Discuss the fourth installment of the Dust-Up between David Weigel and Scott Lilly
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SEIU was the single largest contributor to the Obama campaign - $75 million. It was money well spent. The workers have been getting screwed by the Republicans ever since Reagan. The Employee Free Choice Act will do more for this country's middle class than all the bail-outs from Washington.
IonaTrailer @ 8:21 AM PST, Nov 14, 2008
Unions balance our economic system because they represent workers. Otherwise, capitalists in their addiction to cheap labor will wreck havoc, as in the present situation. For Treasury and Labor Secretaries, Obama should select the Clinton guys that started globalization, Larry Summers and Robert Reich, now that they recognize its negative effect. Summers recently wrote that the Asian poor and the worlds rich are the only groups benefiting from globalization. He said that in America, every household in that bottom 80 percent is writing a check for $7,000 every year and sending it to the top 1 percent. Bush gave these people a tax cut.
Ransome @ 6:57 AM PST, Nov 14, 2008
Home Improvement is what AMERICA requires to STAY in high waters. Health and wealth before death.
j bull @ 12:42 AM PST, Nov 14, 2008
Good argument Scott, but to me the real question is how does the US truly compete globally and maintain worker benifits, especially with the failed top business leaders that the US has to bail out from poor business practices. Labor rights as well as education is regressing backwards. Most kids graduate with meaningless business degrees that don't help them or the country.
Global @ 9:15 PM PST, Nov 13, 2008
4 days on, 2 days off. 4 days on, 4 days off, 4 days on, 2 days off: Work ten hour days, get two hours for lunch, get paid for 40 hours. Work on the internet one day a week organizing: not simply your own shop, but [thn/@] the federal budget, competition for your employer if you think you can do better, the public records of your employer, so you can alert stock holders what management is doing right... and wrong...
William Hale, aka, Haji Mohammed @ 8:45 PM PST, Nov 13, 2008
I'm conflicted. On the one hand, strong employee unions are responsible for creating and perpetuating the manufacturing economy that created and perpetuated a strong middle class. On the other hand, should people with a no more than a high school education make 50K+ a year? Municipal employee unions are also draining city coffers. There has to be a balance between living wages and competitive labor costs. I'm not sure where it is or how we'll find it.
Jason @ 7:12 PM PST, Nov 13, 2008
Stagnant wages are a consequence of too many laws including tying healthcare to the workplace. Wages haven't risen because government requires that benefits do; more healthcare, more vacation, more retirement, etc.. Businesses comply and workers get the short end of the stick. I have retirement money I can't touch and don't want. I have $20,000 worth of benefits that could be salary but the government says, "No." I think we know where the problem is.
Brandon @ 12:40 PM PST, Nov 13, 2008