Opinion/Editorial

THERE IS MORE TO UNIONS THAN WHAT MEETS THE "I"
 

Published 3/16/09

 

 

Individual Improvement, is the most obvious benefit to Union membership. This is an Indisputable fact. Earning more, and being given the ability to participate in the upward development and success of your trade, or Industry, is a benefit to the human, and economic spirit, that benefits all of society. The "I"  factor of what  "I"  can do for me, is the obvious force at work.  However, Individual Improvement is a small part of what is actually rippling out from the waves of harmonic accomplishment. What about all of the other side effects. We all know that a solid foundation of any business requires the strength, and underpinning, of it's workforce. With that foundation, the heights that can be achieved, are never limited. The weight and stress of all expansion, is easily distributed among the solid base, of the strategically placed members.  
Organization that may not have been so well thought out by only viewing the short side of a business, takes on an extended view, which eliminates waste and incompetence. Organization becomes necessary, when the self interest of all parts of an establishment, are considered.
 
           In the Unionized workforce, there are the obvious benefits of having skilled members with pride and training to fit their part of the task at hand. What is not so obvious however, is the by product of this organization as a whole. Because of earning a decent living the work pool does not evaporate. The unions provide the ability for Management to Hire, and Lay off, to match supply and demand, without having to retrain. The veteran worker may have 30 years experience or more, since they stay in the trade as a career. That experience is instilled into the younger members immediately.  Wages produce Tax revenues that allow for the Tax write offs of expanding Businesses, and Health Care, lessens the need of Government services. The union itself also provides many functions and benefits that replace the need for such a large government.
 
          Union wages and benefits also have immediate benefits to the economy. Union members are the people with the ability to buy all of the goods and services being provided by businesses. They also create greater need for all the goods and services. Retirees vested with benefits, can keep an economy going when there is no work. Because of the better prioritizing of a Union package, there are people that can pay their medical bills, and still spend money in the community during hard times. During periods of unemployment the Union member can sustain himself and still spend into a cash strapped economy. This economic insurance is priceless. How many retired Union Members do you know that also work as Community volunteers? I know a lot of them. I also know that because of a decent wage, that many Union members are volunteers even during their working careers. How many are involved in scouts, blood drives, little league, veterans, and civic associations. There are too many to list, but the fact is, you can see the cost effective benefit to a society, and it's economy, by having Unions.
 
           Just imagine if there had been a Corporate Employees Union at the Banks and Insurance Companies. This crisis we are in now, would NEVER have happened. To protect businesses from themselves, and solidify society with a sound economy, there is no better way than to just include Unions as a Cost effective alternative to failed Government oversight. Allowing for the Management and Workers to Lobby their grievances to each other, will eliminate the lack of balance, created by short sighted lobbyists. Now that all the Laws of Society, have been replaced by the Laws of the Economy, Justice is Clearly  in the hands of the Unions. Unionization is the missing link of Global Evolution. Without it there will be Global Revolution. Unions can guarantee that a Global Economy, benefits the Global Society. Insistence of Union success, eliminates the Resistance of Global success. Now that is what I call Home Land Security. A True Patriot Act. The "I"s have it when it comes to Unions, but there is more to it than what meets the "I".
"Ne'er say nay". 
 
William J. Wahlsteen