The Stout Republican

I am not a pro union guy. I have stated here in the past that unions once served as vessel for positive change, but those times are long since past, and along with the Beta and Vinyl, there are a few that feverishly hold on to the ideal and long for the old days. Collective bargaining has been replaced with choice. The job market is much more fluid today…living…breathing. As unions try to keep their heads above water with the threats of new markets (Walmart as an example) they’ve turned their attention to paying the political machine, and internal intimidation.

In a classic “we’re watching you” move, the Democrats have agreed to continue to push legislation that would require that workers voting to unionize not be allowed to cast secret ballots. From Captain’s Quarters:

How will it restore labor’s position? Through intimidation and fear. Rather than conducting elections by secret ballot, the workers would be forced to fill out union cards instead, identifying them and their vote on unionization It doesn’t take a genius to understand that people opposed to unionizing their workplace might feel a little intimidated if they knew that the union could identify everyone who voted against them. The unions aren’t exactly known for a history of milquetoast tactics, and putting that kind of information into their hands will win them elections just from fear of retaliation.

In fact, that’s the reason America uses secret ballots for elections. We have seen the results of elections where voters have to identify their ballots, rather than just their registration. People like Saddam Hussein win 99.8% of votes in elections under those conditions. Secret ballots allow voters in any kind of election to vote without fear of retribution — and we should treat demands to eliminate the secret-ballot system with great skepticism.

The dying dinosaur in the embodiment of unions has adopted intimidation as their technique. If you’re not with us, we’ll know. It’s a last gasp for membership and power in a changing, evolving workplace where unions are becoming more and more obsolete. Workers of the world unite?

The unions feed off of the same “Us vs. Them” mentality that drives the Decmocratic party in general. No…not the “Us vs. Them” in regards to terrorism or international enemies, that would be silly. The “them” of the rich, the white collar, the Republicans. “Them” is the managers, the corporations…”Us” is the Worker…abused and under appreciated. The Unions fight for you, like it or not, and you better be willing to have them fight for you, because you as the worker, can’t do it yourself.

Unions dare you to disagree, and they want your name and address attached if you speak up. So to me it doesn’t seem that legislation like this helps the worker, as much as it helps the politcal machine of the Union itself. So why aren’t Democrats fighting for the little people? Easy…follow the money.

Democrats, Senate