Republicans, Still Full of Hate for Workers

I have known for a while that Congresswoman Hilda Solis has been held hostage by Republican Senators who don't want to confirm her until she passes their litmus test. I'm reminded of the mantra from Republicans just a few years ago, "Give them an up or down vote", but they don't seem interested in living their own philosophy when it comes to issues involving workers' rights. Somehow, I'm not surprised.

Now, over at the Huffington Post, they have a major article form Art Levine on why Republicans hate the Employee Free Choice Act and are holding up Solis. But that isn't what I want to talk about here, it's actually some of the comments to the actual story:

nannyree

Having gone through a union election I can assure you that management spent thousands of dollars trying to scare and intimidate workers,they pull you into the office and threaten you, some workers were fired, many years later though I am glad that I was a union member as we had educational benefits in our contract which enabled me as a single parent to go back to school. Now I am disabled and enjoying a pension in addition to social security which I never would have gotten if we hadn't endured 3 long months to have our secret ballot election. Most workers who sign cards want a union and it's their right, so I hope this law gets passed.

This is the kind of thing that reminds me of why I joined a union, oh so many years ago and why I'm also now a Freelancer union member. There are protections, there are things you can obtain together and even with the Freelancer's, we're still all in it together.

PatrickforO

Same tired old GOP trickle down supply side stuff. Please help me understand why employers should have control of whether workers choose to form a union. Don't get me wrong, either - unions have done some really stupid things, but we need them. If unions did not exist, and we did not have the right to form collective labor agreements, then the middle class would be squeezed almost out of existance by managers who come in, rape the company with huge compensation packages and then move on, leaving devastation, unemployment and broke shareholders in their wake. Oh, wait! Hasn't that been happening already? Hey, let's crush GOP opposition and get moving with the plan!

And this one:

iblogleft

In 2005, the top 300,000 earners in America made as much as the bottom 150 Million.

It was worse last year.

Now lets ask once again; Why don't we want organized labor and a living wage?

and more:

Social_Construct See

Maybe I live in some weird, Twilight Zone-type bubble or something, but I, being a blue collar worker, have encountered few people that make a living wage. Most, if it were not for an employed spouse, couldn't begin to make ends meet for their families. Why is it even an arguable point that a fair, living wage be paid to a person willing to work 40 or more hours per week? We've tried it with the business class holding all the marbles; let's give workers the right to bargain collectively.

and one of my personal favorites to a comment that was gee, they're both bad and good (fence sit much?)

Nikola_Tesla

The Union represents the American worker, WHICH IS MOST (99%) of us.

Highly recommend the reading of Art's piece, but go beyond that and read the comments. They really warmed my little union heart.

Oh, and Go, Hilda, GO!!!