George Orwell may have created the concept of doublethink, but modern day union activists and their attendant politicians have taken the concept to a new level. Take for example the Employee Free Choice Act.
The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them . . . . To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just so long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of the reality which one denies — all this is indispensably necessary.For a number of years now union membership has been dramatically shrinking - the only exception being government sector unions. In an attempt to staunch the bleeding and even recoup losses in the private sector, unions and their allies cooked up a scheme that among other things leaves employees during a union organization drive vulnerable to the type of peer pressure and coercion that union organizers are famous for. That scheme of course, is the Employee Free Choice Act.
The major provision of the act is the implementation of card check unionization. In other words, if employees wanted union representation they would simply fill out a card. The signed cards would then be sent to the National Labor Relations Board and if the cards represented a majority of the employees - voilà union.
Union activists argue that you can join other organizations and political parties by filling out a card, why not unions?
The splashy debate is over the Employee Free Choice Act (“card check”), whose premise is this: You can join the NRA by signing a card. You can join the Republican, Democratic or Green party by signing a card. Why on earth can’t you join a union by signing a card?Mr. Bundy is the political and legislative director for the public sector union AFSCME. It's no surprise that he'd be all for a scheme that makes unionization easier and employees more susceptible to coercion and union thuggery.
Employers trot out the “secret ballot” argument, which would maybe have some resonance were it not for the fact that during union-election campaigns, employers like Wal-Mart pull out all the stops to make the elections as expensive, divisive, long and tough on workers as possible.
Currently, employers have the right to demand a secret ballot. Employees have the right to make a decision regarding their personal financial future privately without the scrutiny of their employers, fellow workers, or union organizers. That's free choice and unions know it.
Mr. Bundy's specious argument that you can join the NRA, or a political party is simply an invalid comparison. Joining a political party or political activist organization doesn't involve your immediate financial future. Those organizations lobby congress and legislatures, they don't set terms and conditions for your employment. Oh yeah... they also don't require you to pay dues for their "services."
For those of us who believe in the free market, forcing employees to serve two masters is an anathema. What is free about having everyone from managers, to fellow employees, to union organizers know how you voted on unionization? What's wrong with unions having to convince employees that bargaining on their behalf is in their best interest? What's wrong with employers making their case against unionization of their businesses?
The very fact that union membership in the private sector has been on the decline for over a decade should tell you that employees are choosing not to work for two masters. It should also tell you that employers are recognizing the benefits of taking good care of their employees.
You'd think that unions would cheer the improved treatment of workers that is resulting in their obsolescence. Of course unions abandoned their altruistic motivations some time ago and now exist simply to sustain their own existence. Unfortunately, that's often the case with organizations of any stripe whose purpose is based on an issue that can be resolved. They need the issue that gave rise to their organization in order to justify their continued existence.
All of which brings us to Martin Heinrich. The former city councilor come candidate for congress has endorsed the Employee Free to be Pressured by Unions Act (read and watch it here) - an act co-sponsored by the candidate for continuous change, Barrack "The Messiah" Obama. Should the two men be sent to Washington, we all better get used to doublethink - freedom that is tyranny and tyranny that is freedom.
14 comments:
Hahahaha.
The irony of this post is truly delicious. You claim that allowing employees to, of their own free will, join a union is somehow tyranny, and in the same breath refer to Orwellian doublespeak. I don't think you actually read 1984, because if you did you'd realize how stupid it looks to proclaim that freedom (to unionize) is tyranny in the face of the doublethink quote "freedom is slavery".
Its funny that you use Wal*Mart as your touchstone given that corporation's steadfast refusal to allow its employees to unionize, even going to the length of closing all their locations in Canada after those workers voted (freely and fairly) to unionize.
Not to mention, all along you, as (presumably) a cop are benefiting from your union. Just a couple months ago you had several posts bitching about the "unfair" 14% raise that veteran cops got (as opposed to the ludicrous 40% raise for rookies) while the rest of the city workers got only a 2.5% raise.
Are you an intellectually disingenuous or just an idiot?
freedom yields to tyranny
when there are too few
willing to defend freedom
from tyranny
First post....keep that up and you'll put the Eye out of business well done. I also believe Wal*Mart left Germany under similar circumstances.
I always found it ironic that many cops, whose departments take a large slice of the public budget in the name of "Public Safety" present themselves as conservatives. Just a little ironic.
Some of the freedoms one enjoys by unionizing:
- Being forced to donate a goodly fraction of your pay to the Union.
- Being intimidated, terrorized, brutalized or possibly killed if you cross a picket line (to support your family) or.....
- Being forced to support your family on the pittance the Union will send you during the course of the strike (roughly the same as your weekly dues).
Yep, it sure sounds like a Utopia to me. No doubt why union membership as a percentage of the workforce is in the single-digits!
I hope you are not trying to hint to people to vote for Darren White? The guy has one agenda and that is Darren White!!! Mr. cover up and MR. I can lie into a news camera without blinking an eye!! start asking deputies at random about the crappy job Darren has done over the last 6 years. Why reward him for that??? The Sheriffs Dept will not recover any time soon from his scandals and lack of leadership ability within the Dept. So maybe Martin may not be the best choice, but he is a better choice than Darren!!!! Martin can hold down the fort for 2 years until someone better comes along..... Send a message to Darren that he should have actually made decisions in the Sheriff's Dept instead of sweeping them under the rug!!!!!
