Using the Pandemic as an Excuse to Break Unions

It appears that many corporations are using the pandemic to flex their anti-union muscles by locking out union members and calling in nonunion workers as replacements.  “Lockouts are an economic weapon employers’ use to take the initiative in collective bargaining,” said Alex Colvin, dean of the school of industrial and labor relations at Cornell University. “During the pandemic, lockouts pose a greater threat to unions due to the high unemployment rate and greater availability of replacement workers.”

Essential workers throughout the country are feeling the effects of the pandemic which is why it has never been more important to have a president that respects workers at every level of our society.  President Biden has already issued numerous executive orders reversing some of the anti-worker policies implemented by the Trump administration and replacing the anti-worker Trump appointments at the Department of Labor with labor leaders.    

As president, Joe Biden has vowed to sign the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act) which would be a major step in increasing union membership.  Not only would it increase penalties for companies that interfere with organizing drives it would offer new protections to the striking workers and establish a process for unions and the company to reach their first collective bargaining agreement.  President Biden is not messing around with anti-worker holdovers from the Trump administration.  He gives them the choice of resigning or being terminated and has not hesitated to tell them “your fired”. 

While some in the labor movement are frustrated with President Biden’s decision to end the Keystone Pipeline, be patient.  President Biden is preparing to submit an infrastructure and jobs proposal that will create thousands of union jobs for years to come.

Services for Free?

I think most people consider the economy of the United States to be built on capitalism.  Most of my conservative friends abhor any intrusion on business by government.  I vividly remember the cries of “it’s General Motors…….NOT Government Motors” when the Obama administration helped guide the American auto industry back from the brink of bankruptcy.  Nope, most people do not want the government involved in any dealings that have to do with businesses.  Which begs the question why they would constantly push anti-union legislation like Right to Work?

What most people fail to realize is that unions are businesses and are subjected to the same rules as most businesses.  They have many of the same expenses that other businesses have, work comp, building expenses, administrative expenses, the list goes on.  Unions are in the business of providing services to their members whether it’s holding a company accountable when they violate the terms of their collective bargaining agreement or holding member education classes or safety trainings etc.

Why in a capitalistic society would anyone expect any business to provide their services for free?  Could you imagine owning a local gym and being forced by the government to allow freeloaders the right to use the gym’s equipment and not have to pay the monthly fee?  How is that different than forcing a union to provide their services for free? 

Politicians like to say that it’s about “choice”, employees should be able to choose whether or not to belong to a union.  What those politicians fail to realize is that when someone chooses to work for a company who’s employees are represented by a union they do so of their own free will, in other words, they CHOOSE to work there.  Most of the time it is because of the better wages and benefits negotiated by the union.  Similar to when a home buyer chooses to purchase a home in a neighborhood with an Home Owners Association, they do so knowing there will be HOA fees and that those fees provide services neighborhood’s without HOA’s don’t have.

The only reason these politicians consistently push Right to Work is because the know it will weaken the unions and give a bigger advantage to their corporate masters.   No one should be forced to provide their services for free.