THE ROYAL SCAM. Imagine that you're a rich Democrat (and gee, there aren't many of them, are there Babwa?) Now what if you came up with a ruse that could perpetually bilk the working poor out of their hard-earned money while guaranteeing 1) that the working poor would remain forever subservient to you ; 2) an eternal source of the funds necessary to perpetuate Dumbocrat power; and 3) a way to line your own wallet a bit on the side?

Well, guess what? There already is such a contrivance. They're called unions, and they are into the pockets of the poor in a way that Daddy Warbucks capitalists never dreamed of.

The forefathers of the American labor movement would turn over in their graves if they could see what the modern union has become--mostly just a conduit of funds to Dumbocrat candidates that totally sold out to management interests long, long ago. And that's not because the lefties who run unions are any more fond of Wall Street capitalists than they ever were; it's because to actually go head-to-head with the Powers That Be, to actually defend the interests and rights of workers, would require real effort. Union bigwigs figured out long ago that they could keep the funds filling their coffers year after year... while doing virtually nothing (because the poor are effectively powerless, which is what begat the labor movement to begin with). The modish excuse is to cite the "intransigence of management," or "management bargaining in bad faith." And, with the economic downturn, unions found their ultimate excuse: "We're fighting so you can keep your job!" (although, as labor statistics indicate readily, they're doing a piss-poor job of that too). Meanwhile, union fat-cats give themselves big raises every year (union dues just keep on going up--to reflect the "new challenges" facing our Holy Union Representatives as they Fight For Our Interests).

New challenges, my ass. The closest these sons-n'-daughters-of-bitches ever came to a "challenge" is deciding whether to buy the Ford Expedition or the Lincoln Navigator.

Want a case in point? My beloved union, after THREE YEARS of fruitless negotiations (management "bargaining in bad faith"), finally came through with a raise so small as to be even worse than symbolic. Guess what? The amount I've paid out in union dues over the past three years represents many, many times the sum I stand to collect under my historical-victory-over-management raise, unless I manage to keep working until I'm 85 or so.

Which, at the rate I'm going, is a distinct possibility. Every time I see unions throwing money at the Dumbocrats, the "party of the little guy," it makes me want to puke. I'd rather trust George W. Bush with my money any day of the week.

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UNION WATCH: Here's a couple of items (with lo-cal fisking) from our union rag, The Professional.

Headline: GOVERNOR DOYLE SIGNS ALL 19 STATE EMPLOYEE CONTRACTS AS NEGOTIATED.

That's the Governor's job. Don't make it sound as if he's doing us any favors.

Excerpt: "...Governor Doyle reiterated his commitment to the collective bargaining process when he signed the contracts into law and indicated that any changes would not be unilateral and would have to occur at the bargaining table."

If there is ever even the slightest possibility that changes could be "unilateral" and bypass the collective bargaining process, then our unions are as much as announcing their conceivable willingness to abdicate all responsibility to their membership--no?

Sure. If the price is right.

posted by Alois 06/06/03

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UNION WATCH, CONTINUED: Headline in the most recent edition of The Insider, our union newsletter:

I Am Better Off Because Of The Union And So Are You

Links, recht. Links, recht! We are marching für der Führer! Links, recht! Links, recht! We are marching für der Führer! Links, recht! Links, recht! We owe it all to der Führer!

posted by Alois 06/18/03



LILEKS THINKS UNIONS SUCK TOO!