Labor Unions & Democrats: a Marriage Made in Heaven

Democrats and labor unions are bed mates. Despite whatever laudable goals labor unions were founded upon, those days are way past. The federal government and their numerous regulatory agencies now protect worker's from dangerous working conditions and sub-minimum wage.

Labor unions are now organizations that exist for one purpose only...to perpetuate their power and influence. Unions are like great big selfish bullies. They would proudly throw everyone else under the bus so that they can get what they desire. If what they want ends up breaking the bank, they act as if that's not their problem to deal with. I find this particularly odd in that the word "collective" is found all over labor union nomenclature yet when it comes to shared sacrifice of the entire populace - the collective as it were - they are none too willing.

Unions have climbed into the rack with Democrats and their they will place all their hopes and efforts, which means money, into supporting Democrats politically. The marriage of Democrats and labor unions is one of opportunity and seemingly nothing more. Each has something the other needs.

Democrats need voters and an organized cadre of protesters to show up and make ugly in the streets for the news cameras. Labor unions need a powerful political entity to advocate for them in the halls of power. Unions provide money to Democrats in the form of campaign donations and Democrats protect their financial lifeline

I heard it said on the news yesterday that American labor gave more money to the Democrat Party in 2008 or 2010 (I forget which exactly) than all the money donated by Wall Street and banking corporations to any party combined! So Wall Street is bad. Big Oil and Big Pharma are bad, but Big Labor is just fine.

Consulting the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) reveals some rather interesting details. First among these is this shocker - "7.6 million union workers work in the public sector and 7.1 million union workers are in the private sector." How about this tidbit - "36.2% of public sector workers are union members, whereas only 6.9% of private sector workers are unionized." (paraphrased).

Folks, when the people who work for us make more than we do, there is a real problem. I AM NOT arguing they should make less, but the average wage of a union employee is "$917 [per week], while those not represented by unions had median weekly earnings of $717." Since our taxes pay their salaries, something is askew here.

As well keep in mind much of the issue about unions and especially public unions is this: our taxes pay public employees. Those employees wages also pay union dues and then those dues are used to further Democrat Party causes and goes almost exclusively to electing Democrats. Another major rub is that once a union due is paid the union member has little if any say as to how his dues are used. What if the worker does not want his dues contributed to Democrat politicians and causes?

So essentially my taxes go to electing Democrats. THAT IS NOT what I want my taxes going for. Is this too hard for the left headed to grasp?

As an American citizen, voter and tax payer I have rights - "Consent of the governed" and all that rot. Since when do 12.7% of American workers who are unionized - 14.7 million men and women in total - get to dictate the fortunes of the other near 300 million Americans not members of their little cabal? That ain't representative republic stuff in any way. It is bullying.

The unholy alliance of Democrats and labor unions is a self-serving one at best. Clearly this alliance is breaking the states and municipalities. Since when, with all that chatter of "collective" this and that the lefties blather on and on about, does this fly? Once more folks...HYPOCRISY. Yet again we have left heads telling all the rest of us what we must live with. So 14.7 million get to dictate to nearly 300 million? Over my dead body. My advice to them is sit down and shut up before a backlash of Americans decides to put an end to this unsettling situation. But just like the petulant children they are, nothing is ever enough...never!