Auchtoon!Various Thoughts on Labor Unions…
Originally published in the Grand Rapids Business Journal, January 12, 2009
Again, just me trying so work up some “regionalism” anger and resentment. Reinforcing the fact that we are better than them. Isn’t this how all demagogues start?…
Geewhy said,
January 24, 2009 @ 9:07 pm
I hate to say this since all my brothers and sisters went to Aquinas, but the West Michigan response is the most frightening to me. Maybe I’m just mistrustful, but I believe the only thing making seemingly reasonable business people give anything to their non-union workers is the threat of unionization. Once unions are crushed, these seemingly caring business owners will show their true colors. It’s simply ignoring history to think otherwise.
John Auchter said,
January 29, 2009 @ 7:58 am
Yeah, I left it open-ended to let people draw their own conclusions. I’ve found myself on both sides of the union argument. Working in a GM foundry in Saginaw exposed me to both extremes — the good (without the union for protection, I’m quite sure much of the management would have let the workers become meat parts caught up in the machinery) and the bad (me trying to keep a raging alcoholic off his forklift and the union insisting he could stay because he had seniority).