Hmmmmm what did you do at work today? Got a paper cut putting a file in the outbox, stop by the water cooler and had a good laugh until you went back to your cubical and played solitar? Let me tell you about my day,
It started when I had to divert from breifing because an infant baby was not breathing. I was the first one there and had to try to give the infant CPR while the frantic mother kept trying to grab her child. The baby made it and I left happy.
Then, I was dispatched to a motorvehicle accident where again, I was the first one on scene. When I arrived I had to figure out the best place to park my unit to keep the angry motorist, that were late for work, from driving by us at 100 mph. I ran up to one car and checked for a pulse on the woman driving. I could see that she had massive internal injuries and was going to die even with immediate medical attention. So I held her hand and lied to her telling her she would be ok. The last thing she saw was me, not her husband, her child or a close friend, but a stranger who brought her comfort in her last few minutes simply because I was wearing a badge that signified trust. I then had to let rescue in, only to tell me what I allready knew. While taking a minute to gather my thoughts and start on the investigation, I got a phone call from a member of the Brass, who said people were complaining that the road was closed. The fact that someone lost their life in a senseless accident was not the issue, the issue was that someone called to complain because they only know one way to work.
After opening the road, it was time for lunch. The first task was attempting to find a place where the cooks hopefully won't spit in my food, after finding a place and getting my meal, I take 2 bites of my lunch, when someone walks up and tells me about an abandoned car that has been on their street for 6 months. They never would have called or even thought about it had I not been sitting there. Politley I take the information while my food gets cold. When I finally start eating again I get pulled from lunch because a man with a gun just robbed the corner store. While looking for the subject, I located him and he ran. As I was closing the gap, I was thinking about the gun, where is it? Do I try to tackle him or do I hope he stops when I draw my firearm. Is this going to be the call? Will I have to shoot and kill him? Or should I have given my family a longer hug today?
I think you get my drift, so the next time you gripe about how much of a payraise a Policeman/woman or Fireman/woman gets paid, think about the person who wasn't there to save someone you love because they weren't willing to do it, even for all the money in the world.
"For those of us who believe in the free market" Free market? Fiction by any definition whether its by Democrats or Republicans.
I am a union steward with a public employee union. I had never belonged to a union before the reinstatement of the NM collective bargaining act, so I have been learning daily over the last 5 years.
As a steward I represent employees who have been berated, harassed, deprived of rights, threatened with dismissal, conspired against in secret, and not allowed a raise or a promotion in 10 or more years by their supervisors and managers.
Yet this man would have you believe it is the unions that practice 'coercion and thuggery.'
Many employees are only beginning to overcome the stress, fear and frustration of not having support or a voice to stand up to autocratic managers. With good reason - without a union they would be retaliated against and forced out of their livelihoods. And yet this man condemns 'peer pressure' and wants us to go to those same autocratic managers for permission to organize and stand up for our rights?
I donate my time - evenings and weekends - to provide representation, with no extra pay or benefits. By law I must represent any worker who requests my assistance. And yet this man wants to convince you I am the workers' 'second master.'
And then he calls Mr. Bundy's argument 'specious'!?
-Machi
Well said Machi.
I was anti-union many years ago until I saw many of the things you described in the workplace.
Not to be too political, but if you've been paying the least bit of attention, the current administrations (both local and national) have been the most anti-worker/anti-union in memory.
Eye- after reading your description of unions, the '70s called and said they're still looking for Hoffa too. Get a grip.
would that we could all negotiate our own deals, but in the public sector that is not possible. On the bad side, public sector unions, and for a large part private sector as well, seem to protect the slugs and do very little for the high performers --- at least that was always the case here
Unions are the only way to go! They say Unions are the reason for jobs being outsourced....? Have you ever looked at what CEO's,COO's, or any member of a board committee on some of the biggest American companies are makeing no matter what the Economy, Nation Stability (War), etc. etc. ?
Unions are now starting to wake up and realize their power of money, and influence with politicians, especially Public Safety Unions. Every time a Democrat/Republican runs for a(n) office they are the first ones to ask for campaign contributions. I think Unions fight for there people Good/Bad. Yes, they fight for Officers/Firefighters who get DUI's, DV's or some other misdemeanor offense. They do not condone what their Brothers/Sisters have done they are there to make sure that the Union member gets Due Process. The Nation was built on the hard work of Unions in the past and is moving foreward with the Unions of today. Like the song goes "Which side are you on". P.S. I've never been "Forced,intimidated,coerced, and or threatend" to join a union. Come on "EYE" some of your stuff lately looks like a bad copy and paste job straight outta the Albuquerque Urinal. Try and talk to some Unions members of all walks of life and see what Unions do for their people.
Nice story, Icanmakeuthink. But you left out the part about beating up the 80 year woman who had her purse snatched because she wouldn't obey your command to calm down.
Icanmakeyouthink, without getting into what degree your description of your average workday is true and not hyperbole, do you really think you would be pulling down even half your current take-home pay if you had to negotiate your own salary with the city instead of having the union do it for you? Its not like the standards to get into the police academy are very high you know.
Actually “Icanmakeyouthink” makes a valid point, I for one have not had all that in one day but over the years I have certainly had all that happen in the same week. Also I don’t see where he was voicing an “anti-union” opinion, simply saying that it is a job worthy of decent pay. As to the standards of the academy acceptance – I agree that they ought to be higher yet even at the standards that exist there are not enough applicants. So what is the answer? Well to start with accept policing as a profession and not just a job with halfway decent benefits. The New Mexico area has a notoriously anti- law enforcement bent, people from all walks of life sneer at and deride officers … I doubt that would change even if they were required to have an MBA to apply.
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