David Wipf / CC
CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – Years ago local groups that wanted to march in the Labor Day parade submitted an application to the Marathon County Labor Council, until WSAU was deemed not to be a ‘friend of labor’. We haven’t been in the Labor Day parade since.
That’s preposterous. The number of working men and women, carpenters, plumbers, construction workers, bus drivers, police officers and firefighters, letter carriers and farmers who listen to this radio station are legion.
My problem is with their unions… the intimidation tactics to force workers to join and to keep members in line… and the forced use of union dues for to support causes and candidates that many members disapprove of.
Consider this union behavior: Glacier Concrete in Washington State was mixing a huge batch of quick-dry concrete that was to be delivered to a construction site. As the cement was loaded onto the cement mixer trucks, the Teamsters Union announced a wildcat strike. Union drivers left the trucks. If the cement hardened while still inside, the trucks would have been damaged beyond repair. Management scrambled to dump the cement and save their company from financial ruin. Glacier Concrete sued the Teamsters, and, 5 years later won their case at the U.S. Supreme Court. Does anything think a union should have the power to put a company out of business? The Teamsters ought to be ashamed of themselves. Don’t forget, it’s management that puts the money into a business. If the company fails, they lose everything. The workers move on to their next job.
Only 10-percent of American workers are members of a union. Maybe its because they recoil from union tactics.
Chris Conley
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