Can worker and consumer unions help?

Income, wage and wealth disparity continues to grow in the USA. We export factories and industries and good jobs for the benefit of corporations who capitalize on cheap foreign labor. We permit the unfettered illegal immigration of millions of people because our businesses and corporations capitalize on this cheap labor force. A combination of these factors is causing wage levels and our standard of living to decline. Businesses and executives seem immune as companies post record profits, executives make excessive incomes and the Dow Jones celebrates with new highs. A low unemployment rate hides the fact that most new jobs do not provide a living wage, offer health insurance or provide retirement benefits. The time seems right for the resurgence of unions. What do you think?

Can worker and consumer unions help?fha loan

Wow, some very simplistic views on here. Of course there are more than two sides to this one! Although I agree your explanation of the current state of affairs of the economy isn%26#039;t completely correct is has a lot of merit.

Firstly don%26#039;t forget that the supply of cheap labor from illegal immigrants also keeps the cost of living low ( very good for the lower, struggling classes you talk of) as well as maintaining international competitiveness.

Getting on to the actual question about unions, the previous entries have mainly focused on the wage implications, yes the collective bargaining of unions raises wages and thus usually the price of goods too. Like the minimum wage it is artificial, and can actually cause unemploment, draw it, its true!

However, unions also have many benefits to their members which are often overlooked. Discrimination, inequality, unfair dismissal, all of these problems can be solved easier with grievance procedures set out by unions.

In the end though there isn%26#039;t going to be a resurgence of unions. They help the working classes and the middle and upper classes detest them. But with such a large middle class and such at least perceived social mobility not even the working class will go for them!

Can worker and consumer unions help?

loan

As a capitalist, I will never agree with the need for labour unions. When they were introduced, they were a means to keep the conditions for workers safe, and ensure that people were not unfairly paid or treated.

The conditions you list are accurate - and very consistent with a capitalist society. Like it or not. The introduction of an increased presence of labour unions is the introduction of socialism...plain and simple. And not an effective way to have the country maintain its standing as a rich and powerful one. You will see corporations shut down and leave the country - and who could blame them? They are in business to provide jobs and make money. But when someone comes along and takes all control out of their hands, they will find a new place to open where they are free to be as profitable as they choose.

What the US needs is a stronger government that will do something effective with the illegal immigration situation. And the only socialist thing I could stand behind would be a national healthcare program...where ALL Americans would have access to healthcare.|||I very much disagree with your assessment of the current state of the US economy. It reeks of anti-corporate sensationalism.

Regardless, I think labor unions are an incredible detriment to society. What they effectively amount to is collusion in the labor supply. Collusion is expressly forbidden in the supply of most goods and services through anti-trust laws. Why should labor be any exception? Unions force anti-competitive practice and bring about artificially high wages at the expense of efficiency.|||Unions actually hurt the national economy and and only economic help they give the represented worker is when not every company is union.

You have two products - one union made and one non-union made. The union made product will typically cost more due to wages and benefits. So, the average union worker can afford his product and the less expensive non-union product. Lesser paid non-union workers can afford the non-union product but a disproportionate number will be able to afford the union made product. So, if every company were union, the union worker would lose a good portion of his buying power because the less expensive products would be gone.

Your premise that unions will reverse the disparity of income is wrong - it will only make it worse.|||Labor unions are never beneficial. They even do more harm for the people in them than good.