Beautifully said, Ramona. I lived for a time when I was younger in Macomb County and became friends and campaigned for the wonderful former House Democratic Whip and local congressman David Bonior. I learned a lot from David about the role of unions in our national life. Your note is a great exposition of what unions mean and how vital it is that they thrive.
Thank you. I’m always surprised that there aren’t more pieces about unions and what they’ve done for ourselves and our families. I’ll be forever grateful for them, going way back into the 1930’s, when they helped to give our families lives we might never have had otherwise.
I was fortunate to have one union job early in my career. It seems pretty obvious that wage stagnation relative to living expenses and the decline of unions go hand in hand.
True. Yet nobody with any clout seems to want to do anything about it. Wages should never have to stagnate after we went through so much agony to get them where they were. It seems to me there wasn't nearly enough howling throughout the years we've watched it happen. I'll never understand why not.
Yes. A startling statistic and one that should be broadcast more often. But then Federal minimum wage, $7.25, has been stagnant since 2009. If anything, the Feds should be embarrassed by that.
In January, 1937 Michigan Governor Frank Murphy deployed the Michigan National Guard to Flint during a sit-down strike at a GM plant. Instead of breaking up the strike the Guard maintained the peace and allowed an agreement to be reached after 44 days. Murphy went on to become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice and a hero of the labor movement.
I blame Reagan and his busting of the traffic controllers union. Ever since then, it seems like unions have been on the decline partly, I'm convinced, due to the ignorance of the people about the role of labor in our country. I was educated in southern Missouri and the things I never learned about American history would fill a row of Encyclopedia Brittanicas (remember those?). Why is it that I learned Missouri's state flower and song but not about women's contributions, the true reason for the Civil War (we were taught it was about state's rights), the USA's treatment of our indigenous people, or about unions?
I've been thrilled to see the rise of unions lately and hope it's part of a larger trend. The Democratic Convention appeared to emphasize labor rights, so maybe it's having a resurgence. My mom was a union representative for the National Education Association and my husband is a member of the federal government workers union, so we've always been proudly pro-union. I almost joined a college professors union but didn't because I quit my position. There's a profession that desperately needs a stronger union. The amount of unpaid labor put in by college faculty boggles the mind.
I wish Labor Day was better celebrated. Perhaps if it was, people would have more of an idea of the vital importance of unions. Until we do, I appreciate your writing on this topic. Combined with Heather Cox Richardson's brief history in her daily email, I learned more today about labor from the two of you than I ever have before. Thanks!
I read another good piece yesterday about the history of unions and now I've forgotten who wrote it! If I find it I'll share it here.
I agree that Ronald Reagan almost singlehandedly started the move to destroy the unions, yet he gets very little blame, considering how destructive his move toward corporate capitalism was and is to workers nationwide.
Union activity is at only 6% now, compared to 32% postwar and into the 60s. That's shameful. It explains the rise of billionaires when there was a time we were only counting millionaires in this country. There were no billionaires.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris make gestures towards union workers, sounding as if there's a chance those numbers will rise, but I'll believe it when I see it.
Don't get me started on Reagan. Although Nixon started the downward slide, Reagan accelerated it with a smile. I despise that man; he has a lot to answer for.
Wow! You're teaching me things again. Only 6%??!! That's pathetic. I firmly believe billionaires shouldn't be allowed. No one needs that much money and, as we've seen, all it does is give too much power to 1 person or family. It's bad for humanity and the earth.
I'm hopeful that unions are on the rise again which would mean they'll have more power politically. We sure need them!
Thank you for writing this. Unions are so important and I am a proud member of a teacher's union! Before going into education I worked at a small, local aircraft plant. At one point there were rumors of unionizing, which the owner did not want. I remember being shocked by how many people were anti-union and had strong beliefs that unions were bad. It very much reminds me of the way in which Republican voters consistently vote against their own best interests.
It is shocking when shops turn down unions. I know from my husband’s experience trying to unionize their workplace that the pressure from up above is relentless. They make promises they know they won’t keep, they pretend benevolence, they lay on heavy guilt trips, as if their best friends are suddenly abandoning them, and they offer raises that amount to little, considering the lifetime of raises a union shop would ensure.
It’s always a surprise when all of that works. My husband’s company never unionized. It’s been bought out several times since he retired years ago, and I don’t even know what it is now, if it even exists.
This was exactly what my old job did. They laid it on thick, talking about how unionizing would damage the “family” atmosphere we all had. The frustrating part was people ate it up. The owner would have a “family bbq” and grill burgers and people would somehow forget they weren’t getting raises. As if one day with overcooked burgers was somehow better than getting the raise you hadn’t had in years.
I was always surprised at how people fell for his tactics. They seemed obvious to me but apparently, they weren’t to anyone else. He would play “games” on occasion with employees, like asking trivia questions and if you guessed the answer right, he would pull a 100 dollar bill out of his pocket and give it to you. He did this on occasion, and a handful of people would win. Somehow people didn’t realize that he only spent 500 dollars to convince you to not unionize and make you feel better about your very small or non-existent raise.
