Possible Strike

I would imagine that the Washington Examiner editorial team has received a few responses from their readers who read If railworkers strike, Congress Can and Should Force Them Back on the Job. 

Something I want to make abundantly clear. I am in no way speaking for the union that represents me, my fellow employees and union members, nor the railroad I work for. These words are solely my own. 

Understand one thing, I realize the impact even a short strike will have on a very fragile economy. I don't want one either. But every once in a while steps have to be taken that are unpleasant and painful. 

Amazon is Hot

If I am not mistaken, Amazon is a fairly large contributor to liberal and progressive causes. They are based nearby in Seattle, so it would stand to reason their policy politics would lean left.

I bring this up because there is a story coming out of Allentown, PA, that does not shine a very positive light on a company that is most likely left-leaning. Supposedly, and by their own admission, the left/progressive/democrats are the party of the working people. Consequently you would think that a company that leans left would also be a company of the “working man”.

In Allentown, Amazon runs a distribution warehouse for the books and CDs they sell on line. This past summer, numerous complaints were filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) by both workers and outside agencies due to several heat-related injuries, some of which required hospitalization. Several workers filed complaints because working conditions were extremely hot, causing some workers to pass out. Even a local hospital noticed the trend and also filed a complaint.

In June, Amazon workers complained about working conditions to federal regulators who monitor workplace safety.

…

On June 2, a warehouse employee told OSHA the heat index hit 102 degrees in the warehouse and 15 workers had collapsed. The employees also complained that workers who had to go home due to heat symptoms received disciplinary points. (Source: Seattle Times)

Things got so bad that Amazon was forced to hire a paramedic team to be on standby at the warehouse to treat workers overcome by the heat.

To their credit, Amazon did take steps to mitigate the issues, but only after the feds got involved. So much for supporting the “working man.”

A Few Links for You

Here are a few interesting links to get your blood to boil a little bit.

1. A political appointee in the Labor Department has decided “with a stroke of the pen” that any project, private of public, that is built on federally leased lands is subject to the Davis-Bacon Act. The Davis-Bacon Act stipulates that any public (i.e. federally funded in whole or in part) works contract must pay prevailing wage, which is generally the highest union wage in the local area. As you might guess, this is probably going to create even more uncertainty in the economy. The American Thinker has more here.

2. When was the last time you found a conservative developing a game that targets for death anyone of the opposition party? I can’t seem to come with any examples either. It does appear that if you are a leftist you now have an online game where you can kill zombies made to look like leading Republicans such as Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann. Somehow, this really does seem worse than a Palin campaign ad saying certain districts need to be targeted for a change in leadership. I could be wrong. Nah.

PACNW Righty Speaks to the Court (In My Dreams Only)

Peter Schaumber, a former chairman of the National Labor Relations Board, has said that the NLRB’s attempt to interfere with Boeing’s attempt to open another 787 Dreamliner factory in South Carolina is “unprecedented”. (See my previous post)

NLRB officials are saying Boeing’s decision to move part of the 787 production to SC is a move against unions and that is not legal. Business can make decisions that are in the best economic interest for the company.  But in the opinion of the NLRB, if a business makes a decision to move to a state that is a right-to-work state, like SC, that might be illegal. There are some e-mails from Boeing officials that give the NLRB some traction, but in the mind of Schaumber there is “no basis” for the claim that Boeing is retaliating against the unions.

Maybe since I am not a lawyer and live my life based on common sense, the sense that liberal lawyers live their lives by are hard for me to understand. I think that Boeing’s arguments should be a no brainer. I’d stand in front of the judge and say:

NLRB Puts Boeing's SC Factory in Jeopardy

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has told Boeing that it cannot build a factory in South Carolina.  The NY Times has the full story here.

In its complaint, the labor board said that Boeing’s decision to transfer a second production line for its new 787 Dreamliner passenger plane to South Carolina was motivated by an unlawful desire to retaliate against union workers for their past strikes in Washington and to discourage future strikes. The agency’s general council, Lafe Solomon, said it was illegal for companies to take actions in reallocation against workers for exercising their right to strike. (Source: NY Times)

One thing I will have to say about this decision is that it does meet the “transparency” requirements so often talked about by President Obama. The transparency lies in that the decision is so obviously pro-union. Obama hired radical pro-union people to run the NLRB through recess appointments. The NLRB has become increasingly hostile towards businesses that don’t have unions. Here is an example:

Information on proposals expected from the Office of Labor Management Standards that would require employers to disclose the details of when the engage in “persuader activities” and plans to “reconsider” (i.e. limit) the types of efforts engaged by employers to comply with labor laws that are not currently required to be disclosed. Note: the administration previously removed a set of disclosure requirements for union organizations citing the burden they posed for labor leaders to comply. (Source: The Blaze)

South Carolina is a “right-to-work” state, i.e. you don’t have to join the union to work if you don’t want to. Non-union shops are cheaper to operate. Not so much because labor is cheaper, which arguably it isn’t, but ideas from workers flow easier to management without the interference of the shop stewards.  Rather than working for the unions as union members feel they do, the employees work for the company, which gives them a vested interest in seeing the company prosper.

As Obama continues to reward the unions that elected him, the rest of American continues to push back against that tide. The only question is who will win the narrative? Will Obama and his crew be able to continue to make a case that this is a supposed fight against the middle class? Or will those of us who know the unions have long outlived their usefulness be able to show the American people just how much damage the unions have done to America?

Unions are a dying institution, not necessary anymore. There are so many federal agencies that regulate safety and working conditions that the original reasons for the unions disappeared long ago. While is true that unions forced wages up in all sectors, whether unionized or not, there is now a back lash in the business community. Jobs are being forced overseas as union wages became too high. Whole industries have shutdown. We are no longer the leader in manufacturing automobiles. Even though the US imposes HUGE tariffs on foreign automobile makers, they are more than able to cover the cost because labor costs are lower elsewhere. Ford has moved a major factory to Brazil (Fiesta, I believe) because the labor force is cheaper. And Brazil is glad to have the jobs as they are very paying in comparison. We no longer are the leader in the production of steel. Japan and China took that from us long ago. Even though Japan has to import nearly all the raw materials to make steel, they still make it cheaper (even with additional shipping cost for the finished product) than we do. Heck, when the incandescent bulb was outlawed, it only impacted one small company. Most light bulb manufacturing moved overseas long ago because it was too expensive to make them here.

If the unions have their way, our last truly great industry, airplane building, will go the way of steel and automobiles.  Can you imagine having the 787 built in China?