking from one Operating Engineer whenever a laborer would run a Bobcat. A lot of these asshole union fanatics are just like Nazi's with their tactics. And where's all this 'civility' the Dems are always trying to cram down our throats when they themselves are the worst when it comes to being foul mouthed assholes. <_<

Posted

I'm not stepping on my feet, I'm just thinking freely. Two things I hate about unions....They only support Democrats and use member dues and fees to donate to their campaigns without any say FROM the members. And what gives union members the right to beat and smash people? I worked on one job that had union plumbers and non-union electrical workers (the 2 gate system) and what did the plumbers do? They sabotaged the electrical workers equipment and screwed up the locks on their tool boxes. On another job the asshole ironworkers fucked up my friend's portable welder because our company hired an independant welder to weld some plate steel for us. And I never heard such squawking from one Operating Engineer whenever a laborer would run a Bobcat. A lot of these asshole union fanatics are just like Nazi's with their tactics. And where's all this 'civility' the Dems are always trying to cram down our throats when they themselves are the worst when it comes to being foul mouthed assholes. <_<

c'mon, that's like saying all dogs bite. You are lumping all union people into what a few assholes did. I've also seen some of the underhanded stuff, but i've known many more union folks that have nothing to do with those kind of tactics. That's one thing I notice about Republicans these days. They like to judge a group of people on what a few do. But, I don't want to get into political discussions on this board. You seem to hate the union, but i'm sure you enjoy the benefits of the contract they negotiated for you.

Posted

Hi all,

Yes, and we have cashiers,excuse me toll booth attendants who make between 60-100K a year,..... :slapface:

KB

Well, forget about my current career--I'm going to be a cashier or a toll booth attendant!

...and as for the rest of it, let's just say that my state is currently turning into a "little Wisconsin." Except that our legislation that is being protested is about teachers, not all public employees. They're trying to take away collective bargaining away from teachers. It's enough to trigger mini anxiety attacks!

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted (edited)

Judge blocks contentious Wisconsin union law

By Scott Bauer and Jason Smathers, Associated Press

centurylink.net

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whatever most benefits the people of the state of Wisconsin on a per capita basis should weigh into the outcome of the current process, in addition to balancing the various other interests. Everyone is important and should have an equal stake in the results.

Edited by Silver Rider
Posted

I'd like to see them dust off the original bill, maybe increase the amount of concessions and pass that. The lefty's already lost out on getting some concessions when they wouldn't return from Illinois, might as well stick it to them again for wasting money on this crap.

Posted

Isn't it amazing how an economic crisis caused by greedy bankers eventually becomes the problem of teachers, policemen, firemen, and secretaries ? :slapface:

Posted

c'mon, that's like saying all dogs bite. You are lumping all union people into what a few assholes did.

A few?? Violence seems to be pretty prevalent in all unions, along with threats and intimidation.

Here's your great supporter of the unions. I wonder if he 'took their souls'? :lol:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/michael-moore-snubs-union-workers-making-capitalism-love/story?id=8715559

Posted (edited)

If the captains of industry had been sufficiently benevolent toward workers, we would not have had unions.

providence.edu

The "Molly Maguires" were miners in the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania who organized into a union during the 1860's and 1870's. These miners were chiefly, although not exclusively, Irish and the union was called the Workingmen's Benevolent Association. In general, the members of this union were also members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, a semi-secret fraternal society, which had its origin in Ireland as a completely secret and anonymous association.

This organization of Irish miners was dubbed the "Molly Maguires," after a group of Irish peasants who dressed up as women to antagonize their landlords. This group was infamously known as murderers and assassins and the press and police in America applied the name to the Irish miners. The label was used by both the press and the owner-operators of the mining companies to their distinct advantage. They called anyone who was pro-union a "Molly," inferring that they were criminals at best. This helped to subdue, even if only slightly, uprisings in the work place.

Why were they fighting?

The conditions of the mines were horrendous: there were no provisions for safety nor proper ventilation within the pits. Mine inspectors were figments of the imagination - not until 1870 was legislation passed mandating a second exit for escape in case of explosion, fire, cave-in, etc. The legislature was largely under the influence of the coal mine operators and ignored the workers, as the mine owners perceived them as having no power. The initiative behind the eventual passage of the 1870 legislation was the Avondale fire in 1869, in which 179 men died. Even then, however, it was only in Schuylkill County that this legislation was passed, which stated there must be a second opening, force ventilation, and the appointment of state mine inspectors. These laws were, however, extremely weak and rarely enforced. It was not until a mine operator was one of the men killed in a severe explosion in the Ravensdale Collier in the Pottsville district that a need was finally seen for the grievances the miners had been voicing for years. In Schuylkill County alone, 566 miners were killed and 1665 maimed in seven years. (The Molly Maguires, Anthony Bimba)

Not long after the Avondale fires, however, what had been weak laws turned into simple formalities. The inspector became merely a fixture of the state office and impeded any further progress in the efforts of the miners.

Beyond the conditions of the actual mines, it was the conditions of the worker's lives that moved them to such extreme action. The bob-tailed check, payment that consisted of goods from the overpriced company store in lieu of money at the end of a work week, was the common form of salary. The wages were miserably low, as were the subsequent living standards. In addition to the meek payment the miners received, they also had extremely long work days. In 1868, 20,000 miners struck for the eight hour work day to no avail. One year later, though, came the formation of the WBA - theWorkingmen's Benevolent Association.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Struggle for Survival

Despite the defeat in 1875, the militant Irish continued on. The mine owners eventually resorted to simply murdering the aggregates, causing the miners to turn to the omni-present AOH. They utilized the AOH as an organizing and protection center, and as a basis in their effort to reestablish their badly defeated union.