Wow. And multiply that by thousands of times across the country. It works more often than not. Instant gratification. The owners count on that. It takes real effort to unionize, compared to those little 'happiness handouts'.
You would think workers would be on to them by now. Apparently not. The unions have their work cut out for them if they're ever going to get past all of that and convince workers that the long term benefits are worth anything they might have to go through now.
We celebrate Labour Day in Canada too! “The Toronto printers' strike of 1872 led PM Sir John A. Macdonald to introduce the Trade Unions Act, which stated that unions were not to be regarded as illegal conspiracies.”
Great piece. I was a proud member of the teacher union when I was teaching. We nearly went on strike one year. I was grateful to have their representation in a dispute that arose one year when a non-union teacher verbally attacked me.
Proud union member here - AFT and NEA at various times and some years both. I have seen good and bad within my experiences, but the thought of teaching without any kind of protection outways whatever it might cost. I need to wfrite a few stories about my experiences! THanks again - I miss reading you and need to get my A** back in gear to resurface from depression and grief.
Thanks, Linda. Life hands us those killer moments and thinks it gets the best of us—and sometimes it does—but just know if there’s anything I can do to help you get through I’m here. ❤️
Long ago, I started out in the Retail Clerks Union at a K-mart food story in the Detroit area. I then moved to factory work and joined the Auto Workers Union. Because of the union, I was paid fairly. Next to teaching in another state, no union. Then into management, 27 years, no union for the 120+ people who reported to me. I advocated for these folks as much as I could, but it was very difficult, and I was much like an outlier. Back to teaching for 9 years and joined the MEA in Michigan. Without the MEA, teachers would be ignored. They still have a long way to go. I now have a small pension and contributory health coverage over Medicare. Without the MEA, I would not have the benefits I am blessed with. I learned at an early age how important unions are to society.
Thanks for your story, Jim. With all the benefits of unions, it’s amazing that corporations and management have still managed to make them look bad. Wonder why? Couldn’t have anything to do with massive profits and bottom lines, could it? Who would pay those millions to CEO’s, etc., if the workers took their fair share?
Beautifully said, Ramona. I lived for a time when I was younger in Macomb County and became friends and campaigned for the wonderful former House Democratic Whip and local congressman David Bonior. I learned a lot from David about the role of unions in our national life. Your note is a great exposition of what unions mean and how vital it is that they thrive.
Thank you. I’m always surprised that there aren’t more pieces about unions and what they’ve done for ourselves and our families. I’ll be forever grateful for them, going way back into the 1930’s, when they helped to give our families lives we might never have had otherwise.
Thank you Ramona.
I was fortunate to have one union job early in my career. It seems pretty obvious that wage stagnation relative to living expenses and the decline of unions go hand in hand.
True. Yet nobody with any clout seems to want to do anything about it. Wages should never have to stagnate after we went through so much agony to get them where they were. It seems to me there wasn't nearly enough howling throughout the years we've watched it happen. I'll never understand why not.
Wages have been stagnant since 1970. It’s hard to believe, but there it is.
Yes. A startling statistic and one that should be broadcast more often. But then Federal minimum wage, $7.25, has been stagnant since 2009. If anything, the Feds should be embarrassed by that.
So much for caring about workers.
Both parties have short-changed workers. It’s time for Democrats to step up and do something meaningful.
Yes, meaningful and radical, starting with minimum wage. It should be at least $25 by now.
Thanhs Ramona for the great Pete Seeger link— especially perfect for the US holiday♥️
Was a proud member of the flight attendant union for twenty years. I can't imagine what it would be like without them.
I’ll bet!
In January, 1937 Michigan Governor Frank Murphy deployed the Michigan National Guard to Flint during a sit-down strike at a GM plant. Instead of breaking up the strike the Guard maintained the peace and allowed an agreement to be reached after 44 days. Murphy went on to become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice and a hero of the labor movement.
Yes, there aren't many union families that don't know about Frank Murphy. He was always a hero in our house--along with Walter Reuther.
Bravo! I'm absolutely on the side of unions and your coverage is impeccable.
Bravo!
Thank you, Lisa. ❤️
I blame Reagan and his busting of the traffic controllers union. Ever since then, it seems like unions have been on the decline partly, I'm convinced, due to the ignorance of the people about the role of labor in our country. I was educated in southern Missouri and the things I never learned about American history would fill a row of Encyclopedia Brittanicas (remember those?). Why is it that I learned Missouri's state flower and song but not about women's contributions, the true reason for the Civil War (we were taught it was about state's rights), the USA's treatment of our indigenous people, or about unions?
I've been thrilled to see the rise of unions lately and hope it's part of a larger trend. The Democratic Convention appeared to emphasize labor rights, so maybe it's having a resurgence. My mom was a union representative for the National Education Association and my husband is a member of the federal government workers union, so we've always been proudly pro-union. I almost joined a college professors union but didn't because I quit my position. There's a profession that desperately needs a stronger union. The amount of unpaid labor put in by college faculty boggles the mind.
