Labor Day - I'm Not Celebrating - Jerry Agar - Townhall Conservative Columnists

Labor Day - I'm Not Celebrating

Union supporters will point to accomplishments in the past that improved the lot of the worker against the huge uncaring corporation. That is all fine - and a worthy topic of study and discussion - but this isn't 1886.

Today's worker has a high school education available to him or her at no direct cost to their family. College is available to anyone who is willing to win scholarships and/or take advantage of financial aid. Laws regulating the workplace - many of which the unions did their part in birthing - along with a social welfare safety net, give any hard working person who stays in school more than a chance to make it on their own, without having to share their resources with a union if they don't want to.

But unions are not satisfied with people deciding of their own volition to opt out. That is why they continue to try to pass legislation to make it easier for unions to get their grip on a workplace. Once in, the unions have a habit of also using coercive government force to allow them to make membership compulsory. There is very little to suggest that unions subscribe to the concept of democracy.

So what are we celebrating?

Jerry Agar

Jerry Agar is one of the newest stars in talk radio. After many years as a disc jockey and music radio morning show host he turned to talk radio at WPTF in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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szhome Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 5:44 PM

?If you get any sort of retirement contribution from your employer, thank unions.? Again - capitalism and market place. Isn?t it wonderful what the retirement plans and benefits for retired GM workers have done for the health of GM? I have worked for employers who did not offer the benefit initially, but eventually did so while working within a budget, to promote longevity in good employees.

By the way - did I add that I have had all of those benefits without working for a union ? and my benefits were usually much better than my union husband?s benefits due to the needs of the marketplace?

And - NONE of those benefits are rights. Where in the constitution does it say that I should have weekends off, work 40 hours,...

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szhome Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 5:43 PM

?If your children go to school instead of the factory at age ten, then thank unions? - true, but often this did not occur for the benefit of the child-it was to assure work availability for other adults due to the increase in population second to crises in other countries (potato famine, etc.) Child labor is not something that is beneficial to industry, and should have been eliminated, although the families who suffered the lost income in desparate times would have argued against the law. Today, unions do not keep children out of the workplace ? federal and state laws do. However child labor does still exist in spite of unions, and I have to say that it did me no harm. Farming requires effort by young and old in families, and they...

szhome Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 5:41 PM

"If you work a 40 hour week, then you should thanks unions." Where do we stop looking at that as a benefit? France has 36 hours (or less)Farmers work 80+ to sustain their families.

?If you get medical benefits on your job, thank unions." NO- thank FDR, who froze wages in WWII. Medical benefits were added to attract new workers during a severe shortage. I wonder why unions feel the need to take credit now?

"DO you get paid vacation? Thank unions." Really? Many businesses use vacation to attract quality employees - much as those during WWII. I had better vacation benefits than my union husband. Capitalism at work, I would say.

"If you get weekends off, thank unions." I wonder what the hospitals, nursing homes, and...

John5840 Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 3:55 PM

unions shoudl be evaluated as to whether they are, any longer, necessary. I feel the same way about, say, Affirmative Action.

In that context we should look at what labor unions have accomplished. Let's look at your life.

If you work a 40 hour week, then you should thanks unions.

If you get medical benefits on your job, thank unions

DO you get paid vacation? Thank unions

If you get weekends off, thank unions.

If you any paid time off except for Christmas day, then thank unions.

If your children go to school instead of the factory at age ten, then thank unions.

If you have a safe place to work and workman's compensation for injuries, thank unions

If you get social...

szhome Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 2:59 PM

I would beg to argue the need for unions - my husband was union for almost 20 years, until the plant was forced to close, being unable to meet continually increasing union demands. What do you think happened to his pension after the bankruptcy of the company - which was directly related to the refusal of the union to work toward a contract which would have allowed the company to come back from the brink of insolvency? Yes - his pension was part of the bankruptcy assets. The UAW - which handled the contracts - got off scott free, since they did not hold the pension for those workers - nor did the union ever make that part of the negotiated benefit plan. The only thing the UAW now misses is the monthly dues from those workers.

I...

sjpatejak Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 12:41 PM

The reason there are all those laws protecting workers is because organized labor worked to have them enacted. As for the idea that unions are no longer needed, read this about how workers are being cheated out of money they are legally entitled to.

