A lesson in Labor: “Superman Joins A Union” (via @SCrowder)

For many of us, Labor Day signals the unofficial end to summer, while for others it’s just another 3-day weekend. But its history is an acknowledgement and celebration of our working men and women in the United States.

And yet the holiday is often portrayed as specifically for Labor Unions, which really doesn’t make sense nowadays, if it ever did. Back in the 1950’s (when over a third of the nation’s workers were unionized) it was at least arguable. But now? That number has dwindled to roughly only 12% of all workers, …and falling. And if we take out Public Sector unions, it drops to around 6%.

A variety of reasons have contributed to this, but the primary culprit is inescapable: Union Leadership itself.

And to illustrate what I mean (or just for its sheer entertainment value), please take a moment to enjoy the following clip from one of our favorite guys, Steven Crowder.

 

Hope, ….and Change.

With the Wisconsin recall election now firmly in our rearview mirror, it’s time to assess where we’re heading and the other realities impacting our country.

Let a friend of the blog, Bill Whittle, help make sense of recent events and the lessons learned.

A More Perfect Union

Consider this a continuation of our previous discussion about Unions from the other day. Looks like the unions are taking it on the chin.

Get out the tissues:

Regardless of whether Governor Scott Walker survives Tuesday’s recall election, Wisconsin’s public-employee unions are likely to see their power continue to decline.

According to the Wall Street Journal, government unions in the Badger State have “experienced a dramatic drop in membership” since Walker and GOP lawmakers passed a package of reforms last year, including ones curbing collective-bargaining rights and ending mandatory union membership.

Labor unions are being crippled by the elimination of automatic dues withholding, a practice that had enriched the unions’ coffers. Thousands of state workers are simply refusing to contribute; others are leaving public-sector jobs.

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But the biggest drop has been in the Wisconsin chapter of AFSCME, the powerful union that represents state, county, and municipal workers. In the past year, more than 30,000 members have deserted the collective.

How curious: when no longer mandated by law to “contribute” to a group which is not widely perceived as having the worker’s best interests at heart, the workers decide to no longer “contribute” to the group. Yeah, no one saw THAT coming.

Absent those monies, I guess now unions (in Wisconsin, at least) may have to actually …work on behalf of the union members, in order to survive.

Welcome to the real world, fellas.