republicans Continue Their Assaults Against Schools

See you're mistaken (imagine that, huh?). It's not the workers with whom I take issue, it's the unions and their exploitive manipulation.

 

Manipulation? Ha! I see you know nothing of corporate America. Enjoy your union won perks at work. No need for thanks.

 

I did not say unions voted them out. I said Seaboard drove them out. It was a full 20 years after "the railroads advanced their technologies to the point where they didn't need five people per train" that the unions finally relented (were forced into) accepting the change.

Try looking up Seaboard and Fogle and the entire state of Florida.

 

Lets see. When you choices are temporary success or bankruptcy, which would be your choice. GM, Chrysler, AA, etc have finally opted for bankruptcy in order to get rid of the union waste.

 

They might have been a driving factor in Florida, but not on the class 1 big 4 railroads. Cabooses were negotiated out of the 1985 general contracts that effected, at that time, the only class one rail carriers in the US (UP, Santa Fe, Norfolk Southern, Burlington Northern; and subsequent factions of those such as Conrail, KCS, SP, factions of the old B&O and CSX, and so on). Seaboard was not a part of that process anywhere else. Florida had no class 1 carriers at the time.

 

Slow down there a little...I agree unions served a purpose once upon a time and as for my union bona fides? I served as a union steward and I saw all I needed to see while in that capacity.

 

David, I agree there are some major flaws with them that only seem to get worse. I'm not thrilled with them using my dues to support politicians for one, and that goes for any politician. I pay dues to have a voice at work, not to play Washington games. Unfortunately, the higher-ups in unions have forgotten what it's like to be the paying member, and has almost forgotten the reasons why they are there.

 

Until you've been "behind the scenes" in union/company sessions you have no idea. I participated in months of contract negotiations and discovered the union doesn't give a flip about anything except the preservation of the union dues stream (helping workers keep their jobs is just a way to keep those dues flowing) and making sure the dues continue to be payroll deducted.

 

I've only worked on the local levels, not national. Locals are concerned about the members, but trying to convey that concern to the national is often frustrating, if not downright impossible. I no longer desire the stress of dealing with that.

 

It's funny to me that you corporate apologists are just fine with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (A business federation representing companies, business associations, state and local chambers in the U.S., and American Chambers of Commerce abroad) and countless other business industries supporting politicians with probably a 100 times the money that unions support work's rights with, yet the pittance unions lobby their representatives with in the political arena seems to annoy you no end. Why is OK with you that the business interests have all the political sway they want but workers should have no voice at all? Hum?

 

Ummm, because it's not the worker's voice they're representing?

 

My grandfather worked the RR, my father worked RR associated industry, and I have worked for a RR and associated industry.
There were not "big 4" RR's in 1985. I mean the RR's had those names, but Pensy, Conrail, etc were still in existence.
You still do not understand what Seaboard did, do you. They had no cabooses in the 1950's. And they were long outdated when Seaboard finally got rid of them. Imagined how passe they were when the rest finally managed to convince the unions. They were the company your "big 4" emulated. They are why the rest finally got rid of the Cabooses.

 

So they didn't win workers 5-day work weeks, they didn't negotiate paid vacations, they didn't secure worker's medical benefits, they don't collective bargain for better wages, they aren't the first to call attention to work safety issues, ...Boy! I wonder what mysterious force accomplished all those things and countless other worker benefits? Hum? You're a complete idiot.

 

What will really piss them off is the "socialist" companies...companies entirely owned and operated by the workers themselves. Every decision is done by voting, one vote for each person, no exceptions. Everyone gets an equal share of the profits (or losses) giving workers huge incentives to work quickly and efficiently.

I think I heard a jaw drop in Oklahoma.

 

I don't know RLM, all I know is what took place under the 1985 contracts, which is when and where we lost our cabooses. Same with the UP, SP and BN. Can't speak for ma and pa lines like what you are referring to.

As far as unions vs chamber of commerce organizations giving to political campaigns, businesses in a C of C aren't using employee's union dues to further political initiatives and drive elections. Just my union gave over 34 million toward the last election, hardly a pittance. They didn't consult us, they just used it as they wanted.

 

So, why is it that you keep ignoring the part where I freely admit the unions once served a purpose? Unions were relevant & beneficial at one time but that time has long since passed.

 

Wasn't that back in the days when you could wire from coast to coast? That was a major advancement also, but guess what? It died because its time had passed. On a topic mentioned here, they had steam locomotives also. Wow! Were those awesome! Note: WERE awesome.

 

Interesting sidelight, I just heard the last telegram will be sent this year. USA shut them down 7 years ago, but India's will close next month.

 

I saw that on Twitter and assumed it was a joke or something. Had no idea anyone was using telegrams anywhere.

 

That's "older school" than my rotary phones lol

Someone somewhere has served me. I await the telegram saying so.