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/09/03/20
09-09-03_as_labor_day_nears_its_time_for_a_little_wage_rage.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/02/us/02wage.html?_r=2

Ray from Bloombergia Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 12:34 PM

Those who cry for "social justice" always want it to be brought about at the expense of others?

-Ray
NRA Life Member
Soli Deo Gloria!!!

szhome Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 11:15 AM

"Unionism was a good idea for 13 American colonies, for the Allies in WWII, and worth the lives of half a million Americans in the Civil War to maintain a united country. But heaven forbid that workers who have common interests should unite to gain any advantage on their bosses."

Can you tell me why I should support any union who has leaders who kill competitors (Joseph Yablonski and his family) at election time (W.A. Boyle president of the UMWA was guilty of ordering the killing)? Do you think that Jimmy Hoffa was a choirboy? Do you mean to tell me that any organization led by the mafia is a "good thing" that I should support and praise?

How you can compare this gang with the patriots who took 13 loosely connected...

szhome Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 11:02 AM

Blanco - your comments: "cast aspersion on a movement that has done many great things for America including delivering us from Socialism in the early part of the 20th century" Are you kidding? Unions are the very picture of socialism! I think you need to read the George Orwell book "Animal Farm" in which the tyrant farmers were overrun by the animals - who then morphed into tyrants, complete with a propaganda machine. You cannot get a better description of todays corrupt and greedy unions.

"Would you really like to live in a country were 13 year old girls work 60 hours a week only to live in squalor? If so why don't you pack your uninformed self up and move to the 3rd world." apears to have come right out of a manual used to...

grubby Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 10:00 AM

"Unions are simply parasitical, sucking the vital blood of free enterprise out of the workplace and initiative out of the worker."

I've been in four - couldn't agree more. That's why the private sector worker has contempt for unionism - the percentage in the private sector used to be in the high 20's - low 30's.

Union's have to be forced on workers like the gov't unions are - for the most part, they're worthless as reps as well. They fund democrats mostly with the dues money.

Now the want 'employee free choice' - the most blatant, outrageous lie for an initiative yet i.e. the name they've given to the surrender of the secret ballot. That gives the union thugs a chance to know who their enemies are.

The...

Globug Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 7:39 AM

Even if we get back to the point of low unemployment, the increase of the cost of food, electricity and gas bills is only going to increase hardship for working families.

I guess this is what Obama and the Democrats mean by spreading the wealth? If there is very little wealth how thin can you spread it? The government can easily help the working families by removing all the environmental taxes and silly regulations from goods that all Americans need, but they seem to be oblivious to the higher cost of living while planning more burdens to add on the people through more regulations and taxes. They don't care about families, they care about their own political agenda produced by wealthy special interest groups and individuals who...

grubby Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 7:37 AM

As Jerry Agar says: this is not a labor day to celebrate. As opposed to that lying stat produced by the labor dept., the real unemployment rate is approaching 20%. This is productivity that is lost to the nation and individuals for good - it can never be recovered. And all their supporting contribution to maintaining the welfare state is gone for good as well.

The worst thing about it is that it was done DELIBERATELY. These fascists are reveling in the destruction of the middle class. With their Cap and Tax, and health care control, they hope to shrink it to non-entity status.

Are you grasping yet what 'hope and change' is all about?

grubby Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 7:35 AM

"The Obama administration and its backers are on a mission. Cut off one head of the medusa, such as in the case of outed communist Green Jobs Czar, Van Jones, and immediately Obama grows another one."

Very astute observation. I couldn't help notice some of the glee taken at this VJ's resignation. Actually, it was practically a non-incident. Few heard of him before the appointment and few will remember him a month or two from now.

Once he became known, he was expendable.

If nothing else, those 'czars' are nurturing a particular constituency from the 'stimulus' - this is the patronage building operation that's going on. In a sense, it's what gangsterism is all about.

I had to laugh at the interview that Pete...

