nippers thread is getting pretty interesting and now guys are illuminating the issues like a beacon in the night, a lighthouse on the
shore, a flashight on the helmet..we got one guy called Foodsnob who is really weird and another guy called Broth who gets it and distills the issues down to perfect clarity...a few years ago Nipper would have censored these types of comments as impolite, but realized he wouldn't have an audience anymore if he did.....round 2:
foodsnob:Like I said before Broth, the labor unions had a very important role in the early 1900's, which based upon all of your examples, fits the same time period I already agreed with. However, just like overly powerful companies that can abuse employees, there can be overly powerful labor unions that strangle the life out of business. Does a newspaper really need a union? Where does this end?
I have a client who pays over 400k in employee union dues annually (that does not include payroll). The bosses net take last year 50,000 (which is close to the usual take) Projected dues next year 435k. Does the union care if he goes out of business - absolutely not. He has approached the union and they are so large and powerful that they don't even need to negotiate. The only way out for him is to decimate his business down to a point where a strike would have very little impact on him - which unfortunately is what is on the table right now. This was a business he built from scratch.
This is not idealogical Broth..this is real life.
Workplace laws are pretty basic. You need to provide a safe work environment free from physical danger and any verbal harassment/abuse. Min wage laws, overtime laws and break times are also pretty transparent. What laws are you referring to that I'm anxiously waiting for an excuse to break? What laws did Wendy break? A court of law found that she did not break any laws.
You might think her methods of operations are questionable...well so do I. But that doesn't mean I don't believe in her right to operate her own business as she sees fit. And I seriously doubt she was waiting on pins and needles for the political clout I'm throwing around here on Nippers at her "bidding".
We are not in the 20th Century Broth. The tables have been turned on us business owners. It is such a competitive marketplace now that anyone who doesn't hire the best, and pay them accordingly, and take care of them, will find they won't be in business very long. It doesn't take a union to shove that concept down my throat. Workers do have power, choice and freedom like my new office manager demonstrated.
And yes Broth. Some business owners actually do what they say they will do and can indeed be trusted to look after their employee's best interest.
Normally I wouldn't pass along a gratuitous email...but you have smeared me in every way possible so here is what I received this afternoon. Obviously I have crossed out names...but I think you will get the gist. One of them is very ill and this is the last trip they will be able to take. I gave them 5 weeks paid vacation with their husband and paying for business class with my miles so that they can be comfortable during the long flight. I'm happy to email you privately the legal AA itinery if you have doubts.
Thursday, February 4, 2010 2:50 PM To:> Subject: Thank-you Size: 10 KB Dear xxxxxx and xxxx,
Thank-you for your generous gift of airline miles.
XXXXXX is very happy to be working with you. She constantly tells me about your generosity and compassion towards other people. This is a very good quality and the amazing thing is that you both have it.
I hope that you always feel comfortable in asking for help with any construction or maintenance consulting because I enjoy helping others with that sort of thing.
xxxxxxx and I are looking forward to our trip to India with great anticipation and I will keep her connected electronically so you shouldn’t worry.
Thanks so much for everything.
xxxxxx
If this is a character trait of a petit bourgeois boss then I truly wish there were more of us out there.
Broth: FS,Thank you for starting to have a conversation devoid of insulting and patronizing and exagerated statements. We're making progress.
Actually, that type of giving is classic petit bourgeoise behavior. Let's not go into it any deeper. No one doubts your concern for your employees. I apologize for blatantly sterotyping you by your petit bourgeoise trappings. It did draw you out of your shell, didn't it?
Now, about wearing your charity on your sleeve... That kind of diminishes the act, wouldn't you think? A lot of well-to-do people give anonymously because that is the highest form of charity. You think that I am such a smug prig that I need to inspect your charitable giving? I'd be insulted if you knew me personally. C'mon. Who do you know that's so sleazy (besides the IRS)?
Anyway, McCaw has a right to look out for her business interests. There are labor laws, and many other laws, that govern how one conducts business under a corporate charter. McCaw is obligated to follow those laws if she wants to do public business. The NLRB has come down hard on her. She prefers to string this out in court, to persecute workers who stick up for their rights, and to stonewall the union. It is a dysfunctional state of mind that to me implies megalomania, but I'm no psychiatrist. Just an opinion.
You made an unsubstantiated claim that the disaffected NP workers were trying to destroy the business. I think that is an unfair reading of all the public statements made by terminated employees and those organizing for a union shop. It is a self-rationalized view of yours that pro-union workers are just out to destroy their livelihoods. Pretty silly on the face of it, since a damaged business cannot sustain a workforce. So now that you've gotten off your ideological soapbox, maybe you can concede on this point too.
Broth
the darkest hour is just before the dawn.....
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