Dear Readers,Madame L has received an intriguing message from Aldo Baker (whom Madame L thanks for sending the message instead of commenting anonymously on this blog), directing Madame L to a Web site with information about the state of unions in the U.S.
Madame L grew up in a union family. Her father worked in a union shop and thus was a union member, and even though he wasn't always happy with union politics and actions, he was grateful that he belonged to a union, which protected his wages, ensured that he got off work at a reasonable time weekdays, and gave him weekends off. None of these benefits was available to people like him before unions made them possible.
Now, as we all know, big companies are influencing the politicians whose pockets they fill to vote against unions and against every possible help to ordinary workers like Madame L's dad. In turn, not only by voting against unions but by speaking untruths about them in stump speeches, politicians are influencing people who, if they knew the truth, would join unions.
Here's the whole series of graphics from that page. Madame L can't see it very well, either, so she has posted it here as a tease so you'll follow the link to go to that page to see the whole thing.
As unions become less a part of the working family's world, wages will continue to lag behind the cost of living, families will have fewer resources, and our economy will suffer. Just look at those graphics to understand what it's all about.
Best,
Madame L
1 comment:
Modern history has many warning messages when the wealthy take over the politics so as to benefit themselves. The wealth gap increases. We had a thriving middle class in the United States in the 1950's - 1980's, where progressive taxation impinged more on the uber wealthy than the unionized wage-earner trying to raise a family on one salary. Now the American middle class lags behind Europe's. Behind EUROPE!
For modern historical warnings, I would draw your attention to modern Venezuela, modern Thailand, and Modern Iran. It's also exploding in China and Russia right now. An Oligarchy is the Big Red Flag. In Iran the Oligarchy tries to camouflage itself in religion, but it's a powerful and very toxic crony arrangement.
Like Peronista Argentina and modern Venezuela, the wealth gap can get just so far before a real explosion takes place.
If steps are not taken in our own country - like a minimum wage that gives a human being a living wage - then it's like cancer: fix the problem early and everything will be fine. Delay the fix and the repairs when they come will be uglier and uglier.
A disease can only progress so far before uncontrolled consequences follow.
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