Unions
Unions are a vital part of our democracy. I have always been a strong believer in organized labor and always will be.
The Conservative Case for Unions
Jobs in America have changed. Our global economy has some positives yes (cheap electronics shipped overnight) but it also has many negatives. Manufacturing is declining in our country. Good-paying jobs-that once sustained whole families-have been outsourced to other countries and automation is phasing out ENTIRE sectors of work.
If we value American workers, we must pay attention to their plight and champion their cause. By any measure, the drop in union participation has correlated with falling real wages for less skilled workers and increases in wealth inequality. In the 1950s, more than one in three private-sector workers belonged to a union; today, unionization is down to 6 percent of the private-sector workforce, which is lower than it was a century ago.
From the end of the Second World War until the 1970’s, increases in productivity almost directly mirrored increases in actual wages paid when adjusted for inflation. The trend ended in the 70’s as unions lost economic and political clout.
Unions are one of 2 powers that can push back against big money. It’s either unions or the government. So while conservatives RAIL against “big government,” their fight against unions has only INCREASED the size and scope of government. The Republican assault on organized labor is misguided and needs to be rescinded.
Notable Republicans On Unions
“Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.”
Abe Lincoln, Republican
"Today in America unions have a secure place in our industrial life. Only a handful of unreconstructed reactionaries harbor the ugly thought of breaking unions. Only a fool would try to deprive working men and women of the right to join the union of their choice."
Dwight Eisenhower, Republican
The Republican Party Today on Unions
The Republican Party today has sadly been oppositional to organized labor. While there are of course problems with unions that should be examined and remedied, an all out assault is not the answer.
The Republican Party (and the corporate wing of the Democratic Party) have fallen under the spell of multinational corporations. Multinational corporations are in the business of maximizing profit. If they can save money by slashing employee benefits, or outsourcing a job to another country, they will do that. Unions stop some of that bleeding. Unions give workers a voice (which we should value in a Democracy).