I wish Labor Day was better celebrated. Perhaps if it was, people would have more of an idea of the vital importance of unions. Until we do, I appreciate your writing on this topic. Combined with Heather Cox Richardson's brief history in her daily email, I learned more today about labor from the two of you than I ever have before. Thanks!
I read another good piece yesterday about the history of unions and now I've forgotten who wrote it! If I find it I'll share it here.
I agree that Ronald Reagan almost singlehandedly started the move to destroy the unions, yet he gets very little blame, considering how destructive his move toward corporate capitalism was and is to workers nationwide.
Union activity is at only 6% now, compared to 32% postwar and into the 60s. That's shameful. It explains the rise of billionaires when there was a time we were only counting millionaires in this country. There were no billionaires.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris make gestures towards union workers, sounding as if there's a chance those numbers will rise, but I'll believe it when I see it.
Don't get me started on Reagan. Although Nixon started the downward slide, Reagan accelerated it with a smile. I despise that man; he has a lot to answer for.
Wow! You're teaching me things again. Only 6%??!! That's pathetic. I firmly believe billionaires shouldn't be allowed. No one needs that much money and, as we've seen, all it does is give too much power to 1 person or family. It's bad for humanity and the earth.
I'm hopeful that unions are on the rise again which would mean they'll have more power politically. We sure need them!
Thank you for writing this. Unions are so important and I am a proud member of a teacher's union! Before going into education I worked at a small, local aircraft plant. At one point there were rumors of unionizing, which the owner did not want. I remember being shocked by how many people were anti-union and had strong beliefs that unions were bad. It very much reminds me of the way in which Republican voters consistently vote against their own best interests.
It is shocking when shops turn down unions. I know from my husband’s experience trying to unionize their workplace that the pressure from up above is relentless. They make promises they know they won’t keep, they pretend benevolence, they lay on heavy guilt trips, as if their best friends are suddenly abandoning them, and they offer raises that amount to little, considering the lifetime of raises a union shop would ensure.
It’s always a surprise when all of that works. My husband’s company never unionized. It’s been bought out several times since he retired years ago, and I don’t even know what it is now, if it even exists.
This was exactly what my old job did. They laid it on thick, talking about how unionizing would damage the “family” atmosphere we all had. The frustrating part was people ate it up. The owner would have a “family bbq” and grill burgers and people would somehow forget they weren’t getting raises. As if one day with overcooked burgers was somehow better than getting the raise you hadn’t had in years.
I was always surprised at how people fell for his tactics. They seemed obvious to me but apparently, they weren’t to anyone else. He would play “games” on occasion with employees, like asking trivia questions and if you guessed the answer right, he would pull a 100 dollar bill out of his pocket and give it to you. He did this on occasion, and a handful of people would win. Somehow people didn’t realize that he only spent 500 dollars to convince you to not unionize and make you feel better about your very small or non-existent raise.
Wow. And multiply that by thousands of times across the country. It works more often than not. Instant gratification. The owners count on that. It takes real effort to unionize, compared to those little 'happiness handouts'.
You would think workers would be on to them by now. Apparently not. The unions have their work cut out for them if they're ever going to get past all of that and convince workers that the long term benefits are worth anything they might have to go through now.
We celebrate Labour Day in Canada too! “The Toronto printers' strike of 1872 led PM Sir John A. Macdonald to introduce the Trade Unions Act, which stated that unions were not to be regarded as illegal conspiracies.”
Ha! 'Illegal conspiracies'. In their dreams!
Great piece. I was a proud member of the teacher union when I was teaching. We nearly went on strike one year. I was grateful to have their representation in a dispute that arose one year when a non-union teacher verbally attacked me.
Proud union member here - AFT and NEA at various times and some years both. I have seen good and bad within my experiences, but the thought of teaching without any kind of protection outways whatever it might cost. I need to wfrite a few stories about my experiences! THanks again - I miss reading you and need to get my A** back in gear to resurface from depression and grief.
Thanks, Linda. Life hands us those killer moments and thinks it gets the best of us—and sometimes it does—but just know if there’s anything I can do to help you get through I’m here. ❤️
Long ago, I started out in the Retail Clerks Union at a K-mart food story in the Detroit area. I then moved to factory work and joined the Auto Workers Union. Because of the union, I was paid fairly. Next to teaching in another state, no union. Then into management, 27 years, no union for the 120+ people who reported to me. I advocated for these folks as much as I could, but it was very difficult, and I was much like an outlier. Back to teaching for 9 years and joined the MEA in Michigan. Without the MEA, teachers would be ignored. They still have a long way to go. I now have a small pension and contributory health coverage over Medicare. Without the MEA, I would not have the benefits I am blessed with. I learned at an early age how important unions are to society.
Thanks for your story, Jim. With all the benefits of unions, it’s amazing that corporations and management have still managed to make them look bad. Wonder why? Couldn’t have anything to do with massive profits and bottom lines, could it? Who would pay those millions to CEO’s, etc., if the workers took their fair share?