Originally posted by cjbaldw:
Regarding unions, I'll say what I've said many other times, unions served a historic purpose during the early to mid 1900's when the DOL (labor law) didn't exist. Now that we have very healthy labor laws on the books coupled with a litigious society, companies are no longer free to abuse employees as they were during the height of the industrial revolution. This means that the primary purpose of unions is effectively extinct, which was to prevent blatant abuse of employees and their interests.





interesting point about unions

"Queens Trash Hauler Charged With Assault
Oct 26, 2005 1:50 pm US/Eastern

The owner of a Maspeth, Queens garbage company has been indicted on charges of falsely imprisoning and assaulting two union organizers who were posing as day laborers.

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown says the two men were locked in a truck yard last July.

The garbage company also has been named in the indictment and charged with presenting a fraudulent carting license application to the New York City Business Integrity Commission.

DA Brown says the company owner also incited a mob of his workers to beat the two union workers.

New York City's Business Integrity Commission says it will be revoking the license of K and R Construction Removal.

The DA says Steven Russell of Cedarhurst, Long Island and his company have been charged in an 18 count indictment. If convicted, Russell faces up to 15 years in prison. The corporation can be fined up to $10,000.

The D-A says organizers for Local 79 of the Laborers' Union sent two undercover union workers to a construction and demolition job being done by Russell's company at the former Board of Education's headquarters in Brooklyn. Brown says Russell was allegedly using non-union workers. Workers at the site claimed they were being paid ten dollars an hour for ten-hour days with no benefits. Union workers are paid $48 per hour for similar labor and receive healthcare, overtime and other benefits.

Brown says the two undercover union members were fired for reporting safety and asbestos issues. The work site was temporarly closed down by the City's Department of Environmental Protection.

The DA says when the two workers went to K and R to collect their final wages on the evening of July 22nd, 2005, Russell and others restrained the two men and beat them.
"

Let us prevent unions from forming by any means necessary.