It was at this time that there was the introduction of labor spies by Gowen, who hired the Pinkerton Detective Agency. The agency sent in many spies, including the infamous John McParlan, to stifle the miner's struggle. McParlan was a self-confessed murderer who tended to commit crimes and charge them to the miners if he could not find anything on them. He was extremely brutal - even the operators feared and hated him.

Both sides, the miners and the owners, resorted to guerilla warfare. The miners, because of starvation; the owners, because of the innate desire to wipe out all resistance, especially the AOH. Through propaganda, the owners tabooed the label "Molly Maguires," which they had created in the first place, by describing the "reign of terror" the "Mollies" were inflicting. The purpose was to intimidate any and all workers from joining any type of resistance coalition for fear of being called a "Mollie." Although it is not disputed that the "Mollies" were a militant and sometimes violent group, evidence leans toward the idea that many "Mollie" crimes were actually committed by Pinkerton detectives. Many owners intimidated miners into submission by maiming and murdering those suspected of union activism. Pinkerton himself openly admits that members of the AOH were "quietly murdered." (The Molly Maguires, Anthony Bimba) There is no doubt that force was answered with force - even the conservative MNA called its members to arm themselves in self defense.

In the struggle, the determined militant Irish miners used mass picketing and armed defense against the police and company hired thugs. There were actually many more miners killed in the struggle than there were corporate employees. Despite this, the Catholic Church actively supported the operators. Archbishop Wood of Philadelphia excommunicated all AOH members in the anthracite area. Operators used this to their fullest advantage: for millions of Catholics, the Church's condemnation was enough to prove the miners guilty of all.

Edited by Silver Rider
Posted

I'd like to see them dust off the original bill, maybe increase the amount of concessions and pass that. The lefty's already lost out on getting some concessions when they wouldn't return from Illinois, might as well stick it to them again for wasting money on this crap.

Ahhh...I see...You must be one of the "have-nots". I guarantee if you were one of the "haves" with a government union job, you'd be singing a different tune. That's all it takes really. Same thing with the people with government union jobs. They'd be singing another tune if they were on the other side.

That's all this really comes down to when choosing which side you're on for the most part.

If you're a "have" you want to keep what you have. If you're a "have-not", you're jealous of the "haves" and are throwing a tantrum.

I don't think anyone can truly look at this from an unbiased perspective.

Posted

If you're a "have-not", you're jealous of the "haves" and are throwing a tantrum.

I'm not jealous of what others have, I'm just sick and tired of paying more every year for these "haves" to have what they have. Enough is enough. That's what the last election was about.

Posted (edited)

I'm not jealous of what others have, I'm just sick and tired of paying more every year for these "haves" to have what they have. Enough is enough. That's what the last election was about.

Correct me if I'm wrong but it sounds as though you're saying that you aren't willing to pay for any more wage increases. Would freezing wages and downsizing certain services done the trick for you ?

Edited by ally
Posted

I gotta ask these questions...If the State of Wisconsin and the other states that are lining up are successful in passing this bill , what's the end result ? What does it mean for those public emplyoyees and what does it mean for the average JOE who's employed in the private sector and those who are unemployed ? Does this bill solve the problem ?

Posted (edited)
I don't think anyone can truly look at this from an unbiased perspective.

An unbiased perspective is looking at the per capita income. I would also check to see if any of the private enterprises in the state have achieved a monopoly status, and examine the overall employment numbers for the total population. If my family still lived in Wisconsin, I would take a close look at whatever rights I still had and protect them. I would also research the private sector and find out which companies operate as good corporate citizens within my state, knowing that big business within my state received a tax benefit from the state, which cut its revenue to accommodate the captains of industry within the private sector.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wisconsin Gov. Walker Sued by Union Locals Over Labor Law

By Andrew Harris and Marie Rohde

bloomberg.com

Edited by Silver Rider
Posted

lol, the lefty's are apoplectic,

Collective bargaining bill published despite restraining order

Madison - A controversial bill limiting collective bargaining for public workers has been officially published despite a temporary restraining order barring its publication by one state official.

The legislation was published Friday with a footnote that acknowledges the restraining order, but says state law "requires the Legislative Reference Bureau to publish every act within 10 working days after its date of enactment."

The restraining order was issued against Democratic Secretary of State Doug La Follette, but the bill was published by the reference bureau. The reference bureau was not included in the temporary restraining order.

Laws normally take effect a day after they are published, and Gov. Scott Walker's administration is proceeding as if it takes effect Saturday.

"Today the administration was notified that the LRB published the budget-repair bill as required by law," said a statement from Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch. "The administration will carry out the law as required."

La Follette and the two top officials at the reference bureau - Chief Stephen Miller and Deputy Chief Cathlene Hanaman - could not be reached Friday. The Legislature is run by Republicans, but the reference bureau is a nonpartisan agency widely respected by both political parties.

source

Posted

A few?? Violence seems to be pretty prevalent in all unions, along with threats and intimidation.

Here's your great supporter of the unions. I wonder if he 'took their souls'? :lol:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/michael-moore-snubs-union-workers-making-capitalism-love/story?id=8715559

you know, redrum, you can dance around the ring all you want. You've never answered my question of "if it's so bad, why do you belong to a union? Is it because the pay and benefits are so good, you would be a fool not to?

And I don't give a hoot who Micheal Moore uses in his films. He's no hero of mine. Just another bloke making money off of clueless people. No different than the teabagger's messiahs Beck and Palin.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...