Blanco Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 2:53 AM

Just because union workers support the Dems overwhelmingly is hardly a reason to cast aspersion on a movement that has done many great things for America including delivering us from Socialism in the early part of the 20th century. Although judging by the number of people recieving SS,Medicare or other types of welfare (yeah I said it SS and Medicare are no different than welfare and if you cash those checks you are not a true consevative) maybe it hasn't kept us away from it.
Would you really like to live in a country were 13 year old girls work 60 hours a week only to live in squalor? If so why don't you pack your uninformed self up and move to the 3rd world. Don't call yourself a conservative when uninformed blowhard...

deStael Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 2:38 AM

Mr. Agar's column is one of those obvious clues that the meat and potatoes of Townhall is anti-union contempt for the American worker. The side dishes of social conservativsm are just window dressing. The real drive is to exploit and divide people. Unionism was a good idea for 13 American colonies, for the Allies in WWII, and worth the lives of half a million Americans in the Civil War to maintain a united country. But heaven forbid that workers who have common interests should unite to gain any advantage on their bosses.

A united work force-- that's the main enemy of Townhall.com.

Glen105 Wrote: Sep 08, 2009 1:00 AM

Sorry to hear that. I myself am just getting back to work after a seven-month layoff (only worked for the company for 30 years, wasn't enough senority to stay on the job:-).
I work at a union shop, and can't say that it has been an advantage, for the most part. If you come in every day ready to do your job to the best of your ability, the union doen't do anything for you (but take your money). If you are a slacker or trouble-maker, those dues go to help make sure you keep your job.
Not to mention, if you are working harder or turning in higher-quality work, the company can't pay you any more than the slackers, otherwise the union would howl that everyone else must get a pay raise also.

Origanalist Wrote: Sep 07, 2009 11:41 PM

I think you need a hit to understand that, all I know is I am on unemployment for the first time since 1982. I am not celebrating. But then I never did. I usually worked on this day.

ROY296 Wrote: Sep 07, 2009 9:47 PM

Although now retired and on honorary withdrawals, during my 34-year career I did indeed belong to SEVEN unions (all in the private sector, by the way). As I doubt anyone else on this blog can claim that, I think my experience gives me a unique perspective.

I can tell you my unions were all jokes, lumbering, self-limiting, crooked, and onerous to me as an ambitious worker. They were champions, not of the worker, but of mediocrity and hypocrisy. They were an anchor to initiative and fair competition.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that ultimately I would have been better off in all aspects of my work, wages and benefits included, if my workplaces had NOT been unionized. And I KNOW the companies I worked for...

szhome Wrote: Sep 07, 2009 8:22 PM

I am not a union member, nor have I ever been. Most of my observations come observation of my husband's job at an automotive parts plant, which was a UAW closed shop (meaning you had to be a member to work there). He found that unions protect unsafe and inept employees, and that there is no incentive to do a good job since your hard efforts will be paid exactly the same rate as someone who stood by with his thumb up his backside the whole day. He was injured a number of times by employees who got high during lunch / break times. My husband received broken bones in some of those incidents - and was drug tested (negative findings) each time, whle the idiot who caused the injury was never questioned or tested! Of course, the union was...

Keep the change Wrote: Sep 07, 2009 8:04 PM

the others that I mentioned with you had your sense of humor,......

killer15 Wrote: Sep 07, 2009 7:41 PM

"You Learned a lot of stuff". Too bad, you didn't learn how to get your wife a raise! Do you see now why you need to have a Lawyer, when you go to court?

Illinois Roy Wrote: Sep 07, 2009 7:24 PM

thanks keep-yes i am thankful. hey everybody have fun tonight. everybody wang chung tonught.

Keep the change Wrote: Sep 07, 2009 7:15 PM

to the numerous hack TH trolls.

Lilly, Rick, roy, Mario, Left hacker, Zapydoo, C Lib,unbalanced, you know, all the usual suspects.......,

Your dear leader is neither dear, nor a leader, but, he is a commie. For that, I am sure that you freaks are thankful

poorgrandchildren.com2 Wrote: Sep 07, 2009 6:55 PM

Unions, our founders, and I do not subscribe to the concept of a "wonderful" democracy, the tyranny of the best organized mob.

God save our republic.

Patshere Wrote: Sep 07, 2009 6:24 PM

There was a time when unions were helpful to the working man. For a while the nations benefitted, but when you get powerful, the powerful move in and take over.
The crooks who took over the unions (Hoffa, etc.) created their own problems and deserved the death of the unions.
As other countries recovered from WWII (thanks in a large part to our money) international companies make it almost impossible for unions to compete because companies can move to the third world.
I can't think Obama really wants to work with unions to restore their power - he probably has other plans for them. He has to know that businesses can't afford union costs, so either he wants businesses to fail or move, or he plans other uses for unions as his...

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