| |
| |
|
Politics Information |
|
|
|
How Small Business Benefits From Supporting Labor Unions
For a short time I worked as a union officer for the office workers' union at Walt Disney studios. It was a very educational experience and one thing I learned is that people have a strange attitude about the relationship between unions and business management. All too many business managers think of the union as their enemy, and unfortunately too many union members think the same thing about management. The sad part of it is, both sides are working toward the same goals. Employees need to be working for a successful and prosperous company and the company needs to be a place where employees can be happy and productive. In today's business climate this partnership is even more crucial. We have a problem in this nation - too many gigantic corporations are hogging all of the business, putting smaller business owners out of business. And these corporations don't hire the union employees. Instead they outsource the jobs to foreign countries where they can get labor for pennies on the dollar. Unions were originally formed to protect employees from the abuses of large companies. It is beneficial, I believe, for small business owners to support this fair play because in the process of promoting fair play for labor, they are also promoting fair play for business in general. Without mentioning names, the largest retailer in the nation has been accused of busting unions so they could continue to pay lower wages and less benefits. This same company sells products which are manufactured largely in China and this practice has cost a large number of American jobs. When this company moves into a new locality, small business owners go out of business. Small business and labor are both victims of the same corporate greed. If small business owners could team up with labor, they could fight this evil together. It requires some sense of responsibility on both sides. Union members cannot expect a local furniture store, for example, to pay the same wages as they would expect somebody like GMC to pay. And the small business owner has to realize that it is this employee who is helping him to make a success of his venture. That employee cannot do his best work if he is worrying about foreclosure or eviction because his wages don't cover the basic cost of housing. The trick is for both labor and management to make small business's prosperous and then share that prosperity. If you are a small business owner and your employees express a desire to form a union, my suggestion is, talk to them and to the union officials and see how you can make it into a mutually satisfactory partnership. If an employee comes to you with a grievance, don't think of it as a personal attack. Think of it as an invitation to open up a dialogue to resolve small problems before they escalate. On the same token, if you are an employee, don't think of the union as your way to stick it to your boss. Think of them as a tool to help you to help your boss become more prosperous and share his success with you. Sure, unions have had their problems. There have been instances of corruption and abuses toward business. But for the most part, they are a good thing - not only for employees, but for the business community as a whole. Let's use them as the beneficial tool they were designed to be. Ron Coleman is retired and spends most of his time working as a freelance cartoonist and writer. He has served as a union officer in the office workers union at Disney Studios and has sold several pro-union cartoons to labor publications. His work can be seen on his website: http://www.coleman-cartoons.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Politics - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Fury and Sound as GM Seeds Abound We have all heard of the huge debates surrounding genetically modified crops. Yet we also have all seen the advertising to sponsor a child in the third world. What Ordinary People Are Saying--Robertson Assassination Comment What ordinary people are saying about U.S. Global Entrepreneurs, Mining and Raw Materials There are many mines around the world, which are owned by the new global citizen who considers no country their home. Literally a world-class jet set of entrepreneurs. Bodyguard Training in Mexico; My Experiences While Providing BG Training in Mexico Mexico the country of Salsa, Tortillas and Corruption; I first arrived in Mexico City in February 2002 as an instructor for the WFB - the World Federation of Bodyguards. A Mexican security service had contracted Anders Sorenson, the Norwegian WFB instructor and I, to set-up a training program for BG's in Mexico. Cloning; The Possibilities and Advantages of Thought Swapping We can all see the issues involved in the cloning debate, which go much deeper than religion; the real debate has to do with evolutions process of a self-replicating organic machine, human beings, and the future of science and the species. There will be power shifts in economic status amongst ruling elite, political families, etc along with issues of entanglement, connected brains and communication abilities in the future. The Protocols of Sion #1 There is a lot of debate about who made the Protocols. They lay out a plan for world domination and are attributed to the Sionists and therefore Rothschilds who founded the Illuminati. Political Branding and Marketing Political strategists, branding gurus and image consultants could learn a lot from the modern corporate successes in branding. In each political season we see positioning by the front-runners to get your vote. Union Members Don t Be Fooled, Conservative Talkers Have it in for You Ever wonder why labor unions consistently endorse democrats over republicans in nearly every election? The answer is simple. Democratic officials support the right of workers to unionize and collectively bargain. What Did You Do In The War Daddy? This is the first of a series of four articles where my uncle, the late Mr Gordon Bessant is talking to Mr Joe Hieatt-Smith about life during the war years. They taped these recollections in 1996. Is Inflation Harmful Q. Should the Government be concerned if the CPI rises to 5% ?The Govt set the MPC a target for CPI of 2% +/-1 therefore it believes inflation higher than 3% is potentially damaging for the economy. Accessibility Requirements for Fair Housing PolicyFederal Fair Housing accessibility requirements for new multifamily buildings should be written in building code language certified as Fair Housing compliant by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD should be vigilant in compliance education and assistance as is NAHB. Netanyahu: Too Late For A Fight-back? The resignation from cabinet yesterday, Sunday, by the Israeli minister of Finance is a good signal by the extreme right-wing, within the ruling Likud Party to the world that a group exists that would not go to sleep, much less on the same bed with terrorism.I am of the contrary view that if we have to sleep on the same bed, and not necesarilly with the witch called terrorism in order to morally strangulate it, we must get done with the ugly task quick. Steel Tubing Tariffs Prove that NAFTA Still Needs Work The North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was implemented on January 1, 1994. An extension of the previous Canada-U. Political Lobbying & Biblical Aspects of the Mid-East Crisis 1) IS HAVING A DEMOCRACY MORE EFFECTIVE IN ADDRESSING POLITICAL CONCERNS?The answers below, except for item 3, are a composite of what has come out of 3 Christian web sites in trying to answer the above question.1) Winston S. Globalization Often we see protests at the sites of global leader gatherings. Some complain Globalization is bad, that a one world currency is evil and that there is a huge conspiracy a foot to control all of mankind. Mr. Bin Laden: Tear this Wall Down You say, you want to help the Palestinians, but most of them still struggle in poverty. How are you helping anyone? Having been born into a privileged life, you use your wealth toward death, destruction, division, and sorrow. US Trade Deficit with Bordering Neighbors The trade deficit with Canada is now 50 Billion per year. The amount of money sent back Mexico each week from migrant labor and/or illegal aliens is estimated at 8 billion per week. The Civil War - FOGC Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to Lafayette in 1823 that went as follows: "I do not believe with the Rochefoucaults and Montaignes, that fourteen of fifteen men are rogue. I believe a great abatement from that proportion may be made in favor of general honesty. Battling Societys Cancer: Unemployment The official figures are staggering: 35% of the workforce - about 280,000 people - are unemployed and looking for a job. Each 1. Anglo-Israelism and the Flesh Recently a friend insisted that I read a book by Steven M.Collins, titled The "Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
